What's the difference?
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.
Suzuki really needs you to buy this car.
Not only are cut-price Chinese rivals dicing up the entry-level part of the market where this Japanese brand used to thrive, but Suzuki is also facing pressure to adapt to Australia’s tough new emissions laws.
That’s where this e Vitara comes in.
Built in India on a new platform shared with Toyota, the e Vitara is unlike any Suzuki that's come before it in Australia. Does it have what it takes to crack the super competitive end of the new-car market?
Read on to find out.
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.
The Suzuki e Vitara is a fun, if unusual little electric car, but it does come at a price premium over many of its rivals, which includes the likes of the Kia EV3 and Hyundai Kona.
It’s great to drive, has a versatile cabin, and has a familiar feel for anyone new to electric cars. However, with low driving range, slow charging, no vehicle-to-load or single-pedal driving and comparatively high service costs, it may be a tall order.
Some will prefer that it wears a Japanese badge on its nose compared to budget alternatives, but I’m not sure Suzuki will be selling these in the kinds of volumes it needs to at this price.