Base players

HOW MUCH DO YOU REALLY LOSE BY SHOPPING FROM THE MORE AFFORDABLE END OF MID-SIZE SUV LINE UPS? THIS TRIO IS OUT TO PROVE THAT BEING LOW ON FRILLS DOESN’T MEAN LIFE ON POVERTY STREET

- LOUIS CORDONY

WE DON’T LIKE reminding ourselves that living in one of the world’s most locked-down cities – ahem, Melbourne – during a once-in-a-century health crisis denies you a few things.

First, it was the 2020 Australian F1 Grand Prix. Then an AFL final. Soon, it quickly dawned on us a while would pass before we’d see big competition in the flesh again. So, you can imagine the collective groan heard around the Wheels office when we had to cancel the first midsize SUV mega-test organised in a while.

With the Hyundai Tucson landing fresh from a generational makeover in April, we finally had a showdown sorted until our entries from Toyota, Subaru and Mazda were forced to pull out. Thankfully, we didn’t have to send home the plucky new Hyundai Tucson. We’ve been meaning to throw the Honda CR-V and Skoda Karoq that did show up into a scrap since they underwent light refreshes in 2020. Taking on a category favourite would also offer them a chance to re-establish their talents.

Of course, it helps that our three share more than just white paint jobs and the same market segment. They come to us sans options and either as the base variant in their respective model ranges or one rung above, ensuring that – on RRP – they’re priced within hundreds of dollars to each other in the under-$35K bracket. On top of this, and because of their range positioning, the trio is also closely aligned on powertrain layout. Each variant houses a petrol inline four-cylinder engine placed latitudinally, supplying drive to the front wheels through an automatic transmission.