11 Great SUVs With Adaptive Headlights (Listed By Size)

There are lots of vehicle equipment in the world today that are much more sophisticated than what we used to have in the olden days. One such piece of equipment is the headlights, which have moved away from fixed and not-so-intelligent beams. 

Nowadays, we have adaptive headlights which make for better sightlines on the road. Adaptive headlights, like the name implies, adapt to different road conditions such as curves to help with illumination along such routes. 

These adaptive headlights move from one side to another as the steering wheel turns and they are always ready to adjust to new road conditions. Combined with automatic emergency braking, these headlights can actually help prevent accidents and collisions. 

We have dutifully curated a list of 11 great SUVs with adaptive headlights. Let’s get started. Shall we?

Sub-Compact SUVs

Subcompact SUVs are the smallest of all crossover SUVs. Some might say they look like hatchbacks with some SUVs styling. Below are a few  subcompact SUVs with adaptive headlights:

1. Mazda CX-30

The Mazda CX-30 is a subcompact crossover SUV that made its debut in 2019. It won a number of awards within its first two years and has sold over 100,000 units already.

Its best features include its nimble handling, ritzy interior, and available turbocharged engine. 

It has a ton of standard driver-assistance technologies including forward collision warning, lane departure warning, rearview camera, and high-beam headlights. Adaptive headlights are only available on top trims as they do not come standard. 

The CX-30 remains one of the few subcompact SUVs that sport adaptive headlights, even as an available feature. 

2. Subaru Crosstrek

The Subaru Crosstrek is a subcompact crossover SUV that has been in production since 2012. Slated to kickstart its third generation in 2023, the Subaru Crosstrek has already sold somewhere around a million units already. 

It is also considered one of the best cars in its class and that has been the case for most of its existence. Some of its most acclaimed features include its roomy cabin, simple infotainment system, and standard AWD. 

The Crosstrek also boasts a slew of safety features including a rearview camera, blindspot monitoring and lane keep assist. Adaptive headlights are also available on the Subaru Crosstrek and they are stylized as “steering responsive headlights”. 

If you are on the lookout for a subcompact crossover SUV with adaptive headlights, you should consider the Subaru Crosstrek. 

3. Toyota Corolla Cross

The Toyota Corolla Cross is a compact crossover SUV that has been in production since 2020. It enjoys wide global appeal, picking up the 2022 South African Car Of The Year Award. Besides that, it is also generally considered one of the best subcompact SUVs on the market. 

Some of the Cross’s most acclaimed features include its huge cargo hold, simple infotainment system, and excellent fuel economy. It also comes with a slew of standard safety features including a rearview camera, automatic high-beam headlights, and lane-departure warning. 

Adaptive headlights are available on higher trims, making the Cross one of the few vehicles that sport the feature. 

4. Mini Cooper Countryman

The Mini Cooper Countryman is a subcompact crossover SUV that hit the market in 2010 under the auspices of Mini, a subdivision of BMW. It entered its second generation in 2017 and has done pretty decently for itself which is why it is still in production. 

Some of its best features include a gorgeous/plush cabin, great passenger room, and sporty handling. It also comes with tons of safety features including a rearview camera and rain-sensing windshield wipers, both of which are standard. 

Adaptive headlights are also available for some trim levels of the Mini Cooper Countryman. Even with its lethargic base engine, egregious cargo hold, and huge pricing, the very rare adaptive lights remain a huge plus.

If you’re shopping for a sub-compact SUV, we’ve written an article about small SUVs with the best visibility.

Compact SUVs

Compact SUVs are right above the subcompact SUVs, in terms of size. Below are a few compact SUVs that sport adaptive headlights:

5. Subaru Forester

The Subaru Forester is a compact crossover SUV that debuted in 1997. Now in its fifth generation, the model has sold millions of units and has several awards and accolades under its belt. 

Some of the Forester’s most acclaimed features include its spacious interior, great fuel economy, and standard all-wheel drive. The Subaru Forester also sports some of the best headlights in its class which includes curve adaptive headlights. 

These adaptive headlights are paired with automatic high beams and they come standard on the Subaru Forester, which is pretty impressive. Other standard safety features include rear-seat alert, rearview camera, and lane-departure warning amongst others. 

6. Mazda CX-5

The Mazda CX-5 is Mazda’s compact crossover SUV offering. It debuted in 2012 and entered its second generation in 2017. It has achieved considerable success with over a million units sold and is considered by critics to be one of the very best in its class. 

Some of the CX-5’S most acclaimed features include its spry handling, ritzy interior, gorgeous exterior, and myriads of standard technologies. Standard safety features include Kane keep assist, rearview camera, and automatic high beam headlights. 

Curve adaptive headlights are also available for certain CX-5 trims but it’s not a standard feature. 

Seeing as most critics rank it within the top 3 in its class, the CX-5 is a great choice, especially for those who would like adaptive headlights. Beside featuring adaptive headlights, the CX-5 is one of the SUVs with parking sensors in the front and back.

Mid-Size SUVs

Mid-Size SUVs are the second largest crossover SUVs, second only to the full-size SUVs. Below are mid-size SUVs with adaptive headlights:

7. Subaru Ascent

The Subaru Ascent is Subaru’s mid-size crossover SUV offering. It debuted in 1018 for the 2019 model year and has sold well over 200,000 units since debuting. It also boasts a couple of dope accolades and gets mostly positive ratings from pundits. 

Some of the Ascent’s best features include its dope seating arrangement, great cargo hold, and lots of standard safety technologies. Interestingly, adaptive headlights come standard on the Subaru Ascent and Subaru named them “steering responsive headlights”. 

These alongside standard automatic high beam headlights, rearview camera, and lane-keep assist make for great safety. If you are in the market for a mid-size SUV with adaptive headlights, you really can’t go wrong with a Subaru Ascent. 

8. Mazda CX-9

The Mazda CX-9 is a mid-size crossover SUV that debuted in 2006. Now in its second generation, it has won multiple awards and boasts sales of over 200,000 units in the last nine years. 

Its most acclaimed features include a nimble ride, athletic turbocharged engine, gorgeous interior, and myriads of standard endowments. The Mazda CX-9 sports adaptive headlights as part of its expansive list of dope features. 

However, it is not a standard feature on the model as it is only available for certain trims. If you are looking to experience adaptive headlights at their best, the Mazda CX-9 would be a great SUV to check out. 

9. Toyota Highlander

The Toyota Highlander is a mid-size SUV marketed and manufactured by Toyota since 2000. Now in its fourth generation, the model remains one of the highest-selling vehicles in its class with over a million units sold in the last five years. 

It also enjoys pretty great ratings from critics who often laud its spacious seats, nimble ride, and a plethora of other standard features. Curve adaptive headlights are an available feature on the Toyota Highlander, making it one of the few in its class with the rare feature. 

Other standard safety technologies include a rearview camera, lane-departure warning, and automatic high-beam headlights among others. If you are on the lookout for a great SUV with adaptive headlights, we believe the Toyota Highlander would be a great choice.

Despite being a mid-size SUV, the Highlander is one of the few SUVs with Eco Mode, which helps save gas.

Full-size SUVs

Full-size SUVs are the largest SUVs on the market and they are often known for their huge cargo, passenger room, and off-road capacity. There aren’t many great full-size SUVs but we found a luxury full-size with adaptive headlights. Details below. 

10. Jeep Grand Wagoneer

The Jeep Grand Wagoneer is a luxury full-size SUV that debuted in March 2021. It has already gotten off to a great start and has warmed its way into the hearts of critics and luxury-obsessed consumers. 

Some of its best features include its preppy engine options, handsome interior, and an expansive list of standard features. The Jeep Grand Wagoneer comes with adaptive headlights with LED lighting that shines outstandingly at night. 

Other standard features include a rearview camera and blindspot monitoring, surround-view parking camera, and lane-keep assist among others. If you’d fancy a great luxury SUV with superb adaptive headlights, the Jeep Grand Wagoneer should be part of your considerations. 

11. Infiniti QX80

The Infiniti QX80 is a full-size luxury SUV that hit the auto market in 2004. It is marketed and manufactured by Infiniti (a Nissan division) and is one of the most popular luxury SUVs. It has managed sales of hundreds of thousands of units and is one of Infiniti’s top cars. 

However, it hasn’t gotten so much love from critics lately owing to its antiquated cabin and egregious third-row seating. Hence, read up about the best and worst Infiniti QX80 years.

The QX80 however has some great characteristics including its class-leading tow rating and simple infotainment system. 

It also sports an array of safety features including lane-keep assist, surround-view parking camera, rearview camera, and blind-spot monitoring, among others. In addition, the model features “adaptive pivoting headlights” as part of its mildly impressive safety package.

Make sure to check out our article about full-size SUVs with the best visibility

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