2017 Audi Q2 vs BMW X1

What's the difference?

Small SUVs have been a thing for a while now, so it seems odd that it's only now Audi has finally brought its take on the idea to market. The Q2 enters the fray in a segment occupied by a gaggle of (cheaper) French and Japanese cars, as well and the new Mini Countryman.

The Q2 is now on sale after months of drip-fed information, in all its angled, better-than-the-pictures glory.

The Q2 is going to be big for Audi in Australia, so the ads are already running, declaring the car "hashtag untaggable." I've driven the car on Australian roads and made the best effort I can to find a tag that might fit.

The BMW X1 is the smallest and most affordable BMW SUV you can buy. But does this mean it’s cheap and tiny, or maybe not a ‘real’ BMW? Should you be sensible and spend the money on something bigger but with a badge that’s not as fancy? Should you pay for an all-wheel drive (AWD) one, when front-wheel drive (FWD) costs less? And what’s the point of diesel fuel?

I’m a dad with a small family, who has driven a squillion BMWs. I’m also a part-time brand snob and a full time cheap-skate. There’s nobody else better placed to tell you the answer to these questions.

We drove the BMW X1 sDrive 18d for a week and here’s what we learned.