Specifications
A 2026 car, and the newest SUV in the fleet. You get the raised ride height for the rougher approach roads together with an automatic gearbox, which is the combination most visitors actually want and the one that runs out first in August. Book it early if those two things matter to you.
The extra ground clearance is not a luxury on this island. The last 8 km to Balos are an unpaved mountain track, plenty of the best south-coast beaches sit at the end of a dirt road, and mountain villages are reached on surfaces that are patched rather than resurfaced. An SUV also sits you higher, which makes the coastal hairpins a great deal less nerve-racking for a driver who is not used to them.
It is an automatic, which on Crete matters more than people expect. The coastal roads are a near-constant sequence of hairpins and the climbs inland are steep and long — not having to work a clutch through any of that leaves you free to look at the view.
Included in every rental
- Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Bluetooth
- Free delivery at Heraklion Airport and Port
- No deposit and no credit card required
- Unlimited kilometres
- Full insurance (CDW) and 24/7 roadside assistance
- Free child seats
- Free cancellation
Where to drive it in Crete
Balos is 2h 50 west, Elafonisi 2h 45, Knossos barely 15 minutes from the airport, and Matala just over an hour to the south. Our Crete guide has driving times, parking and road conditions for every one of them — written for people arriving with a rental car, not a tour bus.
See the full Crete guide →Other cars in our fleet
Where you can collect this car
Free delivery to Heraklion Airport and the port, and to hotels in Heraklion. Chania Airport is €80.