BMW X2 vs Volkswagen Golf

What's the difference?

BMW’s original X2 crossover from 2018 was not a massive sales success in Australia. The related X1, however, was and continues to be a very popular pick in the ultra competitive premium small SUV class. 

BMW has flipped the script for the second-generation X2, giving it a dramatic makeover that ushers in a bold design that’s now in keeping with its SUV strategy. That is to offer a ‘conventional’ SUV - X1, X3 and X5 - and then a coupe-style sibling - the X2, X4 and X6 - to sit alongside it.

Beyond the new look there are significant changes throughout the car, including the introduction of an all electric version - the iX2.

We drove the two flagship grades at the international launch in Lisbon, Portugal - the petrol-powered M35i xDrive, and the iX2 xDrive30. They might look the same, but they maintain their own distinct characters. Let’s dive in…

Eight generations over more than half a century qualifies the Volkswagen Golf as an automotive icon, standing on the shoulders of its original beetle-shaped ancestor.

It remains one of the world’s favourite cars and this 110TSI Life version is the entry-point to the local model line-up, the latest ‘8.5’ version of which arrived here just over 12 months ago.

It sits in a hotly contested small-car category, appealing to those with a preference for a conventional hatch and pure internal-combustion power.

In an automotive world now dominated by increasingly electrified SUVs, we spent a week behind the wheel to see how it shapes up as an urban specialist with occasional open road ability.