SUVs come in a wide variety of sizes. In Canada, it’s the compact SUV that drivers choose most often. These two-row SUVs are large enough to comfortably fit a family of four but small enough to be maneuverable in cities and suburbs. For many buyers, they offer a just-right balance between versatility, practicality, cargo capacity, and fuel economy.
If you think a compact SUV is the right fit for you but you have enough budget to consider something more premium, you have plenty of options. Here, we’ve compiled a list of the best compact luxury SUVs in Canada in 2025. We rank these vehicles highest in the areas luxury buyers care about such as performance, comfort, feature availability, safety, and overall value for money.
Note we’ve focused on compact crossovers here, meaning we’ve left off competitive subcompact luxury crossovers like the BMW X1 as well as full-size and midsize SUVs with a third row. In Canada, all-wheel drive (AWD) is an expectation in luxury SUVs for decent weather and off-road functionality, and you’ll find it’s standard equipment on all vehicles listed here.
Prices shown include manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) plus destination charges and dealer fees but not options or sales taxes. While they were current at time of publication, prices are subject to change.
Best Compact Luxury SUVs in Canada in 2025
2025 Acura RDX
It’s been seven years since Honda’s luxury arm overhauled its compact SUV. Rather than receiving a complete redesign, the Acura RDX gets a refresh for 2025. The updates add a new front end and grille design, a centre console with more storage and better access to the wireless charging pad, and a widescreen mode for the standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality.
Its 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine produces 272 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque that becomes available at a delightfully low 1,600 rpm, and it’s mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission. Acura’s Super Handling All-wheel Drive (SH-AWD) is standard on all three trims. Fuel economy averages 9.9 L/100 km in combined driving, or 10.3 in the A-Spec trims.
On the positive side, SH-AWD is one of the better performance AWD systems in the industry. The 2024 RDX was named a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and should retain that ranking for 2025. Plenty of standard safety features are included such as automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, and more.
On the downside, Acura as a brand doesn’t rank especially well in reliability according to the 2024 J.D. Power U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study. You’ll also want to spend some time with the fiddly trackpad-based infotainment system to ensure you can live with it. These points aside, the Acura RDX remains a solid option within its class, which demonstrates that newer doesn’t always equate to better. Pricing on the 2025 Acura RDX starts in Canada at a new car price of $56,527.
2025 BMW X3
Within the luxury compact SUV segment, the BMW X3 remains a great choice as it enters its fourth generation for the 2025 model year. The redesign brings it in line with the design language seen across the rest of the BMW family. On the exterior, it receives flush door handles and an enlarged grille (though mercifully a more traditional layout than the vertical setup seen on the M3 and M4). Inside, you’ll find a small shift-by-wire gear selector and a pair of integrated screens for the digital instrument cluster and BMW’s latest touchscreen infotainment system.
At launch, the 2025 BMW X3 has two available powertrains. The 2025 BMW X3 30 base model gets 255 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque from its 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine. (Note the letter “i” has been dropped as that’s now reserved for the brand’s all-electric models.) The 2025 BMW X3 M50 is the one we’ve tested, and it offers a sublime driving experience with its 3.0-litre turbo inline-six that produces 393 hp and 428 lb-ft of torque. An 8-speed automatic transmission is the default in both models. The X3 30 averages 8.1 L/100 km combined, and the M50 burns 8.6 L/100 km combined. Rumours suggest we may not see an X3 M in this generation.
Pricing in Canada starts at $62,157 for the 2025 BMW X3 30 and $78,157 for the 2025 BMW X3 M50. Fans of a coupe roofline should note that the 2025 BMW X4 is a carryover model and doesn’t receive the same updates as the X3. Rumours suggest the X4 may be discontinued at the end of the 2025 model year.
2025 Genesis GV70
Genesis is one of the newer luxury brands on the market, and it deserves your attention. This division of Hyundai Motor Group is making impressive premium vehicles to compete with the likes of the Germans while providing unique styling, a relatively roomy interior, 819 litres of cargo space behind the rear seats, and outstanding value. The 2025 Genesis GV70 is a great example of this within the compact luxury SUV segment.
Three powertrains are available: the base 2.5-litre turbo four-cylinder provides 300 hp and 311 lb-ft of torque available from 1,650 rpm, while the upgrade 3.5-litre turbocharged V6 creates 375 hp and 391 lb-ft of torque from an astoundingly low 1,300 rpm. Fuel efficiency for these two versions measures up at 10.6 and 11.6 L/100 km combined respectively. There’s also an electric version of the GV70 available that has 380 kilometres of range. You can find more on that in our list of the best electric SUVs available in Canada in 2024.
Four trims of the gas-powered GV70 are available, including a version of the 3.5-litre with an electronic limited-slip differential for improved driving dynamics. The 2025 Genesis GV70 is an IIHS Top Safety Pick+. Note, though, that Genesis as a brand has fallen below the industry average in the 2024 J.D. Power vehicle dependability study.
Prices for the 2025 Genesis GV70 start in Canada at $61,000. It’s important to note that Canadian Genesis pricing is all-in, meaning it’s no-haggle, includes all fees, and comes with at-home concierge service for test drives and service appointments, five years of scheduled maintenance and map updates, and more.
2025 Lexus NX
No list of the best luxury compact SUVs in Canada would be complete without the Lexus NX, which is assembled right here in Canada at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada’s facility in Cambridge, Ontario. The Lexus NX was most recently redesigned for the 2022 model year to debut its second generation, which is when NX production moved here as Toyota Corolla assembly was repositioned from Cambridge to Mexico. Cambridge is one of the few assembly plants outside Japan to be trusted with building Lexus vehicles, and it shows in the excellent craftsmanship throughout the vehicle.
In Canada, the 2025 Lexus NX is offered with four engine options. The 2025 Lexus NX 250 includes a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine with 203 hp and a fuel consumption average of 8.4 L/100 km combined. Pricing for the 2025 Lexus NX 250 starts in Canada at $54,155.
On the 2025 Lexus NX 350, a 2.4-litre turbo four-cylinder creates 275 hp and averages 9.8 L/100 km combined (or 9.7 combined with one of the F Sport packages). Pricing on the 2025 Lexus NX 350 begins in Canada at $57,810.
The 2025 Lexus NX 350h hybrid SUV combines the 2.5-litre from the NX 250 with a hybrid drive system to create a total output of 240 hp and a fuel consumption average of 6.0 L/100 km combined. Pricing for the 2025 Lexus NX 350h has a Canadian starting price of $59,755.
Finally, the 2025 Lexus NX 450h+ plug-in hybrid has 304 net hp and up to 60 kilometres of electric driving range with a Canadian starting price of $63,330. Because the 2025 Lexus NX 450h+ has a long electric range and an affordable starting price, it qualifies for the full $5,000 amount of the federal government’s iZEV rebate program as well as provincial and territorial incentive programs where they exist. All versions of the NX are rated Top Safety Pick+ by the IIHS, and J.D. Power’s vehicle dependability study rates it as the most reliable compact premium SUV on the market.
2025 Porsche Macan
If you’ve got the budget for a small luxury SUV that’s truly exceptional, take a look at the Porsche Macan. The sports-car-like performance Porsche extracts from its SUVs is phenomenal, and every version is customizable to your precise preferences no matter which powertrain you choose. The base engine in the Macan and Macan T is a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder making 261 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, which is plenty for the average driver. In the Macan S, you’ll find a 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 good for 375 hp and 383 lb-ft of torque. Step up to the Macan GTS and this same engine is tuned to provide 434 hp and 405 lb-ft of torque. Fuel consumption ranges from 11.0 to 12.2 L/100 km combined depending on the model.
Pricing for the 2025 Porsche Macan starts in Canada at $72,835. The Porsche Macan is rated among the most reliable compact premium SUVs by J.D. Power. The IIHS has not rated its crashworthiness. There’s also an electric version of the Macan with up to 630 hp and 833 lb-ft of torque.
Honourable Mentions
The 2025 Mercedes-Benz GLC continues to be a go-to choice among luxury buyers. Four versions are sold in Canada, including standard and sportback-style coupe configurations and a pair of AMG performance models. The 2025 Mercedes-Benz GLC starts in Canada at a price of $59,500.
A new generation of the Audi Q5 is also due to arrive in Canada in short order. Canadian details were not yet available at publication time. A new Cadillac XT5 has also been launched for 2025, but only in China. Whether this model will make its way to North America is unclear as of this writing. As of now, the 2025 Cadillac XT5 is a carryover.
The 2025 Volvo XC60 is relatively affordable starting at $58,889, but we hesitate to recommend it because the Google Built-in infotainment system is frustrating and Volvo doesn’t rank well as a brand in J.D. Power’s 2024 dependability study. The Alfa Romeo Stelvio is in a similar boat: Alfas generally get expensive in the service bay, though the Stelvio is a unique and classy-looking choice starting from $66,090.
The Jaguar F-Pace and Land Rover Range Rover Velar are both rated poorly for reliability; these start in Canada at $71,750 (for 2024 models; 2025 pricing was not released at publication time) and $74,450 respectively. The Infiniti QX50 and QX55 are nice-looking on the outside, but their interiors and powertrains don’t live up to the expectation in the luxury SUV class. The Lincoln Corsair stands out for being among the relatively few plug-in hybrid options among compact luxury crossovers, but the brand is among the worst in the industry for reliability according to J.D. Power.
Note: Prices shown include destination charges and any declared dealer fees but exclude sales taxes. While pricing was current as of publication time, it is subject to change.