2017 BMW X1 vs Audi Q2

What's the difference?

The X1 sDrive 18d is practical and spacious, yet still engaging to drive. Value for money is great, but the quality and reputation that comes with the BMW brand makes this a special small SUV. 

An Australian, Calvin Luk, designed this second-gen X1. That’s something interesting you can tell people. It has tougher more angular styling than the first one, but still looks very much a part of the BMW X family, with those feline headlights, the famous kidney grille, those tail-lights and the upright profile, which is more brick than slick, but gives it a solid presence and stance.

The X1’s dimensions are 4439mm long, 1821mm wide, and 1598mm high. The X3 is about the length of your foot (300mm) longer, about 70mm wider, and close to 80mm shorter in height. For comparison, a Mazda CX-5 is 4550mm long.

Audi’s Q2 is much smaller than the X1, we’re talking 250mm shorter. The Q3 is still a bit shorter at 4338mm long, but the Benz GLA SUV is almost the same length at 4424mm end-to-end.

Our X1, clad in its M Sport pack, stood out alongside more docile looking X1s in the shopping centre carpark thanks to that angry looking aero kit and wheels.

Inside, the M-Sport package lifts the regular, fairly basic X1 sDrive18d’s interior to a much higher level. Those seats look amazing with the red and blue stitching, the steering wheel is very similar to the hi-po M2’s tiller, and there’s the fancier headlining, too. 

Do you need the M-sport package or any other interior package? Put it this way, I have a feeling you might be a little underwhelmed by the X1sDrive 18d’s cabin without it.

This was always going to be a tricky car for Audi. You can get a funky-looking small SUV from a variety of cheaper competitors or you can get a dull-looking one with heaps of interior space. They're all going for the same thing. Audi has to do all of the mini SUV things, justify charging you more than $41,000 and be true to the brand that has brought you sharply-styled interiors and exteriors for a while now. Tough ask.

Looking at the photos, you might think Audi missed. But it hasn't. When you're walking around this car you see a chunky SUV style with Audi's attention to detail. It's a really accomplished design that has a flair of its own, Audi telling us time and again about the polygonal styling influences. Look for the cool slice out of the shoulder line, the polygons in the grille, the shapes and surfacing on the bonnet.

Inside, though, is classic Audi. So classic, in fact, you've seen much of it before, in an A3. That's no criticism, obviously, because the A3 has one of the better interiors in any small car. There are some key differences - a bigger screen and, of course, the dimensions are rather loftier. Another fine interior, but if you go looking, you'll find some cheap plastics where you can see and touch them.

This second-gen X1 is more spacious than the bigger BMW X3. Yes, you read that right. The smaller SUV has more room in it than the larger SUV. That’s because the X1 is based on the 2-Series Active Tourer which was cleverly designed to be a versatile sort of people mover. The X1 got the functionality benefits without the people movery looks of the 2 Series Active Tourer.

Get this: the X1 has more legroom and more headroom front and back than the X3. I won’t quote the actual specs because it’ll send you to sleep.

But what you should know is that even at 191cm tall, I can sit behind my own driving position with about 40mm from my knees to the front seat back. Headroom is outstanding too – even with a sunroof which reduced the ceiling height.

There are four cupholders – two in the back and two up front – and bottle holders in all the doors. Cabin storage is good with a bucket under the armrest for keys and purses and wallets, and a decent-sized glove box.

The X1’s boot is 505 litres (VDA) while the X3’s is 550 litres - that’s not much bigger. To show you just how impressive that is, take the Audi Q3 – it has a cargo capacity of only 460 litres, while the Merc GLA has just 421 litres of boot space.

At 4.19 metres, the Q2 is hardly titchy but it is shorter than all the Japanese cars in the segment (yes, they're all cheaper, but they're still mini SUVs). There's good room front and rear and four passengers will be perfectly happy in the Q2.

The rear seat passengers won't be super-pleased with a lack of storage, cupholders (they're optional) or air vents, but we found it otherwise comfortable. The ride for back seaters differs slightly between the variants, the better deal coming in the multi-link-equipped TDI quattro.

Germany's first serious entrant in the compact SUV class comes close to best-in-class boot space - 405 litres. That said, it does come at the expense of a full-size spare (you can option one, but you lose boot space) and with the seats folded down, this increases to 1050 litres. At least, that's what you get in the 1.4. The 2.0 loses 50 litres in the process, but makes up some of the gap when you fold the seats down.

At launch there are just two specifications available - the 1.4 TFSI front-wheel drive and the 2.0 TDI quattro. A petrol quattro will join the range later in the year, with a 2.0 TFSI 140kW/320Nm power unit.

Being an Audi, there are option packages galore; six to be exact.

There is (technically) a third spec called Edition#1. This adds LED interior lighting, 40/20/40 split fold seats with centre armrest and cupholders, sport front seats, Milano leather, LED headlights and taillights, rear privacy glass and some interior bits and pieces. Around 700 will be available.

The 1.4 TFSI starts at $41,100 and is available in front-wheel drive only. Standard are 17-inch alloy wheels, cruise control, dual-zone climate control, five star Euro NCAP safety package, variable rack steering, sat nav, reversing camera, auto headlights and wipers, front and rear parking sensors, power windows and mirrors, leather (some real, some not) trim, in-car Wi-Fi hotspot with Google Earth map overlay function, remote central locking and a space saver spare.

It's a hop, step and a jump up to the 2.0 TDI as it will set you back $47,900. The TDI quattro adds sports seats, body colour skirts and lower bumpers, electric tailgate, aluminium trim pieces inside and a more sophisticated rear suspension set-up.

Both specifications come with an eight-speaker stereo run by Audi's MMI system. This includes a rotary dial control on the console and an 8.3-inch screen on the dashtop. It's an excellent system, shaded only by BMW's iDrive. And even then, only just.

You can choose from ten colours, eight of which cost extra.

Being an Audi, there are option packages galore; six to be exact.

The 'Assistance' package ($1600) adds adaptive cruise with stop-start and high-speed auto emergency braking, lane assist, blind spot detection, high beam assist, auto parking and a rollover sensor.

'Comfort' adds keyless entry and start, electric lumbar support, heated exterior mirrors with folding function, heated front seats, extra storage bits and power sockets.

'Style' brings LED headlights with washers, LED tail-lights with dynamic scrolling indicators and the chunky five spoke 18-inch alloys.

'S Line exterior' package ($2500) toughens things up with aluminium sills, S Line bumpers, rear diffuser and exterior logo.

The interior 'S Line Sport' ($1500) also brings 18-inch five spoke alloys, 10mm lower suspension, sports seats with leather and Alcantara, flat bottom steering wheel, black headlining, aluminium trim bits, stainless steel pedals, illuminated door sill trims and leather gear selector.

Finally, the 'Technik' package ($2500) adds the fully digital dashboard Audi calls Virtual Cockpit, up-spec nav and the flat-bottomed steering wheel.

A range of individual options are available, including higher powered stereos, plus colour, trim and lighting upgrades... the list goes on. You can also get coloured piping on the seats, but it's a bit much and looked like marzipan on the yellow car.

The X1 sDrive 18d has a diesel engine (that’s what the d stands for), it’s a 110kW/330Nm 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder and this car is FWD only (that’s what the s stands for – the AWD version is called the xDrive).

An excellent eight-speed auto transmission shifts the gears for you.

Two engines are available, the 1.4 TFSI and the 2.0 TDI. The former is front-wheel drive only, the latter all-wheel drive, both using the same updated seven-speed dual-clutch (S-tronic as Audi calls it) gearbox to broker the connection between engine and wheels.

Both produce 110kW while the petrol makes do with 250Nm and the diesel 340Nm. The petrol dispatches the 0-100km/h sprint in 8.5 seconds, the diesel 8.1.

Later in the year, a 140kW/320Nm petrol quattro will join the other two.

Both engines feature stop-start to help cut fuel consumption and the 1.4 features cylinder-on-demand tech that you wouldn't know was there if you weren't told about it.

The 1.4 is rated to tow 1300kg of braked trailer and 650kg unbraked.

BMW says the X1 sDrive18d needs just 4.7L/100km of diesel under combined driving conditions, we stuck mainly to the city and saw 10.6L/100km. But keep in mind, that’s probably the upper end of worst case scenario for fuel usage – heavy peak-hour, CBD traffic, suburban hills and me at the wheel.

What’s the point of a diesel engine? It uses less fuel, and produces high torque. In other words you’ll get further than petrol on the same-sized tank, and the engine can haul bigger loads without sweating as much.

Diesel does have some enviro-nastiness attached to it. NOx emissions and diesel particulates are significant pollutants. Just saying, don’t consider yourself an environmental warrior by picking a diesel – that’s what hybrids and EVs are for.

Audi claims the petrol TFSI sips premium at a rate of 5.3L/100km on the combined cycle and the diesel an even thriftier 5.0L/100km. Our launch day wasn't particularly representative of real-world driving, so we'll leave that for when we have the cars for longer.

Okay, apart from the badge the other reason you should be buying a BMW is the driving dynamics – this is BMW’s schtick and while the X1 is no M3 it’s more fun and engaging to drive than more affordable SUVs in this same size class.

The ride is refined – it’s composed and comfortable. The handling is impressive, too. Corners which cause many other cars to generate tyre squeal, saw the X1 sDrive 18d grip while remaining flat and silent.

The diesel engine is relatively noisy, but you’ll only notice it with the door open or the window down – so the cabin is insulated well.

Steering is smooth and accurate, although an 11.4m turning circle is on the larger side.

Now, do you need AWD? No, but I’d recommend it if you can afford it. Here’s why. My test hill is steep, and the X1 sDrive 18d’s front wheels struggled to maintain grip under heavy acceleration when pulling away from a standstill. An AWD doesn’t have the same problem because the rear wheels, which have a lot of weight on them, help push without losing grip, while the fronts pull.

So, AWD isn’t vital but it can be a helpful safety addition.

We started our launch drive in the Melbourne CBD, and the 1.4 quickly proved itself easy to drive and a very tidy handler. Vision is good, steering well-weighted and the transmission knows a giddy-up when it feels one. It's no rocketship, but 250Nm is a decent slug of torque from 1.4 litres and with seven gears and just under 1300kg to shift, the teeth grinding descriptor 'zippy' does the job.

On the freeway it's quiet and composed, the 215 tyres keeping it on the straight and narrow with the brakes dealing well with goofy texting lane-changers hoving into view and the pre-sense tech handling the outright dangerous ones.

Step into the 2.0 TDI and there's a distinct shift up in grip and capability. On the gravel the quattro is sure-footed and confidence-inspiring. That's to be expected, but on the really loose stuff, the FWD 1.4 was a little floaty and unpredictable.

It's worth pointing out that this quattro system isn't the same as others. In normal driving, only the front wheels are driven, reducing mechanical drag and therefore consumption. When it detects slip or notices you're up to some mischief with steering wheel and right foot, up to 50 percent of the torque can be sent rearward, like the Q3 (and VW Group stablemate, Golf Alltrak). No clunks or bumps, the system just releases the clutch that sends some drive to the rear wheels and you've got grip.

In the twisties, too, the 1.4 is a lot of fun but the TDI is really a league above. The extra torque is only part of the equation (there's a good deal more weight in the TDI), the quattro system another, but I reckon the multi-link rear suspension goes most of the way towards turning the Q2 into a warm SUV. I know, right?

The 1.4 goes without the more complex suspension, being fitted with torsion beam set-up, as per the A3 1.0. Most of its cheaper rivals do too, so there's no shame in that, but as with Nissan's Qashqai, you realise you're in something that knows its way around a corner and over a bump better than the torsion beam-equipped machines. It's not exactly stark, but the difference is appreciable. It seems quieter, too.

If you really are going to spend any time at all not on city streets or your standard motorway/freeway, the 2.0 TDI is the one for you.

Standard safety tech includes seven airbags (including driver's knee), AEB (up to 65km/h) with pedestrian detection, ABS, plus stability and traction controls.

The Q2 recently scored the maximum five Euro NCAP stars.

Adding the Assistance package fills out the safety features with high speed AEB, blind spot detection, forward collision warning and other bits and bobs.

The X1 is covered by BMW’s three-year/unlimited kilometre warranty. Servicing is 'condition based', meaning the car will actually let you know when it needs maintenance, but you can also opt for a five-year $1140 capped price servicing plan.

The Q2 comes with Audi's standard three-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, with roadside assist for the duration.

Servicing is every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first, and you can pre-pay for the first three years/45,000km.

Called the 'Genuine Care Service Plan', it's hardly the last word in generous, but at least you know what you're up for. Bank on around $1600.