Death, taxes, and new crossovers. Few things are as certain as the deluge of tall-riding hatchbacks on the way this year for new-car shoppers.
This year, many new crossovers from several automakers will make their way to dealer lots to give buyers even more decisions to make. Although crossovers are incredibly popular, finding an affordable one can be especially challenging.
Although nearly every automaker has a new or significantly updated crossover on the way, only a few are expected to start for less than $ 30,000.
Here is our list of coming crossovers for budget buyers to keep an eye on.
2021 Kia Seltos, 2019 LA Auto Show
The smallest Kia crossover has an ace up its sleeve: base models, which cost less than $ 22,000 to start, will offer standard all-wheel drive. Not many competitors can claim the same at such a low price point.
The Seltos will also sport a touchscreen for infotainment with Bluetooth and smartphone compatibility and manage nearly 30 mpg combined with all-wheel drive.
Expect the Seltos to arrive in early 2020.
2020 Buick Encore GX
When it arrives this year, the Encore GX will sport a turbo-3 engine and available all-wheel drive. It comes to the U.S. via Korea, where it’s built alongside the upcoming Chevy Trailblazer. The Encore will offer a spacious cargo area and touchscreen in addition to automatic emergency braking on every version.
Buick will offer the Encore GX with two outputs from its turbo-3 engine: a 137-horsepower version that drives the front wheels only or a 155-hp turbo-3 that’s paired to all-wheel drive. Both versions use a 9-speed automatic transmission.
Expect the Buick Encore GX in early 2020.
2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Reviving long-lost names are in fashion for automakers this year, and Chevy is trotting out the Trailblazer this time as a car-based crossover that’s related to the Encore GX. Like the Encore, the Trailblazer will rely on turbo-3 power with available all-wheel drive. The Trailblazer leans in on style with an angular look and trendy roof, and an off-road-adjacent Activ model with rugged looks.
The Trailblazer also will feature an RS version that’s making its way around the Chevy lineup with sporty touches and blacked-out exterior trim pieces. Chevy hasn’t yet said how much the Trailblazer will cost, but it will start for less than $ 20,000.
Expect the Chevy Trailblazer sometime in spring 2020.
2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid
Based on the existing CR-V, Honda has made big promises about the upcoming hybrid model that uses the company’s two-mode hybrid system for power. It’s a similar setup to its Accord Hybrid and Insight and the CR-V Hybrid uses its 2.0-liter inline-4 gas engine primarily to feed power to hybrid batteries and electric motors that power all four wheels.
Honda has said that the CR-V Hybrid will deliver stellar fuel economy, about 40 mpg combined. We don’t yet know how much the CR-V Hybrid will cost but anticipate that base models may sneak in for less than $ 30,000 to start.
Expect the Honda CR-V sometime in spring 2020.
2020 Hyundai Venue
The smallest Hyundai crossover is already on sale and bundles a bevy of features into its front-wheel-drive frame. Powered by a small inline-4 borrowed from the Accent, the Venue’s aimed at efficiency more than outright speed.
Its calling card might be its long list of standard features and safety systems. Every Venue gets an 8.0-inch touchscreen for infotainment with Bluetooth and smartphone compatibility, automatic emergency braking, and active lane control. The Venue costs less than $ 20,000 in base versions.
The Hyundai Venue is on sale now.
Mazda MX-30
Mazda’s first all-electric vehicle may arrive in the U.S. later this year or early next year, and borrows heavily from its newest CX-30 crossover and the MX-5 Miata that’s been the brand’s signature two-door for decades. We don’t know much about the MX-30’s future in the U.S. but it’s likely to arrive in the States with a range-extender that could push its small battery beyond more than 115 miles or so.
When it arrives in the U.S. its initial price likely will be more than $ 35,000, although tax incentives could push its net price below $ 30,000.
Expect to see the Mazda MX-30 sometime in late 2020 or early 2021.
2021 Chevrolet Equinox, 2020 Chicago Auto Show
The second small crossover from Chevy on our list is updated for 2021 and includes a street-leaning RS variant that looks similar to the bigger Blazer. It’s still powered by a 1.5- or 2.0-liter turbo-4 that drives the front or all four wheels via a 6- or 9-speed automatic transmission. The updates inside are few and far between but all Equinox crossovers now have standard automatic emergency braking, which they lacked in 2019.
The Equinox is Chevy’s bread-and-butter crossover and should cost less than $ 30,000 in base configurations.
Expect to see the new Equinox in fall 2020.
Hyundai Vision T Concept, 2019 LA Auto Show
The new Tucson is right around the corner and designers promise wild looks for Hyundai’s compact crossover. The upcoming crossover may be slightly larger than the current version, and racy N-Line variants could be coming too. We don’t know much about the powertrain, but we expect it will largely follow the current version’s inline-4 powerplants.
Like other Hyundai crossovers, the new Tucson should have a relatively low price tag and a long 5-year/60,000-mile warranty.
Expect to see the new Tucson after summer 2020.
2020 Kia Sorento
Kia’s ‘tweener SUV between the Telluride and Sportage is on the way and new for 2021. The Sorento goes long on family value with three rows of seats available and a comfortable ride. Fold the wayback row down and the cargo space balloons to more than 70 cubic feet, which is full-size SUV territory.
We haven’t heard yet what will power the new Sorento but it’s likely to offer two variants, an inline-4 and V-6, like the outgoing version. Prices haven’t yet been announced, but it’s likely to cost less than $ 30,000 for base versions.
Expect to see the new Sorento sometime after summer 2020.
This story will be updated as more new models are announced.
