@wheelsaustralia 107
Car of the Year, are also waiting in the
wings, that moment of greatness may still
be on a loading dock somewhere. But
Australia’s favourite SUV – the Mazda
CX-5 – has just been renewed, prompting
this nine-car collection of affordable mid-
sized metal that also includes the new-gen
Volkswagen Tiguan and Ford’s revamped
and rebranded Escape.
Critics may have roasted the Hyundai
Tucson City when it launched here back
in 2005, but two-wheel-drive SUVs are no
longer the exception to the rule. And so it
goes here – $30-35K front-drive mid-sizers
spanning the Haval H6 Premium ($29,990)
to Toyota RAV4 GXL ($35,390).
Now, we could’ve asked for a loaded
Haval H6 Lux on 19-inch wheels or a base
RAV4 GX wearing steel 17s, but neither
would’ve quite fit the bill. Driven by the
superb value of Ford’s front-drive Escape
Trend ($32,990) and Mazda’s 2.0-litre CX-5
Maxx Sport ($34,390), the brief was ‘low-to-
mid spec, early 30s’.
That also includes the Hyundai Tucson
Active X ($33,650, now with GDi engine),Kia Sportage SLi ($34,690), Mitsubishi
Outlander LS Safety Pack ($32,000),
Subaru Forester 2.5i-L ($33,240, exclusively
with AWD) and Volkswagen Tiguan 110TSI
Trendline DSG ($34,490).
Just one eligible car failed to make the
grid – the otherwise unfancied front-drive
Renault Koleos Zen – while Nissan’s closely
related X-Trail had a facelift imminent and
wasn’t available in time. Question is, can
Subaru’s superb-riding, former Megatest
winner, the Forester 2.5i-L, be toppled
from its exalted perch?Car of the Year, are also waiting in the
wings, that moment of greatness may still
be on a loading dock somewhere. But
Australia’s favourite SUV – the Mazda
CX-5 – has just been renewed, prompting
this nine-car collection of affordable mid-
sized metal that also includes the new-gen
Volkswagen Tiguan and Ford’s revamped
and rebranded Escape.
Critics may have roasted the Hyundai
Tucson City when it launched here back
in 2005, but two-wheel-drive SUVs are no
longer the exception to the rule. And so it
goes here – $30-35K front-drive mid-sizers
spanning the Haval H6 Premium ($29,990)
to Toyota RAV4 GXL ($35,390).
Now, we could’ve asked for a loaded
Haval H6 Lux on 19-inch wheels or a base
RAV4 GX wearing steel 17s, but neither
would’ve quite fit the bill. Driven by the
superb value of Ford’s front-drive Escape
Trend ($32,990) and Mazda’s 2.0-litre CX-5
Maxx Sport ($34,390), the brief was ‘low-to-
mid spec, early 30s’.
That also includes the Hyundai Tucson
Active X ($33,650, now with GDi engine),Kia Sportage SLi ($34,690), Mitsubishi
Outlander LS Safety Pack ($32,000),
Subaru Forester 2.5i-L ($33,240, exclusively
with AWD) and Volkswagen Tiguan 110TSI
Trendline DSG ($34,490).
Just one eligible car failed to make the
grid – the otherwise unfancied front-drive
Renault Koleos Zen – while Nissan’s closely
related X-Trail had a facelift imminent and
wasn’t available in time. Question is, can
Subaru’s superb-riding, former Megatest
winner, the Forester 2.5i-L, be toppled
from its exalted perch?