In 2018, around one in three registrations in the UK and Europe will be SUVs. It's a segment that has been growing steadily for years but has only now started to pick up real pace, prompting manufacturers to build entire ranges of high-riders. These are just below average on the size chart but are the most popular, with the segment housing several brands' best-selling SUVs. Customers expect Tardis-like space on the inside and a commanding driving position, combined with the compactness of an average family hatchback to keep palms unsweaty in town and on narrow lanes.

With a design sufficiently charismatic and alluring to bring younger family buyers into Volvo showrooms, the XC40 backs up its funky exterior with a cabin of laudable richness and quality. While this isn’t the most practical car in the compact SUV class, it certainly has plenty of luxury-car ambience, not to mention all the in-car technology you’d hope for. The XC40’s ride and handling represents Volvo at its best, and the small family 4x4 at its most relaxing.

Rather than chasing other premium brands for driver appeal, the Volvo is happy to play the comfortable, refined, convenient and easy-to-use option - and it’s an effective one. If an SUV’s mission is to lift its driver above the hustle and bustle and filter out the pain from the daily grind, none does it better. This is arguably the best-looking SUV on the market and objectively much more refined than its predecessor, with respectable fuel economy and an unusual level of handling verve for the class.

The CX-5 interior is both solid and quietly stylish and offers plenty of cabin and boot space. CO2 emissions are a little on the high side, while the engine pumping it out is torquey if you opt for the diesel - but no world-beater. Prices start a little higher than for some SUV rivals, but equipment is more generous.

The CX-5 offers a healthy mix of fun, frugality and family-friendly space, and deserves serious consideration for buyers who want a car that does a little bit of everything. The Tiguan is Volkswagen's third-best-selling model after the Golf and Polo hatchbacks. It's flexible, spacious, solidly built, comfortable and refined. With just a little more driver engagement, it would be a formidable package. It's a pricey option and its interior isn't a particularly interesting, but what it lacks in visual drama it more than makes up for in solidity.

Perhaps not in every sense, but it's a cut above most cars in the growing compact SUV pile. Land Rover's 'baby Range' has been a sales phenomenon, but anything with that Range Rover badge commands a heavy premium. That's the case here: the Evoque is one of the more expensive cars in this class - and isn't among the largest.

However, it has got buckets of desirability, it handles well and it looks as good as it did the day it was revealed. You'll pay more in price, fuel and tax, though, because it's a little thirstier than its rivals. A slightly softer suspension set-up would make a notable difference in ride quality, too, which isn't as comfortable as you might expect. The Evoque isn't a class leader, but it's a compelling choice and a car that proved how far design appeal could go in this segment for buyers who are clearly willing to overlook its shortcomings.

Jaguar's follow-up act for the successful F-Pace SUV will certainly catch your eye when you first see it. The E-Pace’s handling, too, is less distinguishing than it might be. The CR-V has been around longer than most others on this list, yet it remains something of a safe choice, thanks to its fantastic practicality, reliability, economy and ease of use. It's not the most exciting compact SUV, but it has a flexible interior and is well-built and frugal. That said, the dashboard could benefit from being simplified, and automatic models are considerably thirstier than their manual counterparts.

The C-RV is a little long in the tooth compared with the rest of the segment, so when its replacement arrives at the end of summer, it'll have some catching up to do. In the hotly contested SUV market, the 3008's sharp looks help it to stand out from the crowd - even if its engine refinement, handling and interior space don't.

What it lacks in handling verve, though, it makes up for with generous standard equipment, and with a smattering of rich, high-quality materials inside. The 3008 is fairly competitively priced, but doesn't offer as much interior space as rivals. Several of the cars in this class offer an intriguing leftfield take on downsized, highrise motoring luxury - but none do it quite like the DS7 Crossback. This new SUV flagship has ornate though derivative exterior styling, is upholstered in lavishly upmarket materials, and has the imaginative flourish of a car built to stand out.