Cross Over Vehicle. What’s that?
While the crossover does have its roots in PR guff, this is no longer a cynical case of the emperor’s new clothes.
For MPV or Cross Over prices, take a peek at BuyaCars New Car Prices online.
What the crossover gives is the height similarities of an SUV but with the handling characteristics and practicality of a family hatchback – and in many cases, is an ideal option for saving money on fuel and being more green because crossovers are not as fule hungry as an SUV So unless you really need a 4×4 with full-fat engine for your commute, downsizing to a crossover is potentially a win-win situation.
And judging from the number of crossovers that have been (or are due to be) released on to the market, punters are cottoning on to the benefits of this relatively new sector. At the lower end of the market, Skoda has launched the highly-rated and funky Yeti (starting from £13,220); Peugeot recently took What Car? magazine’s Car of the Year 2010 award for its acclaimed and highly versatile crossover, the 3008 (starting from £16,595); and Volvo has been enjoying success with the XC90’s little brother, the really rather roomy XC60 (starting from £27,115).
Meanwhile, Nissan continues to build on its trailblazing crossovers – Nissan Qashqai (starting from £15,395 and due for an update in March) and its big brother, the Murano (starting from £32,150), were the first crossovers onto the UK market and have proven that the segment does offer genuine benefits to family-laden drivers.
Ford S-Max
If you’re a petrolhead who’s fretting that buying an MPV means the death of any true driving enjoyment, then stop worrying – just go and buy an S-Max. The top-of-the-range model features the same 2.5 engine found in the hot hatch Focus ST so you’ll enjoy plenty of poke plus handling that’ll make you feel like you’re not far off its more sporty cousin. On the practical side, there are 26 storage cubby holes and seven useable seats, five of which can be folded down into the floor to create a truly vast loading area.
Volkswagen Touran - From £17,075. The Touran is everything you’d expect from VW; well-built, good quality plastics and, while the exterior is unadventurously boxy, it means the seven-seater offers good boot space even if you’re carrying a full load of family and friends. You can expect the usual folding, sliding and removable seats too but what you might not be expecting is the Bluemotion model which delivers a hugely impressive 52mpg – it’ll be interesting to see what the all-new Touran has to offer on its launch in summer.
