A Chinese car has made the best small SUV shortlist as sales multiplied by 12 times in just a year.
The MG ZST Essence was among a dozen compact SUVs Carsales road tested to find the Best SUV for 2021.
Australia’s bestselling small SUV, the Mitsubishi ASX, didn’t make the grade and wasn’t in the running.
In a sign of changing motoring tastes, cars with higher ground clearance of all sizes compromise half of the new cars sold in Australia.
A Chinese car has made a best small SUV shortlist as sales multiplied by 12 times in just a year. The MG ZS was among the dozen compact SUVs Carsales road tested to find the Best SUV for 2021
Chinese-built SUVs from MG are booming in popularity with sales of the MG ZS, priced from $21,990 driveaway, multiplying twelvefold from just 112 in April 2020 to 1,350 last month, Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries data showed.
The Carsales judges praised the MG for having the lowest running and servicing costs with a seven-year warranty and for being well-equipped.
But it was criticised for having body clunks over sharp bumps, using more fuel and most likely having the worst resale value, and it came 11th in the 12-car race.
The Hyundai Kona ultimately triumphed, proving that Korean cars which were once seen as inferior to Japanese competitors, are quality products.
Motorists are also flocking to the Kona, with its sales quadrupling from 379 to 1,529, even though the shape has been around in Australia since 2017.
Carsales managing editor Marton Pettendy said the Kona was clearly the best small SUV under $40,000.
‘The Hyundai Kona is the stand-out performer in a growing number of dynamic, well-equipped and well-priced small SUVs,’ he said.
‘For first-time drivers, young families, empty-nesters and/or the large number of Aussies downsizing from traditional passenger cars, no light or small SUV priced under $40,000 ticks more boxes than the Hyundai Kona.’
The Hyundai Kona ultimately triumphed, proving that Korean cars which were once seen as inferior to Japanese competitors, are quality products. Carsales managing editor Marton Pettendy said it was clearly the best small SUV under $40,000
In the Carsales road test, a Korean car came first and also last, with the Kia Stonic GT-Line taking twelfth spot
In the Carsales road test, a Korean car came first and also last, with the Kia Stonic GT-Line taking twelfth spot.
‘The Stonic falls short in around-town ride comfort and highway performance,’ the judges said.
‘Its comfort and convenience, safety and technology features also look sparse when compared to others here at a similar price.’
When it came to sales, market leader Toyota in fact struggles in the small SUV stakes even though its medium RAV4 and large LandCruiser models dominate four-wheel drive sales and regularly make the top five.
The Toyota C-HR Koba came fifth on the Carsales small SUV list, putting it in the top half of the pack.
But in April, just 884 were sold, still a big increase from 480 a year earlier.
The Toyota C-HR Koba came fifth on the Carsales small SUV list, putting it in the top half of the pack
The recently released Yaris Cross, with 730 monthly sales, came sixth.
The Mitsubishi ASX is Australia’s top-selling small SUV, with 2,028 leaving showrooms last month, a big surge from the 348 monthly tally a year earlier.
In April, the ASX was Australia’s eighth most popular car after the Ford Ranger, Toyota RAV4, Toyota HiLux, Toyota LandCruiser, Mitsubishi Triton, Mazda CX-5 and Toyota Corolla.
Despite that sales success the ASX, which has been around in the current shape since 2010, didn’t make the Carsales shortlist.
Australia’s bestselling small SUV, the Mitsubishi ASX, didn’t make the grade and wasn’t in the running