Urban Guide

1. The shape and size of your car can determine how urban-friendly it is.
2. Size isn’t everything - there are many considerations to consider!
3. We’ve listed a couple of great options for urban-dwellers on this page.

 You might think that the best urban cars are going to be the smallest cars on the market. And to some extent, that’s can be true. But you also need to consider what makes a good urban car other than just the physical dimensions of the vehicle.

Does it have good interior space utilisation? Can you fit friends in? Is there a good parking camera and sensors? Below is a selection of articles that urban car buyers would find useful.

We’ve selected a few interesting options below that should help you figure out what urban car is going to be right for you.

Kia Picanto

This is one of the smallest cars on sale today, but it packs a lot into its 3595mm length.

It has five doors and five seats, and while three across the back mightn’t be pleasant for anyone involved, it’ll get you out of a bind if you need to take friends out with you.

Fiat 500

The FIat 500 might be getting old enough to apply for a learner's permit but it still presents an alternative choice for buyers seeking something small but with plenty of character.

Both variants are only powered by a 1.2-litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine, mated exclusively to a five-speed ‘Dualogic’ semi-automatic transmission.

Volkswagen T-Cross / Audi Q2

Stepping up a bracket, the Volkswagen T-Cross mini SUV offers plenty of smarts for its size. At just 4108mm long, this city-friendly high-riding crossover has a lot to offer. There are five seats and five doors, meaning you can fit the crew in with ease.

The Audi Q2 goes into 2023 with an unchanged range and equipment list, but a slightly higher price than before. The compact SUV range kicks off at $45,200 before on-road costs, and extends to $66,900 before on-roads for the high-performance SQ2 after price hikes across the Audi range.

Audi A1 / VW Polo

The 2023 Audi A1 Sportback has been on the Australian market for almost two years now, with an overhauled design inside and out as well as the brand’s latest infotainment and safety tech.

The A1 offers a range of three- and four-cylinder petrol engines in Australia, with the new platform affording much more space for passengers and luggage than its predecessor.

Hyundai Venue

The Hyundai Venue has become a sales success because it’s what people want - a small SUV that’s big on the inside and compact on the outside.

It’s smaller than a T-Cross at 4040mm long, and you can fit five adults in if you really need to. There is good vision from the driver’s seat thanks to its blockish design and plenty of glass, plus the Venue range comes with a reversing camera as standard (with dynamic guidelines), but you need to step up from the base model if you want rear parking sensors.

Worth noting that it has tyre pressure monitoring as well, which is handy if you live where there are pockmarks and potholes. It has a good boot, with 355 litres of cargo space available, and it has a wide opening to the boot lid, too. Runs to everyone’s favourite flat-pack shop should be sorted thanks to handy cargo tie-down hooks and the 60:40 rear seat folds pretty flat as well.

Suzuki Jimny

Okay, this one only just made it to the list, and it’s going to depend on your definition of “fun to drive”, too.

But with a tiny footprint - it’s shorter nose-to-tail than the Picanto, at just 3480mm long! - it is a very city-friendly option for those who might have to occasionally jump a gutter or mount a kerb for a parking spot.

It’s a proper four-wheel drive, has a lot of ground clearance, has a reversing camera (so long as you don’t choose the Lite version) and is pretty easy to park thanks to having a fair amount of glass to see out through, too.

But it’s only a four-seater, only has two doors, and has a tiny boot that might mean you’ll have to leave your friends at home if you want to bring home any shopping or swag.