Top 5 Best Subcompact SUVs for 2025

This Top 5 Best Subcompact SUVs in 2025 gives you the opportunity to learn more about each vehicle. Your Complexe VW 440 dealership in Laval, near Montreal-North, helps you choose the option that best suits your needs.

Volkswagen Taos

The specs sheet for the 2025 Volkswagen Taos is impressive and loaded with features that will appeal to the modern family.

Versatile and economical, the 2025 Volkswagen Taos is also powerful and responsive. Available with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, it demonstrates remarkable agility.

Under the hood, a turbocharged 1.5 L 4-cylinder engine delivers 174 horsepower and 184 lb-ft. of torque. This powertrain works in harmony with an 8-speed automatic transmission featuring a manual mode.

The SUV from Volkswagen Canada is fuel-efficient with a combined consumption of 7.5 L/100 km. It stands out among its competitors and won't empty your wallet each time you stop at the gas station.

Furthermore, the cabin is spacious and extremely comfortable. You will also appreciate the generous amount of cargo space —one of the largest in its class— reaching up to 1,866 litres.

Finally, you have a wide variety of options, since the subcompact SUV available near Terrebonne, Montreal-North, and the North Shore of Montreal comes in five trims, each with its own merits. The starting price is $33,113.

If you're looking for a subcompact SUV that's agile in urban settings and fuel-efficient on the highway, the 2025 Volkswagen Taos ticks all these boxes and more.

Hyundai Venue

On our roads since 2020, the Hyundai Venue is a compact SUV known for its fuel-efficient performance, welcoming front seats, and an overall user-friendly multimedia system.

Under the hood, a naturally aspirated 1.6 L 4-cylinder engine produces 121 horsepower and 113 lb-ft. of torque.

With this powertrain, the Hyundai Venue is not particularly powerful. However, it matches the same combined fuel consumption as the 2025 Volkswagen Taos (7.5 L/100 km).

While the Venue can weave through dense city traffic and park almost anywhere, its cargo space is limited, offering up to 902 litres only.

Lastly, unlike the Taos from Volkswagen, the Venue is available in only three trims, and rear seating is cramped. It is also criticized for its cheap interior finish.

Toyota Corolla Cross

First launched in 2022, the Toyota Corolla Cross offers a spacious and ergonomic cabin with quality fit and finishes.

Available with a gasoline or hybrid powertrain, it appeals to many primarily due to its versatility and reliability—similar to the 2025 Volkswagen Taos.

The 2.0 L 4-cylinder engine produces 169 horsepower and 150 lb-ft. of torque, while the hybrid trim delivers 196 horsepower. These powertrains work in harmony with a CVT automatic transmission.

Offered with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, the starting price for the Toyota Corolla Cross is roughly the same as that of the 2025 Volkswagen Taos ($30,924).

However, two drawbacks should be noted:

• The engine tends to be noisy at high speeds
• The overall driving experience is rather underwhelming

Hyundai Kona

Available with a gasoline or electric powertrain, the Hyundai Kona ranks among the best subcompact SUVs, primarily due to its spacious cabin and, in the electric version, its advanced powertrain.

Like the 2025 Volkswagen Taos, the Kona delivers exemplary on-road performance, a comfortable and welcoming interior, and a selection of trims that appeal to many.

For the gasoline model, the Kona is equipped with a 2.0 L 4-cylinder engine that produces 147 horsepower and 132 lb-ft. of torque. Additionally, an optional 1.6 L turbocharged 4-cylinder engine generates 190 horsepower and 195 lb-ft. of torque.

In its electric trim, the Hyundai Kona—available only in front-wheel drive—offers 201 horsepower and 188 lb-ft. of torque.

However, if you opt for the electric model, you will have to pay $49,216 and up to $38,671 for the gasoline trim. The Kona isn't cheap!

Kia Seltos

The Seltos is a comfortable and spacious SUV. It offers ample cargo space, though slightly less than that of the 2025 Volkswagen Taos—with up to 1,778 litres.

It is available in several trims and comes with two engine options:

• A 2.0 L 4-cylinder producing 146 horsepower and 132 lb-ft. of torque
• A 1.6 L 4-cylinder turbo that develops 195 horsepower and 195 lb-ft. of torque

With the latter, combined fuel consumption rises to 9.1 L/100 km, which is high for a subcompact SUV.

Additionally, the higher-end trims are expensive and do not offer any substantial benefits.

Finally, at high speeds, the engine is noisy and the CVT transmission is not always effective at high RPMs. Nonetheless, the Seltos remains a solid SUV with an extended warranty.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it must be acknowledged that all subcompact SUVs in this top 5 possess undeniable qualities. However, one stands out above the rest.

The 2025 Volkswagen Taos, available near Montreal North, is the most complete SUV on the market. Versatile and fuel-efficient, it offers ample space for passengers and their luggage. Above all, it will be your best urban companion due to its agility, while also offering remarkable performance on the highway.

Let's review some key features of this top 5:

Book a test drive today at your Volkswagen dealership, Complexe VW 440 in Laval, near Terrebonne and the North Shore of Montreal.

A talented team will provide you with more details about the 2025 Volkswagen Taos and introduce you to the benefits of Volkswagen financing as well as current Volkswagen special offers in Laval . Happy shopping!