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Blending premium with practicality, the finalists for Drive Car of the Year 2026 – Best Small SUV Under $90K category are locked in.
Drive Car of the Year 2026
The annual Drive Car of the Year awards program continues to be the Australian new car buyer’s most-trusted advisor.
At Drive, we've never been busier in our mission to evaluate all new cars that arrive in our market. We test over 200 cars annually through reviews, comparing each against its innate promise to distinguish the best from the rest. At our annual Drive Car of the Year awards, we categorise the 400-plus new passenger cars, SUVs, 4WDs, and utes into 17 price-banded categories, focusing on the end-consumer. Then we analyse the strengths and weaknesses of every car to find category winners, and ultimately, an overall champion.
Drive Car of the Year 2026 – Best Small SUV Under $90K
The judges have completed the first round of voting for the Best Small SUV Under $90K of the 2026 Drive Car of the Year awards, uncovering three finalists that will battle for the win.
The Mini Countryman is back to defend its title after it unseated the four-time-winning Volvo XC40 in 2025.
Last year, judges were impressed by the Countryman's extensive list of equipment, interior versatility, and choice of smart powertrain solutions. Bigger than ever before on the outside, the Countryman also offers enough interior space to rival much larger SUVs.
As well as practicality, its typical Mini design flair won it points, with judges loving its bold styling, playful colour and trim options and high levels of technology.
The range starts from as little as $49,990 before on-road costs for the Countryman C, and tops off with the Countryman SE JCW Sport for $77,990.
There is a mix of three- and four-cylinder petrol engines, and fully electric options on offer across the range. And, on top of that, Mini’s focus on dynamics means that both the petrol and electric versions come with the option of performance variants too.
The Countryman SE stood out as the star of the range in 2025 thanks to its dynamic handling and silent electric running.
Looking to challenge its bigger brother is the Mini Aceman, which is more of a crossover than a true SUV, and is exclusively electric.
The Aceman costs from $60,990 before on-road costs for the base SE Favoured, with the top spec JCW E Favoured priced from $65,990.
Like its Countryman sibling, the Aceman comes with a healthy equipment list and oozes style, and it also has a decent claimed driving range of 406km coming from its 54kWh battery, putting it right in the sweet spot for urban dwellers not needing to go on long-distance road trips regularly.
Judges have shortlisted the Aceman for this, as well as its practicality, which defies all expectations, and its excellent driving dynamics.
Rounding out the trio and making it a hat-trick for the BMW Group is the BMW iX1.
Based on the petrol-powered BMW X1 but with electric underpinnings, the iX1 is the brand's cheapest electric car.
The range opens with the eDrive20 xLine FWD for $80,600, increasing to $86,600 for the xDrive30 xLine and M Sport, both of which offer AWD, with all three variants comfortably sitting under our $90K cap.
The all-electric small SUV combines innovation and luxury with sporty styling and modern technology. It has a plush interior, is highly-specified, and has excellent driving manners, which is why it has found a place on our shortlist this year.
Although the update arrived in 2024, with all variants priced above $80K, none were eligible for our 2025 Best Small SUV Under $80K award last year. With the maximum asking price bumped up to $90K for this year's equivalent category, judges felt it was deserving of a shot at the title.
Read more about the BMW iX1 here.
The Drive Car of the Year Best Small SUV Under $90K winner will be announced in February 2026.
What are the judges looking for in the Best Small SUV Under $90K category?
Unlike the Small SUV Under $60K category, outright affordability is not the key focus. Here, buyers are prepared to spend a little more on a compact SUV, but want one with style and status, giving the legacy brands an edge.
Think premium value rather than just cheap and cheerful – lots of equipment, customisation, and a solid ownership proposition.
However, as a heavily contested segment that takes around 17 per cent of the market each month, not all that far behind the most popular vehicles that are medium SUVs and utes, judges are looking for vehicles that are not only stylish but also offer practicality and flexibility for young families with one or two children, couples or even older folk looking to downsize.
As a predominantly urban-focused category, factors like fuel or electric efficiency are important too.
Prior to the Mini Countryman's takeover in 2024, for four years before that, the Volvo XC40 was reigning champion. Judges in previous years admired its interior design and finish, but over time, the XC40's technology started to show its age, and new, fresher-faced competitors have joined the race.
Which cars are eligible for this category?
Drive’s rules require that, for a car to be eligible, it must:
As a busy category, whittling down all the eligible contenders from 15 to just three is not small task. Not making our list of finalists this year were the BMW iX2, Lexus LBX Morizo RR and UX300h, Mercedes-Benz EQA, Zeekr X, Jeep Compass, Range Rover Evoque, Skoda Elroq, Volvo EX40 and Alfa Romeo Tonale.
While the Lexus LBX Morizo RR was considered by our team to be a very good vehicle, it's a little on the small side, and the Zeekr X was an interesting proposition, but even in its top-spec perhaps doesn't have enough prestige for premium buyers.
The Kia EV3 and Skoda Elroq, meanwhile, are serious contenders, but just better suited other categories, such as the more mainstream Best Small SUV Under $60K.
Eligible to compete are models with an RRP of less than $90K before on-road costs – even if the drive-away price pushes above this mark – and as with any existing DCOTY category, cars must be all-new or significantly updated since they last contested for the award win.
Some of the contenders in this category offer model variants that are priced above $90K before on-road costs. Only trim grades that fall below the price cap will be eligible.
The winner of the Drive Car of the Year 2026 – Best Small SUV Under $90K will be announced in February 2026.
An overall Drive Car of the Year award will be awarded in February 2026.
Read more:
A born-and-bred newshound, Kathryn has worked her way up through the ranks reporting for, and later editing, two renowned UK regional newspapers and websites, before moving on to join the digital newsdesk of one of the world’s most popular newspapers – The Sun. More recently, she’s done a short stint in PR in the not-for-profit sector, and led the news team at Wheels Media.
