These are NZ’s best fuel efficient SUVs

SUVs are the best. They have plenty of room for the kids, the dog and all your gear, plus great safety features and extra ground clearance for camping and outdoor adventures.

However, the fact is, most SUVs use gas like there’s no tomorrow. Except for a select few – these are New Zealand’s best fuel efficient SUVs.

Suzuki S-Cross

The Suzuki S-Cross defies all the usual SUV drawbacks by being both affordable and fuel efficient. Brand new it starts at just $37,500+ ORC and it goes for much less via the second hand market.

The car’s claimed fuel economy is 6.6 litres per 100 km, which is incredibly low for an engine that outputs 103kW and 220 Nm of torque. That said, the NZ Herald recently tested the car and found that it achieved 4.8 litres per 100 km (which is better fuel economy than the hybrid RAV 4 which costs an extra $20,000+).

As well as great fuel economy and pricing the S-Cross has all the bells and whistles. We’re talking heated front seats, a stylish new design, reversing camera, adaptive cruise control and much more. How good is that for value?

All new Qashqai with e-POWER

The Nissan Qashqai has always been a bit of a crowd favourite here in New Zealand, but the new model is a huge step up. That’s why we’re not surprised it won Drive Car of the Year and Best Small SUV in 2023.

It starts at just $39,990 but we’d recommend stumping up a little extra for the innovative e-POWER drive. This nifty new technology features a petrol generator that charges the battery which then supplies power to the car’s wheels – meaning you get instant acceleration and fuel efficiency like an EV, but without the range anxiety.

Thanks to the e-POWER drive the car achieves an impressive 5.8 litres per 100 km fuel efficiency and outputs 140 kW and 330 Nm of torque.

Mazda MX-30 hybrid

Fancy something with a premium feel? The Mazda MX-30 features unique styling, luxury interior and a super fuel-efficient hybrid engine with pricing from just $47,590.

It features an all-important five star ANCAP safety rating, plus a suite of driving and safety features you wouldn’t expect from an SUV in this class. Plus it’s got freestyle doors (otherwise known as suicide doors) which look amazing and are surprisingly practical.

It’s also super efficient with a 7.1 litre per 100 km claimed fuel efficiency and low CO2 exhaust emissions.

Haval Jolion Hybrid

When it comes to value it’s hard to beat Haval. This affordable SUV starts at just $27,990 + ORC and despite that insanely low price it boasts super impressive fuel efficiency and features.

Both the Jolion Lux hybrid and Jolion Ultra hybrid feature 5 litre per 100 km claimed range, which is very impressive for an SUV of this size. They’ve also got luxury features like a panoramic sunroof, heads-up display, heated front seats and an impressive 110 kW and 220 Nm of torque.