Cheapest SUV to insure 2024
SUVs are hot property. The nation's car parks, high streets and dealer forecourts are dominated by these high-riding family cars, as traditional MPVs, estate cars and hatchbacks are cast aside.
Today's SUVs come in all shapes and sizes, from affordable city runabouts to huge seven-seaters for your growing family. It doesn't matter if you're after something cheap and cheerful or an SUV with the performance to rival a sports car, you'll almost certainly find a car that ticks your boxes.
If cheap insurance is one of your priorities, you'll need to consider one of the small SUVs from the mainstream manufacturers. Forget about owning an SUV with a premium badge if you want to avoid digging deep for cover.
The good news is that some of the SUVs on our list should cost no more to insure than a humble hatchback.
Cheapest SUV to insure
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Citroen C3 Aircross
The Citroen C3 Aircross is a successful modern SUV from the rejuvenated French firm. It has a foursquare and high-riding stance, which yields a particularly impressive and versatile amount of space inside. The C3 Aircross rides really comfortably and the ‘Citroen Advanced Comfort’ programme even extends to a special, ultra-soft type of seat covering. It is available with an 82hp Puretech engine that, while hardly the fastest against the clock, still offers decent pulling power for a relaxed drive. And because power is kept in check, it can achieve a low group 14 insurance rating. This helps ensure premiums are more than affordable enough for the family budget.
Ford Puma
Although the Ford EcoSport is likely to be cheaper to insure, the newer Ford Puma is better in every way. It's not even that more expensive to buy new. It boasts insurance ratings as low as group 12, while even the sporty Puma ST should be relatively inexpensive to insure. It's no surprise that the Puma is now one of the UK's best-selling cars, because few small SUVs offer such an array of talents. It's great to drive, has a big boot and comes with a decent amount of kit as standard.
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Volkswagen T-Cross
The Volkswagen Polo is one of the cheapest cars of all to insure. Its crossover SUV sibling, the T-Cross, is similarly competitive. Despite coming with an all-turbo range of TSI petrol engines, the headline insurance group is as low as 9, which is for the TSI 95 motor. This engine has enough muscle for fully-laden family duties, aided by a spacious interior and roomy boot. The T-Cross is a fairly well-equipped car, with a good amount of standard safety assistance technology. We’re also fans of the styling, with its muscular and timeless lines, backed up by the build quality Volkswagen is famous for.
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SEAT Arona
When it comes to insurance, the SEAT Arona is one of the cheapest cars in the country. Indeed, the 95PS version of the peppy 1.0-litre petrol engine boasts a group 9 insurance rating, while the superior 110PS version is group 10. The latter is a better choice if you spend a lot of time out of the city. A comprehensive update in 2021 has maintained the Arona's position near the top of the class, plus you get a lot of equipment as standard. For the best balance of spec and value, we'd opt for the Xperience trim, which is cheaper to insure than the FR models.
Kia Stonic
The Stonic is Kia’s smallest SUV from an ever-expanding range. It is derived from the popular Rio supermini, and has a similarly efficient range of turbocharged petrol engines. These help offer insurance group ratings that, for the entry-level 1.0-litre motor, start from a very competitive group 9. The Stonic is a well-equipped car, and has a good amount of room for adults and tall teenagers, while the firm’s brilliant seven-year, 100,000-mile warranty remains a key draw for buyers. We also like the contrast colour options available with a Stonic. It’s the sort of customisation brands such as MINI have made famous.
Hyundai Tucson
It feels like a trade secret. The Hyundai Tucson family SUV is likely to be cheaper to insure than the smaller Kona SUV. In fact, some versions slot into insurance groups 12 and 13, which puts the Tucson in line with the even smaller Bayon SUV. Running costs are kept in check by a range of fuel-efficient engines, including hybrid and plug-in hybrid. You also get a five-year/unlimited mileage warranty, making this an excellent choice for those in search of an easy life.
Skoda Karoq
Skoda SUVs all begin with a ‘K’. The Karoq is its mid-size offering, which replaced the Yeti a few years back. In entry-level 1.0 TSI petrol guise, it offers insurance groups as low as 12 – very impressive for such a practical and passenger-friendly SUV. The Karoq seats five people in comfort and has a huge boot, while typically Skoda value for money means you can get a really good specification without having to spend a fortune. If you want something a bit larger, the similarly able Skoda Kodiaq is also very affordable to insure.
Dacia Duster
The Dacia Duster is one of the best value cars on sale at the moment. It’s decent to drive, staggeringly cheap compared to the competition and still comes with plenty of features as standard. And on top of that it’s frugal on insurance too. Go for the entry-level Essential trim with the 1.0 TCe Bi-Fuel engine, and you’ll get a rugged family SUV with an insurance group of just 10. Many of the other models slot into groups 11 to 13.
MG ZS
The MG ZS has two headline draws even for those simply looking at the spec sheet. For a start, prices are very competitive, opening from several thousand pounds less than similar small SUVs. It also has a lengthy seven-year warranty that few rivals can match. The ZS’s high-riding and bold appearance also makes it look more expensive than it is, while insurance ratings starting from group 14 help extend the savings to the annual car insurance premium. You can also choose a pure electric ZS EV, and while it isn’t as cheap to insure as its petrol-powered equivalents, it’s still competitive by electric car standards.
Skoda Kamiq
The smallest of Skoda’s mighty SUV range, the Kamiq is easily capable of family car duties, but if you go for the right model you’ll still save on insurance. The entry-level SE trim, with a 1.0-litre, 95PS engine, sits in insurance group 11. For a car with a great interior, lots of very clever features, that keeps everyone comfortable and provides excellent value for money all round, that’s a sweet insurance bonus to have.
Do SUVs cost more to insure?
SUVs generally do cost a little more to insure than the regular family cars they’re often based on. This is because they cost more to start with, which has to be reflected in the insurance premium. They are also, sadly, more desirable cars to thieves, which can raise the car crime penalty. Families are likely to use SUVs in a broader range of driving situations as well, which some car insurers regard as riskier and can result in higher premiums.
How can I find the cheapest SUVs to insure?
To find the cheapest SUVs to insure, it's best to look at insurance group ratings. Our guide to the cheapest here proves that there are several best-sellers that have single-figure insurance group ratings (the groups range from 1-50), and these will be the cheapest of all to insure. As a rule of thumb, if you’re sensitive to insurance costs, choose lower-powered engines and also consider variants that have a better level of safety assistance tech fitted as standard. Car insurers reward the reduced risk of crashes with lower premiums.
Are high performance SUVs expensive to insure?
High-performance SUVs are, we’re afraid to say, generally expensive to insure. Not only do they see premiums raised because of their lofty power outputs – the Volkswagen T-Roc R produces an eye-watering 300PS, for example – but prices are also higher because of their desirability. Car thieves love SUVs, but they also love high-performance cars. Combine the two and you’ve a recipe for premiums that will be higher than average. If you’re keen on a high-performance SUV, having a full no-claims bonus goes some way to offsetting the expense.
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