Best SUVs to lease in 2026!

• Best SUVs to lease in 2026
• What are the best SUVs in 2026?
• Top 10 SUVs, many affordable
• Kia Sportage is the perfect all-rounder
• Tesla Model Y is an EV with purpose
• Dacia Duster brings affordable practicality
• BMW iX3 is the SUV to beat in 2026

These are the Top 10 best SUVs to lease in 2026 - and they're more affordable than you might think. 

SUVs continue to dominate the UK car market, and for good reason. 

Combining elevated driving positions, spacious interiors, and the latest technology, modern SUVs offer the versatility many drivers are looking for - whether it's the school run, a long motorway commute, or weekend family adventures. 

As more manufacturers expand their SUV line-ups with hybrid and fully electric options, drivers now have more choices than ever before.

In this guide, we look at some of the best SUVs to lease in the UK right now, highlighting models that combine strong performance, impressive practicality, and great value for money.

Kia Sportage

The Kia Sportage’s can-do attitude makes it an almost perfect all-rounder. Priced from £30,935, the Sportage is available with four-wheel drive, an automatic or manual gearbox, and a hybrid powertrain.

There’s only one engine available, a turbocharged 1.6-litre with either 147 or 235bhp, the latter being the hybrid. On mixed runs, Kia claims the Sportage will return 40mpg in its base form, while the two-wheel drive hybrid returns 50mpg; the AWD version sits in the middle at 44mpg.

Not only is the Sportage easy to drive, but it also boasts heaps of interior space, has lots of standard tech, and a good driving position. And let’s not forget about Kia’s seven-year warranty.

Nissan Qashqai

Like the Sportage, the Nissan Qashqai sits high, making it a good all-rounder, but it’s only let down by its lack of an AWD option. Don’t let that put you off, however.

£30,615 gets you the entry-level Acenta Premium, featuring 17-inch alloys, a rear-view camera, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and dual-zone climate control.

Under its smooth bonnet lies a 1.3-litre mild hybrid engine, which can return up to 45mpg. If more economy is required, then you’ll need to spend an additional £4,245 for the e-Power. This pushes the MPG figure to 64mpg.

The Qashqai has a slightly smaller interior than the Sportage, but it’ll still be roomy enough for most.

Tesla Model Y

If you fancy something electric, look no further than the Tesla Model Y. Buyers can choose from five variants, ranging from the entry-level rear-wheel-drive Standard to the stonkingly quick AWD Performance.

The base car is claimed to return up to 314 miles (WLTP) on a full charge, while the long-range RWD variant adds 69 miles. If more is needed, there’s the Premium Long Range AWD, which takes this up to 391 miles.

Then there’s the Tesla Supercharger network. Plug your Model Y into one of these, and the car will draw between 187kW and 250kW, the latter being Tesla’s official figure. Put simply, a 20-80% charge can take anywhere from 15-25 minutes.

If you like buttons, then the Model Y won’t be for you, as with most Teslas, the centralised touchscreen controls almost everything. That said, you will eventually get used to it. Likewise, its boot is enormous, there’s heaps of headroom and rear legroom, and a deep ‘frunk’ upfront.

Skoda Kodiaq

If versatility is required, then look no further than the Skoda Kodiaq, or what I like to call, the Skodiaq.

Prices start at £39,025, and buyers can choose from five or seven-seat layouts, a mild hybrid or a plug-in hybrid, meaning the Kodiaq could be all the car you’ll ever need.

There are three engines available: two 1.5-litre petrols and a 2.0-litre diesel. The base engine is the 147bhp mild-hybrid, which delivers 44-47mpg.

The 147bhp diesel is said to return anywhere between 51mpg and 53mpg, while the plug-in hybrid is the most powerful with 200 bhp, and when fully charged, is claimed to return between 166 and 188mpg, although we’d take that with a pinch of salt.

As you’d expect from a car of this size, the Kodiaq is very roomy and practical, and even better, it’s packed with tech, including a heated steering wheel and heated front seats.

Hyundai Tucson

Not much has changed with the Hyundai Tucson’s appearance in recent years, but it still makes for an attractive purchase.

There are five trims to choose from, but base cars get cruise control, wireless phone charging, a rear-view camera, and parking sensors. Prices start from £30,935, but if you can, we’d recommend opting for the Black Line for an additional £2,500, which gets you a heated steering wheel, heated seats, and ambient lighting.

While there’s only one engine available and two gearboxes (automatic and manual) for the standard Tucson, buyers can spec a self-charging hybrid or a plug-in hybrid. As usual, the plug-in hybrid is the most powerful option, and it boasts a high 256mpg figure (again, to be taken lightly). Meanwhile, the standard non-hybrid will return around 40mpg, while the mild hybrid is good for 50-ish mpg.

Dacia Duster

Affordable – check, hybrid – check, four-wheel drive – check. Yep, the Dacia Duster ticks many boxes. Priced from just £21,845, the Duster is one of the cheapest cars on our list.

There are three trims to choose from, but standard Expression cars get a reversing camera and a touchscreen. Mid-level Journey cars feature Dacia’s Multiview camera system, while Extreme cars add heated seats, a heated steering wheel, and modular roof bars.

Regardless of trim, you’ll be able to choose from either a mild hybrid, a mild hybrid four-wheel drive, or a full hybrid. Mild hybrid two-wheel drive cars should return upwards of 50mpg on long runs, while the full hybrid takes this figure to 60mpg. As usual, the AWD option reduces economy to a very reasonable 47mpg.

Volvo XC40/EX40

Like the Duster, the Volvo XC40 isn’t a gargantuan SUV, meaning it’ll be a bit smaller than some of the other cars on this list. This said, it’s still earned its place.

The XC40 still has that upmarket zest you find in the brand’s more expensive models, but it's watered down ever so slightly.

There are four trim levels: Core, Plus, Plus Pro, and Ultra. The base Core car gets one engine: a front-wheel-drive mild hybrid with 163bhp, while buyers of the Plus trim onwards can choose a more powerful 197bhp mild hybrid, which still has front-wheel drive. That said, the Core car still offers a lot to boot, including wireless phone charging, Google Assistant, park assist, and more.

Need something electric? Then there’s the EX40. Priced from £42,360, the EX40 will deliver up to 356 miles on a single charge.

Citroen C5 Aircross

The Citroen C5 Aircross is comfortable, affordable, and practical. Kicking things off is the 145bhp hybrid, which may struggle to pull the skin off cold soup but can return up to 44mpg on mixed road driving. If more power is required, there’s a plug-in hybrid with 195bhp, but this option is only available on the top-spec trim.

Priced from £30,495, the C5 Aircross gets an impressive eight-year/100,000-mile warranty, lots of standard equipment, stacks of quirk, and a Skoda Karoq-beating boot.

BMW iX3

It's the SUV everyone is talking about in 2026 and it's already won several 'Car of the Year' awards. 

It's not hard to see the appeal of the BMW iX3. 

The iX3 wears BMW's fresh 'Neue Klasse' design language on the outside, complete with a sleek horizontal kidney grille, and boasts a space-age cabin on the inside. 

Perhaps the BMW iX3's real top trump is its range - up to 500 miles on a single charge as well as benchmark 400 kW rapid charging. 

Volvo EX60

When it comes to distance between charges, virtually nothing (barring the incoming BMW i3) can hold a candle to the Volvo EX60. 

The P12 variant of the EX60 enjoys a 117 kWh battery that unlocks a range of up to 503 miles between trips to the plug. 

It's rapid to charge, with 370 kW DC skills, and also quick off the mark - hurtling from 0-62mph in just 3.9 seconds. 

More affordable models are also available to lease with a smaller battery, but you'll still enjoy a range of at least 385 miles between charges. 

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