SUV Subcompact

Italian marque Fiat has taken the covers off limited-edition ‘Yachting' variants of its 2021 Fiat 500X small SUV and 2021 Fiat 500C hatchback. The duo are headlined by soft-top retractable sunroofs – already fitted to the 500C, but all-new for its bigger 500X sibling – plus metallic blue exterior paint, chrome trim, and custom badging on the B-pillar and front quarters. The 500X appears to be fitted with 18-inch alloy wheels, while 16-inch alloys come standard on the smaller 500C.

The facelifted 2022 Dacia Duster SUV has been unveiled in Europe – a model that's likely to be high on the wish list for Dacia's slated Australian launch in 2022. Dacia – a Romanian budget brand owned by Renault – has treated the Duster to a revised exterior design in line with its latest Sandero and Logan models, plus new interior technology and the addition of a dual-clutch automatic transmission.

UPDATE, 9 June 2021: The upcoming 2022 Renault Megane E-Tech Electric has been shown off in pre-production guise, albeit still partially camouflaged. Underpinned by the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance’s CMF-EV electric platform, the all-new car will derive power from a single 160kW motor on the front axle. Voltage will be drawn from a 60kWh battery pack, allowing for a claimed range of 450km on the WLTP cycle.

Daimler and Geely-owned small car specialist Smart has released sketches of an upcoming all-electric compact SUV, which it says will be introduced for the European market by the end of 2023. The yet-to-be-named model – slated for reveal in concept form at the Munich motor show in September this year – will be underpinned by Geely’s all-new SEA dedicated electric architecture.

Nissan Australia has recalled 56 examples of its Juke small SUV, citing a potential fault with the airbag deployment system. The affected vehicles were sold between 31 July 2019 and 25 November 2020, but manufactured between April 2019 and May 2019.