Ranking the Design of 8 High-End Compact Crossovers in 2024

Starting from the bottom of the list, I have the Audi SQ5, which is at the end of its production run (with the Porsche Macan already replaced as a battery electric vehicle). This car always had the droopy look. Even though built on a different platform, it resembles the Audi A3 from the side, which is actually its best angle. The front fascia of the SQ5 is dominated by black plastic and can only be described as ugly. The tailgate is generic and forgettable, too.

Inside, the SQ5 would be decent if not for the tack-on display right in the middle. This display is directly in the driver’s line of view and cannot be hidden. It looks horrendous and ages the car badly.

In the 7th place, I have the all-new G45 BMW X3 M50. This car has condensed the styling elements of the XM into a much smaller vehicle. On the positives, the front fascia and the front quarter views are full of character. The exaggerated front grilles and air intakes create the face of an angry animal, possibly a bull, as the daytime running lights form its horns. Even if many might not like it, we must applaud BMW for doing something other than boring German designs. However, the transition towards the rear is incoherent. It appears that BMW has not decided whether the tailgate should be curved like a Maserati or straight like a Range Rover and instead did what the Germans do best: making it look worse than both.

Inside, the new X3 is very plasticky, though its tack-on display thankfully does not have Mercedes’s wide bezels. The cabin does not feel classy or luxurious. It is neither futuristic nor sporty. It simply feels chintzy.

In the 6th place, I have the facelifted Genesis GV70. A decidedly more stylish vehicle than the Germans, its use of large front grille and lower intake is less awkward, thanks to the choice of large mesh instead of straight slats. Its flowing roofline is slightly curved downwards to create an elegant shape found in Italian designs. The one big flaw in the exterior of the GV70 is, in my opinion, the strange rear quarter window that is separated from the rear door. It does not sit well with the rear door or the tailgate and is the main reason the GV70 ranks no higher.

Inside, the GV70 is quite minimalist and elegant, which is a contrast to the sporty exterior. Its large display is not at all integrated into the dashboard. However, the cabin manages to exude a sense of comfort and tranquility that busier designs cannot match.

In the 5th place, I have the facelifted Range Rover Velar, which unfortunately lost the supercharged V8. Like all Range Rovers of its generation, it has a clamshell hood that is instantaneously recognizable. Its smooth-flowing exterior with selective use of character lines rounds to a “speed tail” rear end. However, the up-swung rear bumper is an acquired taste, especially when not painted in body color.

Inside, the Velar maximizes the minimalist design. It is exceptionally elegant yet very ergonomic. Its extensive use of tech is unintrusive. This is a version of futurism that the Germans have yet to learn.

In the 4th place, I have the Mazda CX-60, which is a latecomer to the luxury segment. While most manufacturers are downgrading their drivetrains, Mazda is faithful to mechanical excellence with the latest inline-6 engine family in the industry paired to a conventional automatic transmission. This vehicle has an eye-opening exterior that accentuates the vehicle’s RWD-platform with a long hood and short overhangs. It has a tasteful blend of upright stance with flowing curves around the A and C pillars. Its exterior lighting is unassuming, yet this subdued design fits the family-friendly car wonderfully. Supposedly, it has the best panel fitment quality in its class, too.

Inside, the CX-60 continues with the elegant design language of the exterior. The cabin is mostly ergonomic, too. However, it has a tack-on center display with last-generation controls that resembles the Germans of yesteryear. For this reason, it ranks no higher.

In the third place, I have the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio, which has just received a facelift. It now carries the classic Alfa Romeo 3+3 headlamps. The Stelvio has always had one of the best rooflines in the segment, with a slight, sexy curve that avoids the droopy look of German “coupe” crossovers. Its rear end is clean and tidy, too. However, the front fascia of the Stelvio Quadrifoglio is just a Giulia stretched height-wise. What has worked well in the Giulia Quadrifoglio appears out of proportion in the taller car.

Inside, the cabin fits the driver like a glove. The two bumps on the dashboard reminds one of voluptuous women, with good integration of digital instrumentation. The infotainment display is also integrated into the dashboard, even though it is not the most advanced, or the most beautiful unit.

In the second place, I have the Maserati Grecale Trofeo. Built on the same platform as the Stelvio, the Grecale is an appreciably smaller vehicle than the Levante that it ostensibly replaces. It condenses what has worked so well in the latter into a more modern package. The masterful application of curves ties the entire design tightly together, resulting in arguably the best profile and rear end in the segment. However, the modern Maserati front grille with its thick, sharp vertical slats constitutes a break. Perhaps a meshed grille of yesteryear’s Maserati would do wonders to the design. As it stands, the Grecale Trofeo falls just shy of segment best.

Inside, the Maserati has one of the most luxurious interiors of this list. However, it is uncharacteristically busier than the more elegant and stylish designs and falls unfortunately on the side of the Germans. I am afraid that this is not one interior that can age gracefully.

Topping the list is the Jaguar F-Pace SVR, the last V8-powered vehicle in the segment and coincidentally the best looking. Built on the same platform as the Range Rover Velar, the F-Pace has always been sportier and more coherent in styling. Its more upright stance and graceful proportions convey a sense of athleticism and presence, too. Its front and rear ends are clean and stylish, though they are there mainly to complement the car's elegant, athletic, and imposing profile. Jaguar has done the impossible by tying positive qualities that are seemingly incompatible in an exceptionally coherent package. The car represents a high point in modern European car design.

Inside, the F-Pace SVR is just the Range Rover Velar plus. It has a very similar system but with more accessible controls for frequently used functions, much like it is on the new Range Rover Sport. It may be less minimalist, but that is made up for with improved usability.