Note: this guide is updated on a rolling basis as new and redesigned 2026 SUVs are announced.
Do kids even draw sedans anymore? That sounds like a silly question, but when quirky lifestyle vehicles like the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V launched roughly three decades ago, few would’ve guessed they’d evolve into the de facto form of automobile. However, it’s easy to see why sedans seem to be going extinct. Today’s breed of crossovers and SUVs offer better fuel economy than ever, loads of practicality, and surprisingly adept handling. If you, like millions of others, are shopping around for the latest and greatest, here are a few fresh faces to check out – broken down into compact/subcompact, mid-size, full-size, and all-electric.
- Compact, Subcompact
- Mid-Size
- Full-Size
- All-Electric
Related – The 2025 SUVs Worth Waiting For: New and Redesigned Models Only
2026 Compact & Subcompact SUVs
2026 Acura ADX
Release date: On-sale now.
- What we like: Spectacular Bang & Olufsen sound system, seriously spacious for a subcompact, won’t break the bank.
- Who it’s for: Young or empty-nest professionals with dogs.
What do you buy when your life’s just slightly outgrown a compact luxury sedan? Something like the Acura ADX. Powered by a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine hitched to a CVT, the ADX won’t outdrag a BMW X1 or Mercedes-Benz GLA 250 but it can certainly get out of its own way. Then again, speed isn’t the selling point of the ADX.
Instead, revel in the huge cabin space for a subcompact crossover, the absolutely electrifying available Bang & Olufsen audio system, and the rich mix of textiles blanketing the cabin. Comfortable, easy to drive, and equipped with the right mix of gadgets, the ADX is an Acura SUV that hits a sweet spot for about $35,000 US to start (under $50,000 CAD), although the mega-spec audio system only comes on the tippy-top trim.
2026 Audi Q3
Release date: On-sale now.
- What we like: Plenty of power meets a gloriously complex indicator stalk, fairly strong value all things considered.
- Who it’s for: The matcha latte set.
If an Acura ADX doesn’t quite feel sophisticated enough for you, take a look at the new Audi Q3. What Ingolstadt’s done here is take the excellent MQB architecture and EA888 two-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, build a crossover body, crank up the equipment levels, and let the public have it starting in the high-$30,000 range, with well-equipped trims landing in the low-to-mid $40,000s.
As it’s an Audi, you still get nice materials and the clever console-mounted volume knob that jogs side-to-side to skip tracks, but now you also get one of the most highly engineered indicator stalks ever. It’s the posh subcompact crossover for those who like a good gadget, but it’s also not in-your-face. Is it a bit performative? Perhaps, but with a claimed zero-to-100 km/h time of under six seconds, it really just performs full-stop. The question is, can the Q3 keep up with the BMW X1?
2026 Mazda CX-5
Release date: Spring 2026.
- What we like: Upscale cabin, proven powertrain, styling that punches above its price bracket.
- Who it’s for: The smart shopper.
After nearly a decade, a new Mazda CX-5 is almost here, and it’s a big deal. Not only is the CX-5 Mazda’s best-selling model, it’s developed a reputation for being a bit nicer than a RAV4, just as reliable as a RAV4, and a bit less expensive than a RAV4. Not a bad niche to sit in. With that in mind, Mazda hasn’t messed with the bones of its new compact crossover much. The familiar 2.5-liter naturally aspirated inline-four and six-speed automatic carry over, but a stretch in just about every dimension serves up more space, and the cabin gets some fabulous stitched materials that make this crossover look five-figures more expensive than it is.
That being said, while most of this Mazda SUV looks to be an improvement, the in-cabin tech might be moving a step backwards. The available 15.6-inch infotainment screen is huge and the digital gauge cluster looks slick, but come on, no volume knob? Still, expect proven reliability and upscale appointments in a price bracket you can afford. Oh, and if you crave more efficiency, a hybrid model’s on its way for 2027.
2026 Toyota RAV4
Release date: On-sale now.
- What we like: Surreal efficiency, tech galore, a history of strong resale value, an almost overwhelming variety of interior storage cubbies.
- Who it’s for: In the words of Norman Stansfield from “Leon the Professional,” “EVERYONE!”
Welcome to the world’s best-selling car, version 6.0. The ascent of the RAV4 from weird little soft-roader to the biggest name in the game has been nothing short of meteoric, and the 2026 model features exactly the sort of twist needed for the next five-to-seven years. Including the new Woodland trim. Although Toyota claims it’s only about 60 percent new, the big story is that the RAV4 has gone all-hybrid, with options of a plug-in or a regular series-parallel drivetrain.
Figure consumption as miserly as 5.5 L/100km or 42 MPG combined, a starting price under $33,000 US (under $42k with standard all-wheel drive in Canada) for the base RAV4 LE model, and loads of new tech including a brand new infotainment system and an integrated dashcam. Really, it’s the responsible, no-nonsense, no-brainer choice, plus it’s made in Canada. Expect to see the new RAV4 everywhere soon.
2026 Volkswagen Tiguan
Release date: On-sale now.
- What we like: A rich interior makes you wonder if the jump up to an Audi is really necessary,
- Who it’s for: The family who outgrew their Jetta.
Let’s face it, the past few years have been trying for Volkswagen fans. From the capacitive-touch nightmare inside the Mark Eight GTI to the demise of the regular Golf from North American shores, it seemed like the brand many of us loved in the 2000s was taking a bit of a tumble. Consider the new Tiguan the start of the recovery. Physical buttons and knobs are back, and a range of textiles and trims make for an inviting cabin with upscale aspirations.
A choice of 201-horsepower or 268-horsepower two-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engines provides motivation, while touches like standard dual-zone climate control and a standard heated steering wheel add a slice of the sweet life. Not bad for a VW SUV starting in the low-$30,000 range.
2026 Mid-Size SUVs
2026 Honda Passport
Release date: On-sale now.
- What we like: Incredibly clever all-wheel-drive system, ruggedized inside and out while maintaining excellent manners, and doesn’t it just look great?
- Who it’s for: Anyone who wants a 4Runner but won’t really be rock crawling.
There’s nothing worse than being a fashion victim, and loping about town in a cumbersome body-on-frame SUV can be a pain if you never really use its full potential. Thankfully, the Honda Passport is here to help. It might look like a five-o’clock-shadow off-roader, and it might be available with skid plates and recovery points, but it’s a unibody machine that doesn’t sacrifice much on the road for a little extra gravel capability. Actually, thanks to a clever all-wheel-drive system with a torque-vectoring rear differential, it powers through corners far better than a 2.1-ton crossover should.
Add in a well-made interior and loads of equipment, and this midsizer Honda SUV makes a great deal of sense. It is expensive, and the naturally aspirated V6 is peaky and thirsty, but the Passport is the machine most Toyota 4Runner buyers actually need.
2026 Jeep Cherokee
Release date: On-sale now.
- What we like: Hybrid efficiency meets real mechanical all-wheel-drive, big-boned for a compact crossover, and looks properly handsome.
- Who it’s for: Weekend warriors.
At first glance, the new Jeep Cherokee is a bit of a strange one. Longer, wider, and heavier than most compact crossovers, it rides on a variant of the Dodge Charger Daytona’s platform yet it’s not quite a midsizer. However, a big-boned footprint might be this thing’s royal flush. It’s hugely spacious, especially when it comes to cargo space, and standard hybrid power makes for superb claimed fuel economy of around 37 mpg combined or 6.4 L/100km combined.
Add in a proper mechanical all-wheel-drive system, a starting price under $43,000, and reasonable off-road chops, and you get a crossover to take weekend warriors to the trailhead. Fair warning, though: Once you start to pile on the options, the new Cherokee gets a tad expensive compared to a RAV4 or a CR-V.
2026 Hyundai Palisade
Release date: On-sale now.
- What we like: Stunning mid-century modern interior, acres of space, library-hushed when on the move.
- Who it’s for: Families with lots of kids and an eye on design.
The Hyundai Palisade has always been one of the more capacious and cosseting three-row crossovers on sale, and this new second-generation model takes things to a new level. Figure seating for up to eight, or available heated and ventilated second-row seats, plus a dashboard that just screams mid-century modern. If the standard V6 feels a bit laboured by your standards, there’s now an available turbocharged hybrid powertrain that serves up a plateau of torque, a combined fuel economy rating of roughly 29 mpg or 8.1 L/100km, and a ridiculously long cruising range.
Perfect for turning “are we there yet?” into “can we stop now?” Mind you, the standard frosted daytime running lights look like they’re straight off a Di-Noc’d clay model, but if you can live with that, the new Palisade is a strong contender. If you can’t, the soft-roady XRT trim turns them into mirrors.
2026 Subaru Outback
Release date: On-sale now.
- What we like: The return of physical buttons, available turbo power,
- Who it’s for: The proud Mountain Equipment Co-Op member.
It might not be particularly new under the skin and it looks like a Birkenstock-editon Ford Taurus X, but the new Outback still has some positive points. Buttons and knobs are back, the 180-horsepower 2.5-liter naturally aspirated and 260-horsepower 2.4-liter turbocharged flat-fours ought to be thoroughly adequate, and this thing has some serious ground clearance. The 2026 Wilderness version levels up even further.
Thoroughly a crossover now with no Legacy sedan equivalent, the new Outback should do well for those with active lifestyles who can’t fit everything they need into a Forester. It has grown a bit pricey, now starting in the high-$20,000 range (or $43,732 in Canada), but the new base model is effectively equivalent to the old mid-range trim. Mind you, there’s nothing between that trim and the turbocharged low-$40,000 US ($51,032 CAD) Limited XT, which seems a bit strange.
2027 Kia Telluride
Release date: Early 2026 (early reports referred to it as a 2026 model)
- What we like: Range Rover-if-you-squint looks
- Who it’s for: The Birkin bootlegger.
When Kia launched the original Telluride, it marked the beginning of a seismic shift for the brand. No longer content with being a value player, Kia was becoming aspirational, and you can bet your bottom dollar families across the country will want to put the new Telluride in their driveway. Simultaneously sleeker and boxier than before, there’s a hint of Range Rover to the rear end, a dab of big boy SUV up front, and an interior that looks as rich as a truffle.
Under the hood, a choice of turbocharged four-cylinder or turbo hybrid power should help this thing scoot off the line, and toys like an available heated third row should ensure every member of the family gets a taste of the high life. If pricing stays on track with the outgoing model, the new Telluride should look more expensive than it is, and that would be a very good thing indeed for this Kia SUV.
2026 Full-Size SUVs
2026 Jeep Grand Wagoneer
Release date: On-sale now.
- What we like: Clever incoming range-extender hybrid model, obscene towing capacity,
- Who it’s for: The toy-haver.
With Ford’s recent refresh of the Expedition and GM’s recent updates to its full-size SUVs, now’s the time for Jeep to strut its stuff. For the past few years, the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer have been a bit confusing, beyond the weird model split. That ends now. Every full-size Jeep SUV is now a Grand Wagoneer, and updated styling with a slim upper grille and big lower one visually aligns this hoss with the Wagoneer S electric crossover.
It can still tow 10,000 pounds and is still available with a MacIntosh audio system, but the big story is an incoming range-extender hybrid with 647 horsepower and a massive 92 kWh battery pack. Sure, at $90,690 to start, the new Grand Wagoneer is expensive, but it’s an upscale SUV for towing really big toys.
2026 EV SUVs
2026 Nissan Leaf
Release date: On-sale now.
- What we like: Low starting price, huge range, available electrically-frosting moonroof is pretty swish.
- Who it’s for: The EV-focused value shopper.
Is the new Nissan Leaf the automotive makeover of the year? It might well be. In one fell swoop, the model’s gone from a frumpy hatchback with an outdated CHAdeMO connector to a trendy crossover with a Tesla-style NACS port and north of 300 miles (488 km) of range. Oh, and this small Nissan SUV starts at around the mid-$30,000 range in the US (under $48,000 in Canada).
Sure, it might be front-wheel-drive only, but it’s also loaded with kit. A 360-degree camera system is standard on the base trim, and the range-topper pampers with an electrically-frosting moonroof and a Bose audio system. Plus, unlike the Chevrolet Equinox EV, the new Leaf comes with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. That’s a huge plus for anyone who uses Spotify but wants more fidelity than simple Bluetooth.
2026 Cadillac Vistiq
Release date: On-sale now.
- What we like: Big power, three proper rows of seats, nearly 500 km of range. Oh, and the model name doubles as an innuendo.
- Who it’s for: The Sopranos.
Alright, so it’s not as preposterously large as its Escalade IQ big brother, but the Cadillac Vistiq certainly isn’t lacking presence. Measuring 5.22 metres stem-to-stern, it’s bound to make a splash in the school drop-off line based on its size and sharp styling. Unsurprisingly, it features three proper rows of seats, but the presence of 615 horsepower means the kids will never be late to appointments again. Up to around 305 miles of range (or about 491 km) is also heady stuff.
At roughly $79,000 US to start ($95,599 CAD), it’s also good value for a properly posh three-row electric crossover, provided you’re willing to live without Apple CarPlay or Android Auto in exchange for hands-free Super Cruise on mapped highways. Just be warned, a certain pronunciation of this three-row Cadillac’s name is a bit, um, provocative.
2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9
Release date: On-sale now.
- What we like: Feels more expensive than it is, more range than the Kia EV9, properly fast fast charging.
- Who it’s for: The road-tripper.
If you want an EV and need to make those long drives to grandma’s house easy, you’ll probably want to give the Hyundai Ioniq 9 a serious look. Right off the rip, this three-row crossover boasts around 335 miles of range (up to 539 kilometres), an 800-volt architecture and a Tesla-style NACS port makes for fast, easy charging, and clever adaptive regenerative braking that feels positively natural.
Inside, you can option up all the gadgets you’d really want, along with a library-quiet cabin at highway speeds. The advanced driver-assist systems are pretty nice, too, and if the destination’s a campsite, vehicle-to-load capability means you won’t need to bring a generator. Starting in the high-$50,000 range at base price (or $62,990 in Canada), Hyundai’s SUV with three rows and all-electric power is a lot of crossover for the money.
2026 Kia EV5
Release date: Spring 2026
- What we like: Handsome styling, serious range, low starting price.
- Who it’s for: Those who value substance.
The fact that Americans won’t get the Kia EV5 is only a taste of this electric crossover’s intrigue. For one, instead of being a bubble on four wheels, Kia’s new contender looks chiseled and carries a great deal of EV9 DNA. If it looks grown up, that’s because it is. A full thirty inches of dashboard screen, the presence of a front trunk, and available all-wheel-drive make it surprising that the EV5 starts at about $34,500 USD ($46,685 CAD), although you’ll need to pop for at least the $37,500 USD Wind trim ($50,685 CAD) to get the big battery pack and up to 286 miles (460 km) of range. Still, that’s not bad for a long-range electric crossover, especially one that looks this mature. After all, most people want a car rather than a space orb, so this ought to sell by the truckload.
2026 Rivian R2
Release date: The first half of 2026.
- What we like: West-coast kind outdoorsy chic in a convenient size.
- Who it’s for: Equinox members and Whole Foods shoppers.
When it comes to brand image, nobody’s winning quite like Rivian right now. The R1T truck and R1S three-row SUV are now de rigueur for the cashed-up, do-no-evil tech set. Taking a page out of Apple’s book with sleek design and a friendly image, it’s no surprise people love their Rivians, which is why the 2026 Rivian R2 is so important. Effectively RAV4-sized, this crossover promises to be the brand’s iPhone Nano, opening it up to an entirely new audience. With the option of one, two, or three electric motors, a starting price of around $50,000 USD (about $66,500 CAD), and roughly 300 miles (480 km) of targeted range, this is an upscale electric crossover worth keeping an eye on. The weight of turning Rivian from an if-you-know-you-know brand to a household name rests on it.
2026 Subaru Trailseeker
Release date: Early 2026.
- What we like: Wagon form factor, reasonably rapid, 210 mm of ground clearance.
- Who it’s for: Outback owners looking to go electric.
If the Subaru Trailseeker looks like a Solterra with a BBL, that’s essentially what it is. From the dashboard to basic front end elements, it’s a lot of stuff we’ve seen before paired with a longer wagon-like silhouette. Given how massively improved the updated Solterra is, this is a good thing, and that’s before we get into any of the powertrain tweaks. While 420 km (about 261 miles) of estimated range and a Tesla-style NACS port are both great selling points, 375 horsepower should make this thing haul the mail. A proper roof rack, 210 mm (about 8.3 inches) of ground clearance, and a selection of off-road driving modes means it’s designed to do Subaru things, and it looks far more wagon than the new Outback. Maybe it is time to go electric, although we’re still waiting to see where Subaru prices the Trailseeker.
2026 Subaru Uncharted
Release date: Early 2026.
- What we like: Turbofans, solid range, you’ll be able to get it in orange.
- Who it’s for: Nathan Drake.
Well, well, well, if it isn’t the first front-wheel-drive Subaru in ages. Has the brand gone mad? Not exactly. Those of us who’ve been in the car scene long enough know you used to be able to get a front-wheel-drive Impreza, and the Uncharted aims to be Subaru’s entry-level EV. The basic specs including around 300 miles of estimated range (or about 480 km), available all-wheel-drive, and a modern NACS port look pretty good, and although the name’s a bit silly, would you just look at those turbofan-influenced alloy wheels? They’re a pretty good distraction from the fact that the Uncharted is fundamentally a Toyota underneath and shares many bits with the Solterra including dual wireless phone chargers, but hey. If it ain’t broke, don’t break it. Here’s how Uncharted compares to the Trailseeker.
2026 Toyota C-HR
Release date: Some time in 2026.
- What we like: Up to an estimated 310 miles of range (around 500 km), up to 338 horsepower, dual wireless phone chargers.
- Who it’s for: Nike Huarache fans.
Wait a second, didn’t we just look at this coupe-crossover? Sort-of. The 2026 Toyota C-HR and the Subaru Uncharted are locked into a bit of a left-Twix right-Twix situation. Aside from a few details, they’re basically the same car, which might actually be a good thing. Don’t like your local Subaru dealer? Check out the Toyota. Don’t like your local Toyota dealer? You know the drill. Granted, the C-HR does have one advantage over the Uncharted: its maximum range is expected to be over 300 miles or 500 km for the front-wheel-drive model. An extra 12 or so miles doesn’t sound like much, but if you’re a risk-taker, it could matter. Otherwise, you know the drill. NACS port, dual phone chargers, roof like a backwards baseball cap, and pretty much the same switchgear you get in a Toyota bZ or Subaru Solterra.
2026 Toyota bZ Woodland
Release date: Some time in 2026.
- What we like: It’s essentially a 375-horsepower lifted electric wagon.
- Who it’s for: Longroof-lovers without a local Subaru dealership.
Okay, at this point it’s clear that Toyota and Subaru are going for a Taco Bell-style shared common ingredients plan for their EVs, but you know what? A Crunchwrap Supreme still hits. The bZ Woodland is Toyota’s version of the Subaru Trailseeker, which is fundamentally a stretched Solterra, which is Subaru’s version of a bZ. A Toyota version of a Subaru variant of a Subaru version of a Toyota. It’s a lot to keep track of, so here are the basics: 375 horsepower, about 260 miles (or 418 km) of estimated range, 3,500 pounds of towing capacity, and it’s basically a lifted electric wagon. Yeah, we’re excited to try this one, regardless of which brand’s front fascia it’s sporting. If the standard bZ is any indication, the bZ Woodland has the potential to be a surprisingly good little Toyota SUV.
