The coast road doesn't need a 4x4, but the villages above Ronda or the hill towns behind Marbella sometimes reward the extra clearance. This page separates compact crossovers, suited to city and coast driving, from genuine off-road-capable SUVs.
Fuel category matters more on SUVs than on compacts — diesel remains common on this segment in Spain and the fuel policy for each offer is stated explicitly rather than assumed.