Buying an off-road small SUV but not making sure it comes with all-wheel drive is a bit like skimping on a new mattress or purchasing a cheap brand of work shoes: before too long you’ll come to rue the day you took that option.
An off-road small SUV has three key functions: to offer more space, more safety and the ability to handle driving conditions that lesser cars find difficult. By not equipping your off-road small car with all-wheel drive (and incredibly there are quite a few vehicles that look like SUVs but have only front-wheel drive), you’re essentially clipping the wings of a canary and still expecting it to fly.
Even if you’re the type of driver who doesn’t find themselves in off-road conditions often - or, in fact, ever - there are still massive advantages to taking the all-wheel-drive route.
An AWD small SUV: the way to go further
For the non-off-roaders, the chief reason why you need an AWD small SUV is because of the superior safety it can offer drivers, especially if you’re looking at buying an SUV as a family car.
Your typical car is front-wheel drive, meaning the front wheels are powered up while the rear tyres are not.
All-wheel drive does exactly what it sounds like: each wheel is used to drive the vehicle, which should give you supreme confidence on the road whether it’s rain, hail or shine.
How does AWD in a small SUV make you safer?
The Subaru XV is a small SUV that comes standard with all-wheel drive, and that’s to every driver’s benefit, thanks to the higher level of safety it offers.
Double the wheel power equals double the traction, meaning your tyres can stick to the road like freshly chewed gum.
The advantages are obvious if you’re after an off-road small car - getting bogged in sand or mud will become a distant memory - but city-slickers will also reap the rewards by finding themselves at the helm of an AWD small SUV that takes corners like a champ and remains less affected by wet roads.
If you want your off-road small SUV to operate at peak performance, all-wheel drive is quite simply the only option you’ll want to take, especially if safety is one of your chief concerns.
CarsGuide
Paid Partnership
03 June 2021
