India, Feb. 23 -- When it comes to choosing a daily driver for the city in 2026, a compact footprint and peppy engine options are key, but not the only considerations to have. I'd want refinement, safety and enough features to make bumper-to-bumper traffic a little more bearable. From value-packed mass-market options to a full-blown EV and even a luxury pick, here are five compact SUVs I would personally choose for everyday urban duty.

The Volkswagen Taigun is among the sportiest offerings in the compact SUV space. It comes with two engine options: the 1.0-litre TSI unit is paired with a 6-speed manual gearbox or a torque converter and delivers 114 bhp and 178 Nm of torque, while the 1.5-litre TSI with the 7-speed DSG delivers 147 bhp an...