The best crossovers under P1,300,000 in the Philippines

Standards have come up in recent years whether it’s with the brands themselves or with customer standards. People definitely want to get the best out of their car-buying budget, and there are many brands out there that have stepped up their game, even if some of them are extremely new to the market. 

As such, and with a bevy of options out there, here are our picks for the best crossovers, compact or subcompact, that meet our expectations and go for under P1,300,000. Please note that all of the prices indicated are at the time of this article’s writing. 

Old but still gold, the Geely Coolray still has one of the most padded spec sheets in the market today, and a close following. While some owners will be the first to say that the model might be a bit outdated, it’s still something notable in its segment. After all, it sparked the “revolution” that we have currently with all of these “nice” crossovers out there now for not a lot of budget, and coming in with a powerful engine, a great interior, and a maxed-out price tag of just P1,299,000. 

Coming in after the Coolray is a new nameplate from a brand that we’ve been able to experience already, but in hybrid crossover form. The GWM Haval Jolion impressed us on many fronts with its hybrid technology. Take that away, however, and you still get a competent chassis, a more affordable price, but no hybrid tech. Actually, however, the car is definitely a very budget-friendly model to choose from, especially with the lower variants since the Jolion can go as low as P998,000 and up to P1,248,000 for non-hybrid variants. 

We have a special case here with our next pick. The GAC Emzoom and the GAC Emkoo’s price tags actually meet in the middle somewhat. The Emzoom comes with a very powerful engine, good amounts of space, top-of-the-line features, and a starting price of just P998,000 which then tops out at P1,198,000. We feel that you guys will be quite satisfied with this model as it sits in its base or top-of-the-line trim, but at a price of P1,298,000 for the base trim, the Emkoo offers the same premium interior fit and finish, the same powerplant, but with a bigger interior and exterior. The ball’s in your court when you go with GAC at 1.3 million. 

Coming in kind of hot, but with a very refined and dependable demeanor is the Hyundai Creta. While we will argue that its looks are okay for some and dazzling for others with the Parametric grille, driving it speaks for itself. You know that it feels solid wherever you go, and the engine while not something to write home about, is paired with one of the best CVTs out in the market today, at least in our opinion. However, we would advise you to actually splurge a bit when buying this model as the top-of-the-line option is compelling at P1,340,000, just forty grand over the budget. If you can splurge just a little bit more you get stuff like adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, and more, as well as that luscious brown and black leather interior. 

The smaller brother to the Corolla Cross, the Yaris Cross is priced well under P1,300,000. Starting at just P1,199,000, and with its mid-level trim topping out at P1,296,000, this subcompact crossover from the fabled Toyota brand is one to look out for, especially in its hybrid trim. However, while it’d be nice to drive a hybrid around, it’ll cost you a pretty penny. At a budget of P1,300,000, you will be left with a gasoline engine only. Still not bad because it’s a Toyota, but wouldn’t it be nice to actually have a hybrid for 1.3 million Philippine Pesos? 

So here it is. If you want it all, but don’t mind axing a few features, the Nissan Kicks is the star of this price range. At just P1,224,000, you’re getting all the benefits of a hybrid (coding exemption and all), plus the drive of an electric vehicle with the convenience of just gassing up and going. There is also a kick-butt infotainment system, one of our more stable choices out there, and also did we mention e-Power? It’s hard to deny the Kicks crossover, and it’s also hard to deny what a great value it is under the P1,300,000 budget, to us, we’d definitely take this over the other cars, even if it’s a little shy on space.