SAY you got a big promotion at work, with a shiny new title placard on your office door. Surely, you deserve an automobile befitting your status — one amongst the best crossover SUVs in 2019.
If you’re working your way up in the corporate rat race, compact crossovers make the perfect addition to your driving portfolio.
Combining the devil-may-care practicality of SUVs and the refinement of a sedan, these boys are a big step up from the hatchback you bought for your first car.
From Mercedes’ GLC Coupe to BMW’s X7, these are the best crossover SUVs in 2019 you should look out for when that paycheck comes in.
Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe
German automaker Mercedes-Benz has announced an all-new GLC Coupe to keep up with the competition, with three diesel and two 2.0-litre petrol powertrain options.
Design wise, other than smoothed-out angular lines with snazzy LED flourishes, the model’s imposing presence and signature fastback-styled roof remains the same.
The same dashboard that’s introduced to the latest C-Class is retained, with an amped-up infotainment interface. The main screen is enlarged with crisper visuals; say “Hey Mercedes” and a voice assistant comes to life.
Tesla model y
This year, Tesla announced the crossover counterpart to his fairly new Model 3. Creatively named Model Y, the crossover will come in four variants when it arrives in 2020: Standard Range, Long Range, Dual Motor AWD, and Performance.
In its most powerful iteration, the Model Y will do the century sprint in 3.5 seconds — a number comparable to the Model 3 sedan, with a top speed of 241kph.
For those that prefer coverage over speed, opt for the Long Range version, covering 483km per charge compared to the Standard’s 370km.
Fisker’s electric crossover
The green movement’s becoming a prevalent lifestyle option, and there’s no better way to make a statement with Fisker’s first electric car, announced at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year.
The new model will have a 483km driving range, and in the words of designer Henrik Fisker himself, “an extended open-air atmosphere,” which we can only assume is a convertible roof. Fisker is also promising a uniquely intuitive user interface for drivers, which we’ll have to wait and see for ourselves.
BMW X7
BMW has heard our prayers — its newly released X7 is coming to give the Audi Q7 a run for its money.
With the biggest grilles, the three-rower will come with a choice of two turbocharged engines, the 3.0-litre straight six producing 335hp or the 4.4-litre V8 with 456hp.
Both will be mated to an eight-speed automatic and all-wheel drive, with four-corner air suspension as standard for when off-roading is necessary.
Despite the size, this giant is still of German pedigree — handling corners with grace with robust tech are a given, and it’s going to be our choice for a long-distance cruiser.
Volvo XC40
Volvo has announced that it’ll release a fully electric XC40 this year, the first battery-driven model for the Swedish marque.
While there hasn’t been news on how far the car will go on a single charge, it’ll definitely use the same Compact Modular Architecture as the Polestar 2 (also from the Volvo Group). The avant-garde five-door fastback currently hits a 442km range, so expect slightly less out of the chunkier SUV.
This article first appeared on Lifestyle Asia.