2025's Best Light Off-Road SUV

Light off-road SUVs are designed for Australian lifestyle adventures, promising to get you off the beaten track to your favourite camping spots without expensive modifications. But how many actually deliver on that promise? Through comprehensive testing across three demanding challenges, we've identified which SUVs can genuinely handle light off-road conditions.

Our rigorous evaluation tested body rigidity under extreme flex, all-wheel drive capability on challenging terrain, and traction control performance on steep inclines. These aren't marketing claims - these are proven results that show which SUVs can confidently tackle Australian light off-road adventures straight from the dealer.

Three Rigorous Real-World Tests:

Flex Test - We flexed both ends of each vehicle to simulate high-stress situations and tested whether doors could still be opened and closed. Vehicles that could successfully open and close their doors with no fouling were given maximum points, proving their body rigidity under extreme articulation.

Roller Test - We tested how advanced each vehicle's all-wheel drive system was using rollers on a 10% incline. This test pushes all-wheel drive systems to their limits to better understand which medium SUV can best deal with limited traction situations. We tested both front and rear axles, with points awarded based on pass or fail results.

Hill Climb Challenge - Our final test was a gruelling gravel hill climb requiring excellent traction control systems to climb a 40% incline. Points were awarded for each extra few metres a vehicle could climb, with maximum points awarded to any SUVs that could make it to the top of the hill.

Here are the SUVs that proved their light off-road capability when it truly matters.