Of the many thousands that will purchase a new car in 2016, a good number will be investing their hard-earned cash in a ‘Crossover’.

Arguably the hottest sector in the car marketplace, the ‘Crossover’ has never been so in demand and manufacturers are falling over themselves to include the purposeful model in their product offering. In fact, look at the ranges of nearly every manufacturer and there’s already a ‘Crossover’ or much talk of adding one.

Mix chunky styling with elevated seating
The Crossover recipe is simple – take a model that’s built on a car platform and add in a few features from a Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) and a smattering of those from an estate or hatchback. More often than not, crafting a Crossover sees car makers mix a bit of chunky styling with increased ride height and elevated seating.

It wasn’t always such a formula for success – Rover had already had a stab at creating such a car as early as 2003 with its Rover 25-based Streetwise – but 13 years later and the UK’s going mad for the Crossover. So, what’s made what was seen as a bit odd then, an absolute sure-fire success today?

Part of its popularity can be attributed to the rise of the SUV. Car buyers appreciate the feeling of safety that such a big vehicle offers and with a full-fat SUV, there’s often the benefit of go-anywhere capability combined with plenty of space. On the downside, an SUV isn’t the easiest to manoeuvre around town, can be heavy on fuel and, if it’s got true off-road prowess, usually has a separate chassis that can result in a somewhat bouncy ride on normal roads.

Crossovers for all budgets and requirements
So, if you take the bits that people like – high driving position, feeling of safety and muscular looks – and combine them with the economy, driving dynamics, low running costs and size of a compact or medium-sized car, then you’ve got the Crossover’s winning formula. In a nutshell then, the Crossover is the perfect mix for millions of car buyers.

In a marketplace that’s saturated, then, what’s the best Crossover to buy? There are Crossovers available to suit all budgets and requirements, but we’d be tempted to try and keep our initial outlay low and running costs even more frugal with the acclaimed Citroën Cactus.

Mind-boggling mpg and miniscule emissions
Consistently praised by the motoring press, the eye-catching Cactus can be enjoyed for as little as £13,000 and, with some variants able to achieve a mind-boggling near 90mpg with miniscule emissions, it’s dirt cheap to own. And there’s no mistaking the Cactus either, with its pumped-up, quirky styling really looking the part. Add in plenty of space and good levels of standard equipment, and it’s easy to see why the Cactus already has a strong following.

Choose the Cactus then, or indeed many of its multi-talented counterparts, and there’s a good chance that once you do ‘Crossover’ to a different take on motoring, it’s highly unlikely that you’ll go back to a traditional hatchback or saloon.