If you're looking for a family crossover-SUV model and you’re on a budget of no more than £350 per calendar month, fear not – there’s plenty of top-quality vehicles available to you on our leasing deals right now. In the class arguably formed and dominated by the Nissan Qashqai, which is into its third generation, there are some superb machines available for your cash. Here’s our rundown of the nine of the very best of their type.
Citroen C5 Aircross
Idiosyncratic style and incredibly plush ride comfort are the hallmarks of the Citroen C5 Aircross, with a visual update for 2022 bringing in a dramatic front-end design where the daytime running lamps, radiator grille bars and the double-chevron logo of the company all neatly blend into one another. But the C5 Aircross isn’t all about style – the cabin is vast and the boot is one of the biggest efforts in this class, with 580 litres minimum to play with. For your budget, you get a 1.2 PureTech Sense Plus turbocharged petrol with 130hp and the eight-speed EAT8 gearbox. Better yet, the Sense Plus comes with highlights such as dual-zone climate control, 18-inch alloys and a 12.3-inch TFT instrument cluster, among much more standard equipment.
Cupra Formentor
The Cupra Formentor is built from the same big ‘box o’ bits’ as many other VW Group crossover-SUVs – such as the SEAT Ateca, Volkswagen T-Roc and Skoda Karoq – and yet somehow, this Spanish marque has managed to deliver one of the finest-driving crossover-SUVs at any price level. The icing on the cake is that the Formentor looks really classy on the outside, it has one of the best interiors in the segment and it is more car-like to drive than many other crossovers of the same size, with a low-slung seating position that still gives good views out over the road. For £350pcm, you’ll be in the 150hp TSI in luxurious V2 specification, complete with a slick-shifting DSG automatic transmission.
Ford Kuga
Ford’s Kuga has evolved over three generations from something that was fun to drive but perhaps a little bit underdone in the build quality department, into a handsome, big and beautifully appointed family crossover today. There are lots of hybrid powertrain options in the Mk3 Kuga line-up but this deal sees you in the sweet 1.5-litre EcoBoost petrol model, with 150hp – however, while this is the base engine choice, you get to enjoy high-end ST-Line X specification, which comes with all the bells and whistles as standard.
Hyundai Tucson
Hyundai’s Tucson, and the related Kia Sportage (see below), could both be argued to be the class leaders in this segment – some turnaround for two vehicles that were once just budget alternatives to the mainstream norm. The current Tucson has truly dramatic exterior styling, embodied best by that huge radiator grille complete with ‘Parametric’ lights, accompanied by a top-quality passenger compartment that boasts acres of space and all the latest technology too. The deal here sees you in the powerful 230hp Hybrid model as well, which is our preferred drivetrain of them all – it'll give you around 50mpg all the time, yet it’s actually faster than the more-powerful Plug-In Hybrid model, because this Tucson is lighter overall. SE Connect specification also brings a useful kit count when it comes to safety equipment and comfort-related items, just to help seal the deal.
Kia Sportage
If the Tucson is a bit too outlandish to look at for you, then the Kia Sportage could be just the answer. While it uses much the same mechanicals and technology as the Hyundai, the Sportage is completely different to look at outside and in – and yet it is by no means boring, with sharp, creased bodywork and a genuinely superb passenger compartment. Again, this deal puts you in the 1.6-litre T-GDI Hybrid version of the Kia family vehicle, in mid-grade ‘3’ specification – and that means plenty of standard equipment to play with, plus a brilliant all-round driving experience.
MG HS
MG has reinvented itself for the 21st century as a budget brand and while you can get into the HS for less than £270pcm, as at the time of writing, this excellent big crossover-SUV can be yours for less than £350 per month with the potent plug-in hybrid drivetrain. That means 258hp, 370Nm and 0-62mph in just 6.9 seconds… all coupled to 155.8mpg and as much as 32 miles of all-electric driving range. You’ll be in an Excite specification car, which qualifies as MG’s ‘base’ trim, but then the kit count is so generous and far-reaching on the MG HS 1.5 T-GDI PHEV that you’ll get certain items of equipment as standard which are only expensive options on some of the rival cars here.
Nissan Qashqai
We couldn’t ignore this one, could we? The Nissan Qashqai supercharged the whole concept of a vehicle that looked tough and rugged, like a 4x4, but which had the easy driving manners and fuel economy of a regular hatchback when it first appeared way back in 2007. This third-generation car, though, brings a huge amount of glamour, with a high-quality interior, loads of technology – including a bulging list of standard-fit advanced driver assist safety systems – and an entirely electrified drivetrain line-up. The best news is our deal for less than £350pcm is for the advanced E-Power N-Connecta model; this is powered by an electric motor that is kept charged by a small petrol engine, meaning you never have to plug it in. And the equipment roster includes a full-length glass roof up top, as well. All these positives make Qashqai leasing an easy choice.
Skoda Karoq
Skoda is a no-nonsense car company but that doesn’t make its products boring. On the contrary, these Czech machines are in fact hugely likeable, usually because they are immensely practical inside, with loads of cabin space, cavernous great boot volumes, a load of what are known as ‘Simply Clever’ touches to make life onboard easier, and also the sort of spot-on ergonomics that aren’t always a given in these high-tech touchscreen days. The Karoq, Skoda’s middle-sized entrant out of three crossover-SUVs with internal combustion engines, exemplifies all of that and has not long been freshened up by its midlife facelift. A Skoda Karoq lease will fit seamlessly into your family life without a hitch.
Volkswagen Tiguan
Related to the Karoq above, the Volkswagen Tiguan brings the badge cachet of that ‘VW’ logo on its nose. For our budget, you get the basic-spec Life car but gone are the days when entry-level Volkswagens came with nothing fitted as standard – this family SUV will have 18-inch alloy wheels, the Discover Media satnav infotainment system, three-zone climate control, wireless smartphone charging capability, and even front and rear parking sensors among much more, all fitted from the off. You also get the same sweet 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine as the Skoda Karoq mentioned above, which can run on two cylinders from time to time to save fuel, only the Volkswagen is fitted with a six-speed manual gearbox in this spec.
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