Best small 4x4s 2025: compare small 4WD cars

​The best small 4x4s offer rugged style, practicality and off-road ability all in one compact package. There are plenty of small 4x4s and 4WD cars to be found on sale in the UK, and our expert road testing team has driven every single one, so read on to find the best small 4x4 cars on sale right now.

Compared to larger off-roaders, small 4x4s are much easier to drive, so navigating tight, muddy back roads and multi-storey car parks should be relatively straightforward. The smaller stature of small 4x4s also means day-to-day running costs are likely to be more affordable than their larger counterparts.

On this list, there’s a small 4x4 to suit most budgets – from the frugal, no-frills Dacia Duster all the way through to the posh Mercedes EQA or Range Rover Evoque, you aren’t spoiled for choice. You’re not limited in fuel choice, either, as there’re petrol, diesel, hybrid and all-electric power options as well.

Read on to see the best small 4x4 cars that you can buy in 2025…

Best small 4x4s

1. Dacia Duster
2. Volvo EX30
3. Skoda Karoq
4. Toyota GR Yaris
5. Mercedes EQA
6. Lexus UX
7. Range Rover Evoque
8. Jeep Renegade
9. Volkswagen T-Roc
10. MG4 XPower

Dacia Duster

11

• Prices from £23,500 (four-wheel drive version)

Few cars offer the same combination of family-friendly practicality and off-road capability as the Dacia Duster, and fewer still manage to even come close to its sub-£24,000 starting price. It’s such a competitive offering that we couldn’t help but crown the Dacia Duster as our Small SUV of the Year in 2024.

The latest generation of this no-frills SUV is a more modern-feeling car than its predecessor, but it still offers the same sort of no-nonsense, durable motoring. As standard, the third-generation Dacia Duster comes with a decent amount of in-car kit, and it’s mostly the sort of things that you’ll actually use, rather than gimmicks. There’s plenty of space inside, too, and opting for the four-wheel drive version means it’s surprisingly competent when the going gets tough. 

See our latest Dacia Duster deals

Volvo EX30

11

• Prices from £33,000
• Best for efficiency

The Volvo EX30 might wear a premium badge, but the small electric SUV is surprisingly reasonable when it comes down to its purchase price. Admittedly, if you want four-wheel drive, you’ll have to step up into the Plus and select the Twin Motor Performance version which has a starting price of around £42,000, but for the money you’ll get one of the best electric cars currently on the market which comes with a generous helping of luxuriousness and a battery range of up to 280 miles on a WLTP combined cycle. When we tested a Twin Motor Performance version of the EX30 against a DS 3 E-Tense, we only managed to get 3.5mi/kWh from the Volvo, which would return a real-world range of around 224 miles.

While the EX30 hasn’t really been designed with off-roading in mind, the dual-motor version of Volvo’s baby SUV is very competent and certainly caters for performance fans. The EX30 Twin Motor Performance can sprint from 0-62mph in just 3.6 seconds, meaning it’ll even manage to catch some high-end sports cars off guard.

See our lates Volvo EX30 deals 

Skoda Karoq

11

• Prices from £30,670
• Best for families

All versions of the Skoda Karoq offer plenty of practicality and space for family use, along with good levels of comfort and on-board tech. Opt for a four-wheel drive version and you can also add some off-road ability to this already impressive mix.

The Karoq received a mid-life facelift in 2022 to keep it competitive in the fiercely-fought mid-size SUV market, along with further updates in 2024. These Changes included a refreshed exterior design, a new fully-digital dashboard and a simplification of trim options.

Four-wheel drive versions of the Karoq are offered with a 187bhp 2.0-litre TSI petrol or a 147bhp 2.0-litre TDI diesel engine. Neither of which feel sluggish, and they offer plenty of punch for overtaking. Both come with a 7-speed DSG automatic transmission as standard.

The two-wheel-drive versions of the Karoq offer greater fuel economy, but the four-wheel-drive 2.0-litre diesel can still achieve up to 48.7mpg on the combined WLTP cycle. 

See our latest Skoda Karoq deals

Toyota GR Yaris

11

• Prices from £44,250
• Best driving experience

Remember, this is a list of the best small 4x4s, not the best small SUVs, so the Toyota GR Yaris does indeed belong here. Fit the right set of tyres to this fiery hot hatchback and you’ll pretty much have a rallying pocket rocket in your hands (provided you can handle it).

When you aren’t hammering the living daylights out of it and having plenty of fun in the process, the GR Yaris settles down into being a great supermini that’s surprisingly easy to live with day-to-day. The 318-litre boot should provide ample storage for a family’s weekly shop, while the three-cylinder engine is capable of returning up to 32mpg if you go easy on the throttle. 

See our latest Toyota GR Yaris deals

Mercedes EQA

11

• Prices from £50,000

The Mercedes EQA is the brand’s entry-level electric SUV, but that’s not to say it isn’t upmarket. Based on the Mercedes GLA, the EQA looks distinctive thanks to its flush grille and full-width rear lights, but it’s underneath the car where the magic happens.  

Mercedes claims that the EQA can achieve up to 346 miles of range, depending on your chosen variant. Charging speeds of up to 100kW are possible, too, meaning the EQA’s battery can be charged from 10 to 80 per cent in as little as 32 minutes.

All trim levels are reasonably equipped – as you’d hope for a small SUV that’s priced from around £50,000 – with 18-inch alloy wheels, dual 10.25-inch digital screens and heated seats. Premium and Premium Plus packs add more luxuries, such as wireless smartphone charging and a better stereo. 

See our latest Mercedes EQA deals

Lexus UX

11

• Prices from £35,000

The Lexus UX is one of the more unique small SUVs on the UK’s roads at the moment. With its sharp styling and plush interior, this car is anything but understated, but there are some useful sensible touches, too, such as the choice of a fully-electric version.

It’s unlikely that many owners will consider taking the Lexus UX off-road, but opting for the four-wheel drive hybrid model does mean that you get some extra power to go with this premium SUV’s impressive levels of refinement and comfort.

See our latest Lexus UX deals

Range Rover Evoque

11

• Prices from £44,000

While it looks fairly similar to the original, the latest Range Rover Evoque benefits from some pretty big changes under the skin. Not only does it now have the firm’s latest infotainment technology, but it can also be specced with a petrol, diesel or plug-in hybrid powertrain.

Of course, it’s the Evoque’s styling inside and out that’s still a major draw – it’s able to serve up Range Rover’s trademark look and feel, but in a small and relatively affordable package. Walk up the range from S to SE and Autobiography and the kit levels become truly luxurious, but the price also climbs steeply from affordable to eye-watering.

See our latest Range Rover Evoque deals

Jeep Renegade

11

• Prices from £33,000

The Jeep Renegade’s squared retro-looks are a nod to the brand’s long four-wheel drive bloodline. But if you want a Renegade that’s capable of taking you off-road, you’ll have to choose one of the more expensive 4xe versions. 

Four-wheel drive models are limited to the 4xe plug-in hybrid powertrain, which uses a 1.3-litre turbocharged petrol engine up front, and an electric motor to power the rear wheels. This means there’s instant torque to apply a helping shove that can keep the Renegade moving in rough and slippery conditions.

See our latest Jeep Renegade deals  

Volkswagen T-Roc

11

• Prices from £40,245 (four-wheel drive version)

If you like the familiarity of a Volkswagen Golf but wish the popular family hatch had more interior space, a higher driving position and the option of four-wheel drive; then the Volkswagen T-Roc is a great choice.

As the T-Roc shares the same underpinnings as the Golf, you’ll find that the cabin and in-car tech is largely the same as its sibling, both for good and bad. As standard, safety equipment on the T-Roc is plentiful, the build quality feels robust to withstand family life, and a 445 litre boot can swallow holiday luggage or the weekly shop with ease. The 4MOTION four-wheel drive system can also hold its own when the going gets rough and slippery.

See our latest Volkswagen T-Roc deals

MG4 XPower

11

• Price from £36,500

In recent years, MG has been making a name for itself as a manufacturer of good electric cars, offering a decent blend of usable real-world range and near-unbeatable value for money. Coming off the back of the highly successful MG4, the brand launched its most powerful car yet – the 429bhp MG4 XPower.

Unlike the regular MG4, the XPower gets an additional electric motor mounted to the front wheels, meaning the car has four-wheel drive and is capable of doing the 0-62mph sprint in 3.8 seconds. When launching from a standstill, the car feels rapid, but the instant torque will feel even quicker if you’re already moving. The wider wheels, different tyres and bigger brakes mean that the hot MG4 XPower is nimble and agile on a twisty road. Inside the cabin, you'll find red seat stitches, glossy black plastics and metal pedals which give it a sporty feel.

The 64kWh battery has an official WLTP range of 239 miles, but if you can avoid too many B-road blasts, you could easily see around 200 miles of range – when we drove the car, we averaged 3.3 miles per kWh without driving particularly gently. 

See our latest MG4 XPower deals

Tell us which new car you’re interested in and get the very best offers from our network of over 5,500 UK dealers to compare. Let’s go…