Mercedes-Benz A200 vs BMW X2

What's the difference?

Meet the world’s most aerodynamically efficient passenger car. Mercedes-Benz says the drag co-efficient for this new sedan version of its fourth-generation A-Class is the lowest ever measured for a passenger vehicle.

Which is quite a claim, but you only have to look at it to see how much work has gone into marrying good looks with slippery aero performance.

The A-Class sedan is substantially longer and fractionally taller than its hatchback sibling, but does that mean it’s better, or simply different?

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…