New premium compact SUVs – Value for money
New premium compact SUVs – Value for money
By Lawrence Minnie
Are optional extras really worth the added expense? We take a look at three premium compact SUVs, do some maths, and see if all the bells and whistles really make difference.
The premium compact SUV segment is highly competitive, with manufacturers offering a host of grade walks and attractive options lists. We have taken a look at three of the premium models on offer, what their grade designations offer and then tackled some of the items in the extensive options lists to see if there is really any value for money in getting “the full house”.
Volvo currently offers three basic grades on their models. Momentum is the entry level where you essentially get a base model with no added flair. Inscription specification is the somewhat more luxurious trim, and R Design is the sports trim, usually consisting of an aggressive exterior styling package and engine tweaks.
Each model can then be customized from Volvo’s options list should the customer choose to do so.
If we were to take The XC40 Inscription with the T5 AWD Geartronic drivetrain, the base price would be R645 500. If you were then to tick the “Premium Pack” option box, which consists of heated seats, a power tailgate, power seats, parking camera, park assist, LED headlights, and a high-end Harmon/Kardon sound system, the purchase price has now gone up to R684 500 – only R39 000 extra for a whole host of comfort- and safety features.
If you then checked a few extra boxes from the option sheet, such as a Panoramic Sunroof, Volvo’s Intellisafe Assist System, Active Chassis System and a Heated Steering wheel, the price jumps to R732 350. This represents a premium of less than R90 000 in exchange for a really well-equipped Volvo instead of a somewhat ordinary one.
At Volkswagen, they also have a three-tiered grade walk with Trendline being the entry-level offering, Comfortline providing for more engines sizes and adding some luxuries, and Highline which is the largest-engined versions with even more toys. On top of this, Volkswagen offers a host of options, to ensure that you get the most out of your Tiguan.
Let us begin with a 2.0 TSI Highline, featuring the 4Motion AWD system and 7 Speed DSG as standard. The base price is a very manageable R571 900. We then delve onto the options, and begin adding all the things we know we’d love to have, such as a pearl paintjob which adds R4 500 to the price. The R-Line package also looks great and comes with an awesome exterior styling kit and killer wheels, at only R 19 850.
We then add the 10-speaker high-end Dynaudio infotainment system, power tailgate, folding trailer hitch, LED headlights, panoramic sunroof, and a driver assistance pack. In the end, that Tiguan will cost R 687 150 – that’s over R110k in options.
Like the other two, Jaguar also has three basic trim grades. S is the entry-level specification, SE the higher trimmed version, and the HSE the full-fat luxury trim.
If we repeat the exercise as above we’ll start with the E-Pace P250 AWD. This is the 2.0 automatic petrol derivative, and it comes it at a healthy R675 000 for the base variant. If we slowly begin adding options such as Firenze red paint at R3 700, exterior trim blackout at R6 400, and privacy glass at R4 600, things can get expensive rather quickly.
We then move onto the actual options list and add all the driver assistance packs, an electric towbar, power tailgate, ambient lighting, Adaptive Dynamics system, a 360-degree camera and satellite navigation, and all of a sudden, the E-Pace is now going to cost you the princely sum of R 812 500. That’s a premium of R 137 500 to turn an ordinary E-Pace into something unique.
What's the point?
In all three cases, we added roughly R100 000 in options to each car. The problem is not the value of the options while you own the car, but rather when it comes time to sell it on: the only real value excessive options could have, is for the person who chose them in the first place.
We would class excessive options under things such as heads-up displays and electric towbars, 20-inch wheels and heated rear seats.
Option items such as sunroofs and good stereo systems will always help bolster a vehicle’s resale value just a little bit. Just know that you will never get the full financial reward out of the options you fitted, when the time comes for you to sell your car.
The options are there for you to enjoy for as long as you have the car, because at the end of the day, the options will make very little difference to the resale value when that time comes.
Options are great to have, but be careful when picking, as some will add value while others could just end up being very expensive toys.