This SUV Gets The Best Gas Mileage For 2026

For decades, the average U.S. car buyer was much maligned for their obsession with gas-guzzling, fuel-inefficient SUVs and light trucks. Americans bought these vehicles for the various advantages they offered, including better road visibility and a higher perceived safety due to their size. There were even some men who thought driving a large truck made them more manly. Of late, however, Americans appear to have woken up to the idea that cars and trucks don't necessarily need to burn oodles of fuel. Which is why today there are several SUVs on the market that offer great fuel efficiency without compromising the other factors that made Americans fall in love with SUVs in the first place.

The reasons for modern-day SUVs offering excellent fuel efficiency figures mainly come down to two factors: the shift towards hybrid powertrains and incremental improvements to traditional internal combustion engines. The first reason alone has ensured that newer SUV models claim mpg numbers that would have made an older-generation hatchback proud. 

Now, if you go looking for the SUV with the highest fuel efficiency numbers, you will almost certainly notice that these are mostly pure EVs and plugin hybrids (PHEVs). If we exclude these two categories of SUVs and focus on gasoline-powered models — including HEVs (or mild hybrids) that use a gasoline engine and an electric motor but don't require charging — the SUV with the highest fuel efficiency is the 2026 Kia Niro.

Now, it is not a secret that Niro has been the chart-topper in this category in 2025 as well. For the same reason, the 2026 model hasn't changed much from the 2025 model.

With a claimed combined EPA-certified mileage of 53 MPG, the Kia Niro's reign at the top of the fuel efficiency chart continues unabated. The same vehicle also offers impressive fuel economy of 53 mpg in the city and 54 mpg on the highway. The major reason for Kia's continued reign at the top is the tried-and-tested, fuel-efficient 1.6-liter 4-Cylinder and full parallel hybrid system found on the 2025 model. This combination is powerful enough to produce 139 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque. The Front Wheel Drive SUV features an 11.1-gallon fuel tank, which means a tankful would give it a range exceeding 580 miles.

Moving on, those familiar with the Niro would know that Kia offered this car until 2025 in three powertrain options: a pure EV, a plug-in hybrid, and a mild hybrid (HEV) variant. The major change for 2026 is that the plug-in hybrid model has been discontinued in the U.S. market. As for the mild-hybrid version, Kia offers the Niro in four trims. At the bottom of the price range are the entry-level LX and EX models, priced at $27,390 and $30,190, respectively. The top trims include the SX and SX Touring models, which will set buyers back $33,390 and $35,790, respectively.

While Kia doesn't provide a breakdown of its sales figures by subvariants, it is confirmed that the Kia Niro lineup as a whole is doing pretty well in the U.S. The Niro lineup sold 31,182 units in 2025 alone, a slight increase from 2024 (30,094).

There is no doubt that, as far as fuel efficiency numbers are concerned, the Kia Niro sits in a category of its own. However, for someone not really keen on this SUV, but still on the lookout for a fuel efficient gasoline or mild hybrid SUVs, the other options currently available include the 2026 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid (42 mpg), 2026 Kia Sportage Hybrid (also 42 mpg), the 2026 Honda CR-V FWD (40 mpg), the 2026 Lexus NX 350h (40 mpg), and the 2026 Ford Escape AWD HEV (39 mpg).

The 2026 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid is the second-most fuel-efficient mild hybrid after the Kia Niro and claims a very good EPA-certified mileage of 42 mpg. In our review of this 2026 model-year SUV, we found that the car delivered an average of 39.1 mpg, marginally below its EPA rating. The second Kia car on this list — the 2026 Kia Sportage Hybrid — matches the Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid in overall mileage, with prices starting around $30,490.

The 2026 Honda CR-V is a fresh entrant to this 2026 list, and goes neck to neck with the second position holder from 2025, the Lexus NX 350h. As outlined earlier, both these SUVs have EPA-certified 40 mpg fuel efficiency figures, which are great numbers, no matter how you look at them. 

Nevertheless, with today's market packed with fuel-efficient, tech-rich SUVs across every price point, there's never been a better time to get behind the wheel of one.