2020 Audi A1 vs 2023 BMW 2 Series

What's the difference?

The Audi A1 2020 range offers something for everyone, and in the case of this particular variant, it’s the one you buy if you want as much grunt and gear as you can get.

It’s the top-of-the-range Audi A1 40 TFSI model, which gets the zestiest engine, the lengthiest equipment list, and offers performance to match some hot-hatches out there. It’s essentially an Audi-ised version of a VW Polo GTI. 

This test wasn’t so much about the wow-factor, though. We put it through its paces as an urban runabout to see how it coped as a real-world city car. 

You’d be forgiven for thinking there aren’t many sedans left on sale in Australia, thanks to the massive shift in buyer preference to SUVs.

But while mainstream carmakers like Ford, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru, Volkswagen and a lot more have scaled back their booted offerings, premium brands are yet to give up on sedans.

BMW alone has seven sedan models in its line-up ranging from small offerings like the 2 Series Gran Coupe all the way up to the 7 Series and 8 Series.

We are focusing on the former for this review, in entry level 218i guise. It’s a sleek sedan that certainly catches the eye, but can it compete with similarly priced SUVs in our crossover-loving country?