Crossovers remain the strangest segment to me. Crossovers are essentially regular sedans or hatchbacks that expand upwards from the wheel-arches. The segment seems to have found a home in raising the floor of small affordable hatchbacks with models like the previous Sandero Stepway being the best seller in the whole Sandero range. VW’s Cross Polo is quite popular and we will see an Etios Cross from Toyota join the fray in July 2014.
It’s not all about cheap hatchbacks with kerb-hopping potential, Audi has been known to throw the Allroad badge onto A4, A6 and A8 models – even if some of those didn’t reach our shores. I think the 3-Series and 5-Series GT models from BMW might be crossovers but they could also be station wagons or sedans with more space.
Whilst the crossover segment is difficult to define, we’ve kept it at small cars as anything bigger tends to head towards the compact SUV segment and that unleashes a plethora of options and a list for another day.
Top 3 Crossovers
Renault Sandero Stepway
The new Sandero was only launched in April 2014, with the Stepway variant arriving only a month later. The Stepway is raised off the ground a further 29mm from the standard Sandero to 193mm total ground clearance. The Stepway is powered by Renault’s fantastic little three-cylinder, 1.0-litre turbo petrol.
It’s super frugal in town driving and can hold its own on the freeway and if you need to take it down a dirt road the mid-range torquey pull of the engine is sufficient enough to get you by. Just don’t think you can do real off-road in this pint-size hatch. R159 900
Peugeot 2008
The Peugeot 2008 is based on the 208 hatchback, a supremely lightweight little car that has a lot going for it. The bigger 2008 gets a slightly longer wheelbase – 200mm more and gains 25mm more ground clearance.
The 2008 is more roomy than the standard 208 thanks to the extra wheelbase but can only be specced with a 1.6 petrol engine that lacks the torque you want from a slightly larger vehicle. Thankfully the 2008 remains quite light so it’s not all that noticeable and it’s interesting looks should keep you entertained. You can get a Peugeot 2008 for R269 900.
Volvo V40 Cross Country
The Volvo V40 seems to be coming across a lot of our lists, whether it’s because it’s super stylish or in the case of the D2, extremely frugal, the V40 makes a strong case for itself. In the Cross Country variant it gets a 40mm lift, some plastic bumpers and side skirts to make it appear a little more rugged and if you opt for the top of the range T5 petrol model, you’ll get all-wheel drive thrown into the mix. Our pick would be either the T4 petrol or the D3 turbodiesel. Pricing varies from R336 500 for a petrol T4 and R376 200 for the diesel D3.
