1) 2018 Jaguar F-Pace SVR
It’s big. It’s fast. It’s svelte. It’s the quickest SUV Jaguar has ever built (not saying much since it’s their first SUV) and it is most certainly SA bound. It’s been fettled by SVO or Special Vehicle Operations to the magnificent outputs of 405kW and 680Nm so it now launches to 100kph in just 4.2 seconds and will continue onward to 283kph. Dynamics, handling – the whole experience is unique to the SVR model.
"The F-Pace SVR delivers the handling and agility to match its performance. Everything from the steering to the bespoke suspension set-up has been tuned specifically for our performance SUV and the result is a vehicle that lives up to the promise of both the F-Pace and SVR names." Mike Cross, Chief Engineer, Vehicle Integrity, Jaguar Land Rover.
Well Mike, we’ll just have to wait and see.
2) 2019 Toyota Rav4
Every manufacturer seems to have a dog in the fight for who made the first small SUV. Toyota’s claim is a strong one since the original Rav4 definitely ticked all the right boxes. With this 5th gen model they’ve gone in and recreated it with a heavy pen, giving it totally new styling yet again, now looking almost like a derivative of a lifestyle truck – seriously, you can blame that Tahoma-alike front end for that as well as utilizing the TNGA platform. Overseas offerings come with a beefy inline 4-cyl 2.5-litre engine with a further hybrdised version as well. It also features a clever new torque-vectored All Wheel Drive system to enhance your drive on the road and off.
3) 2018 Hyundai Kona
In a move that will surely illicit cries of, “Oh wow, they were serious!” Hyundai bring us this, the awkward of name and face, Kona. What is it exactly? Well, the South Korean firm call it a CUV, or Cute Utility Vehicle? It’s probably meant to mean Compact but maybe let’s try on Creepy? Or Curious? It’s definitely got a divisive aesthetic but underneath there’s the usual creamy goodness you expect from Hyundai; that is a 4-cylnder 2.0 litre paired with a six-speed auto SHIFTRONIC or seven-speed EcoShift DCT. Okay then, let’s just wait and see.
