The Mitsubishi Outlander is a solid SUV that is somehow overlooked in the Kenyan Market. People would rather buy the less practical and over-glorified Toyota Harrier and overlook this versatile SUV. There's freedom of choice and all but if important factors such as utility, off-road capability and 7-seater capacity are considered, then the Outlander is without question the better SUV. It competes with the Toyota Harrier, Nissan X-Trail, Toyota Vanguard, Toyota Rav4, Mazda CX-5 and Subaru Forester.

The 2014 Toyota Fielder carries on with the same features from the previous year and only adds a few cosmetic changes. Given its strong performance over the years, Toyota has been in no particular hurry to change the winning formula. The hybrid version that was introduced in mid 2013 continuous to gain ground in Kenya but it is yet to find widespread acceptance due to reliability questions that plague hybrid. The demand for the Fielder is strong and consequently the prices are high even for locally used options.

The Toyota Wish continues to enjoy a strong demand in the Kenyan market due to its fuel efficiency and 7-seater capacity. The 2014 model has seen minimal changes and it still retains all of the features from the previous year. Other alternatives you can buy in Kenya include the Mazda Premacy, Nissan Lafesta, Subaru Exiga and VW Touran.

The Suzuki Escudo is a capable off-road vehicle and it's one of the few medium sized SUVs with this capability. Even with it's acclaimed off-road talents and decent on-road manners, the Escudo lags behind its competitors in the Kenyan market such as the Subaru Forester, Mazda CX5, Honda CRV, Toyota Rav4 and Nissan X-Trail.

The 4x4 landscape is changing fast and the chasm that once existed between on-road and off-road vehicles is getting narrower. The term SUV is ambiguous and does not in itself denote off-road capability but rather a body type classification. Due to this confusion, capable off-roaders such as the Jeep Grand Cherokee are grouped together in the SUV labyrinth that carries both true 4x4s and poseurs alike. The Grand Cherokee competes with the VW Touareg, Porsche Cayenne, Audi Q7, BMW X5, Range Rover Sport and Mercedes ML/GLE.

The Subaru Forester is quickly establishing itself in Kenya as a top tier SUV outperforming most of its rivals such as the Nissan X-Trail, Honda CRV, Toyota Rav-4, Mazda CX-5, Suzuki Vitara and Mitsubishi Outlander. What sets the Forester apart is the ingenious symmetrical All-Wheel-Drive system and the choice of engines that include the turbocharged DIT engine that propels the Forester from 0 to 100 km/hour in 7.5 Seconds

The Mercedes M-Class is an imposing SUV that stands out in a crowded playing field that features heavyweights such as the VW Touareg, BMW X5, Audi Q7 and Porsche Cayenne. It leads in aspects such as comfort, safety and performance but lags in other aspects such off-road capability and 7-seater capacity.

The Toyota Prado is the most popular and the most recognizable SUV in Kenya today and it competes with some of the most established brands such as the Land Rover Discovery, Mitsubishi Pajero and Ford Everest. It is one of the most reliable SUVs in the market and it comes with a range of engines from the slow 2.7L petrol to the powerful 4.0L petrol that give buyers a wide choice.