Audi Q2 vs Mahindra XUV500
What's the difference?

Audi Q2

$21,990 - $36,888

2021 price

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Mahindra XUV500

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2018 price

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Land Rover Discovery Sport

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Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class

Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class

Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class

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Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class

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Summary

2021 Audi Q2

2018 Mahindra XUV500

By Laura Berry

By Andrew Chesterton

Safety Rating

Engine Type

Turbo 4, 2.0L

Diesel Turbo 4, 2.2L

Fuel Type

Premium Unleaded Petrol

Diesel

Fuel Efficiency

7.0L/100km (combined)

6.7L/100km (combined)

Seating

Likes

Good value
SQ2 has great performance
Angular looks

Cheap way into seven seats
Petrol/auto combination a winner
Hugely spacious third row

Dislikes

Cabin feels old
Could have more standard safety tech
Rear legroom limited

Underwhelming safety
Steering that requires plenty of guesswork
Cheap-feeling interior

2021 Audi Q2 Summary

Audi’s littlest and most affordable SUV, the Q2, has been updated with new looks and tech, but something else has snuck in with it. Or should I say roared in? It’s the SQ2, with a whopping 300 horsepower and a snarling bark.

So, this review has something for everybody. It’s for those who want to know what’s new for the Q2 in this latest update - those thinking of buying a cool-looking little SUV from Audi - and for those who want to wake their neighbours up and frighten their friends.

Ready? Let’s go.

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2018 Mahindra XUV500 Summary

Just in case attacking Australia's crowded SUV market with a virtually unheard of Indian brand wasn't a high enough hurdle to leap over, Mahindra had made its task even harder - think a Bollywood version of Mission Impossible - by launching its XUV500 SUV here with a diesel engine (which nobody wanted) and a manual gearbox (which few could even remember how to use).

Fortunately, it fixed one of those issues late in 2016, finally adding an automatic transmission to the line-up. And now, at long last, it's fixed the other.

This, then, is the petrol-powered XUV500 SUV. And, on paper at least, it's the most sense-making Mahindra to date.

For one, it's a ferociously cheap way into a new seven-seat SUV. For another, it's pretty well equipped, even from the base level. There's a long warranty, an equally long roadside assistance offering, and there's capped-price servicing, too.

So, should the mainstream SUV players be looking over their shoulders?

Spoiler alert: no.

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Deep dive comparison

2021 Audi Q2 2018 Mahindra XUV500

Verdict

The Q2 is good value and great to drive – especially the SQ2. The exterior looks new, but the cabin feels older than the larger Q3, and most other Audi models.

More standard advanced safety tech would make the Q2 even more appealing, as would a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty. While we’re at it, a hybrid variant would make enormous sense.

So, a great car, but Audi could offer more to make it an even better proposition for buyers.

Verdict

This petrol-powered and well-priced XUV500 W6 might mark Mahindra's most convincing effort at cracking Australia's congested SUV market, but we're still not completely convinced.

That said, it's certainly cheap, the ownership credentials stack up and it's a very comfortable way to transport seven people.

Audi Q2 vs Mahindra XUV500 What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Audi Q2 vs Mahindra XUV500
What's the difference?