BMW X Models vs Audi Q5

What's the difference?

There is little doubt the new X2 represents a vast improvement over the original model. The design alone gives it a lot more presence. 

More interior and boot space also helps widen the SUV’s appeal and the significant tech updates are welcome.

It is on the pricey side and there are a few too many options that should be standard. 

However, the M35i is hard to ignore as a sporty premium crossover, and the iX2 xDrive30 is the sort of electric SUV that should worry Volvo.

They both have their own distinct flavours, so there’s no dud in this line-up. Of course, we will hold final thoughts for the local launch when we can drive all four grades. But until then, it’s a welcome return to form for the X2.

It might be a late return to the PHEV game for Audi, but it’s an impressive one. Everything great about the Q5 remains - dynamically engaging, responsive powertrain - but you get the added benefit of electric power.

This could be the car to prove that plug-in hybrid medium SUVs don’t have to be bland family transport. If the Q5 is anything to go by, going green can be downright fun!

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

The second-gen X2 looks very different to the original from 2018. That first X2 had a squat stance, looked more like a hatchback than an SUV, and the glasshouse appeared as though it had been squished into the body of the car.

The 2024 X2 adopts a similar design philosophy to the X4 and X6 - swoopy, coupe-like roofline and liftback, and bold styling elements at the front and rear.

It has a much more upright, flush front end, freshly designed large kidney grille and an edgy headlight design. There’s flared wheel arches and broad shoulders at the rear, as well as a cool new horizontal tail-light signature.

The X2 has grown in size in a big way. It’s 194mm longer, 21mm wider, and 64mm taller than the outgoing model. That naturally means more space inside, too.

Inside there are big changes. The X2 adopts elements introduced by the excellent iX SUV a couple of years ago. They include the curved display, and a floating arm rest with a control panel. Some of this is also familiar from the X1.

The materials mostly look and feel like they are high quality, and there is an appealing minimalism to the overall design and layout. The chunky sports steering wheel is visually appealing, but it’s a bit too thick in my hand.

The second-generation Q5 has been around for six years, and it was very much an evolution of the original, but it still looks attractive in the metal. You couldn’t call it edgy, but it is handsome.

Both PHEV body styles get the S line exterior package as standard, which adds a unique honeycomb grille, S line bumpers front and rear, Audi Sport wheels and it borrows the rear spoiler from the SQ5.

While many will favour the swoopy Sportback body style, I think the Q5 is at its most arresting in SUV body style, bathed in the gorgeous 'District Green Metallic' paint. Stunning.

Inside, only the Sportback gains the S line interior, which includes a leather three-spoke steering wheel with multifunction, shift paddles and hands-on detection, Nappa leather upholstery with contrast stitching, and aluminium inlays. The SUV seats are leather-appointed. 

It’s fair to say Audi’s interiors have modernised since the launch of this Q5 in 2017, but it’s still hard to fault. The multimedia screen jutting out the top of the dash is a little old school these days, but the materials and quality are top notch.

Where the previous X2 was a very small crossover with niche appeal, the increase in size for the new model means more people will be interested in it. Possibly even people with a small family.

Those increased dimensions pay dividends inside, with ample headroom up front and more than enough space across the front row, although the raised armrest console is somewhat narrow. 

The seats in both the iX2 xDrive30 and the M35i xDrive are very supportive thanks to ample bolstering, but both were also on the firm side. The iX2’s synthetic leather was slightly more comfortable than the M35i’s sports-focused front seats.

The power-adjustable seats and height- and reach-adjustable steering wheel means it’s not hard to find a decent driving position, but forward vision is impeded by a very thick A-pillar, and the letterbox-like rear windscreen in the X2 means rearward vision is limited. Good thing it has excellent parking cameras and sensors. 

Storage is decent in the X2, with room for big bottles in the door cavity, and a few nooks and large open spaces in the console. Although secure storage is limited with the armrest housing a very shallow space. I do like BMW’s phone charger setup. Rather than lying on a pad, it slots into a vertical holder that has a latch to keep it in place when cornering. The only drawback is that you can see the screen which could potentially distract some drivers.

The X2 introduces operating system nine to iDrive, which is housed in the central part of the curved display and operated by touchscreen or the controller on the floating central console. After some familiarisation, the functionality isn’t that much different to the previous version of the operating system. The main menu looks cool and is mostly easy to navigate. The sub-menu icons - of which there are heaps - look a little Microsoft Windows.

The X2 has drive modes that also interact with the interior of the car and change lighting, EV noise and more. They include Personal Mode, Sport Mode and Efficient Mode as standard, but if you opt for (and pay extra for) BMW Digital Premium, the modes extend to Expressive Mode, Relax Mode and Digital Art Mode. Some of these are quite cool, especially some of the EV sounds, but would I use them everyday? Probably not.

The clearest indication of increased space is in the second row. There’s much more legroom than the old X2, and behind my six-foot frame I had enough space with a couple of centimetres between my knees and the front seat backs. Toe room was very limited, however. 

The roof has been scalloped out to ensure more headroom, which is welcome given the extra sloping roofline.

There are a pair of USB-C ports back there, lower air vents, map pockets, decent door storage, and a centre armrest with cup holders.

The boot is sizeable, in both engine grades but you only get a tyre repair kit. There is underfloor storage for the charging cables in the iX2.

At 560 litres with all seats in place and 1470L with the second row stowed, the petrol grades have a bit more space than the iX2 at 525L (all seats in place) and 1400L (second row lowered).

As - predominantly - a family hauler, the Q5 has always done well in the practicality stakes. And adding a plug-in hybrid powertrain hasn’t changed that. Although you do lose some boot space compared with the petrol models - but more on that in a bit.

Up front, the Q5 has plenty of nooks and storage slots in the console, including a longer shallow slot to hold phones. The central bin is deep enough and the door bins can swallow big bottles and more. Housing the phone charger on the top of another storage spot in the console works as it can be hidden by the larger storage lid for security.

As the Q5 is older than some of Audi’s fresher models, there are physical buttons for things like air conditioning, seat heaters, and controls for drive modes and other vehicle functions.

It might not look as schmick as having a screen to house everything, but from a practicality and safety perspective, it’s welcome.

This approach also extends to the multimedia system which is fairly simple to navigate with a logical menu. Audi’s system gets a tick, as does the digital cockpit - something the brand pioneered.

While the leather appointed seats in the SUV are nice, the quilted Nappa leather seats in the Sportback are much more luxurious. And the ‘Rotor Grey’ colour scheme is simply beautiful. They offer more than enough support in the front row and they are comfy without being super plush.

There’s ample leg and headroom in the front row.

That is the same for the second row. So much headroom even with a panoramic sunroof. And behind my 183cm (six foot) driving position, there was room to spare in front of my knees. It’s such a good size.

Also, the rear seats have some bucketing so passengers will feel a little spoiled. There’s also knee-level air vents, map pockets, two USBs and a 12-volt port, a fold-down armrest with cupholders and ISOFIX points on the outboard seats.

The rear row folds 60/40 and there’s decent room in the boot, which has a power operated tailgate. 

Given some of the PHEV hardware sits directly under the boot floor, it’s little surprise that the SUV version (465 litres) loses 55L of space compared with the petrol-powered 45 TFSI.

Similarly, the Sportback (455L) drops by 45L. Also, despite the swoopy roofline, the Sportback only loses 10L of cargo space compared with the more practical looking SUV.

Those PHEV bits also mean there is no spare wheel - only a tyre repair kit.

Dipping its toe back in the plug-in hybrid market, Audi is keen to appeal to buyers looking to reduce their carbon footprint, but also to driving enthusiasts requiring a bit of zing with their environmental credentials.

That’s where the Q5 55 TFSI e quattro comes in. Audi Australia had the option of introducing a less performance focused Q5 PHEV grade, but opted instead for the higher output model.

Audi sees this as the SQ5 you buy when you want to save the planet. And the 0-100km/h sprint time of 5.3 seconds suggests it’s pretty close.

Pricing for the 55 TFSI e quattro starts at $102,900, before on-road costs, for the SUV body style.

Opting for the Sportback carries a $7300 premium, making the price $110,200. But you get some more gear in the Sportback over the SUV, including the S-line interior package, and Matrix LED headlights with dynamic front and rear indicators.

Other equipment standard on both grades includes a panoramic sunroof, hands-free power tailgate, ambient lighting (with 30 colours), keyless entry and start, front leather-appointed seats with heating and power adjustment, three-zone climate control, a 10.1-inch multimedia touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, digital radio, 10-speaker audio, auto-dimming interior mirror and 20-inch Audi Sport alloy wheels.

You can opt for different 20-inch wheels or 21-inch hoops as well.

The 'Technik' option pack costs $4900 for the SUV and $4700 for the Sportback and adds a head-up display, a more premium Bang & Olufsen audio system, and high-tech head or tail-lights, depending on the body style.

All in all it’s a healthy standard features list. I’ve said it before recently, but it’s worth repeating - it’s good to see premium brands including more standard features in their models, rather than making everything an option.

That said, maybe heated rear seats (as well as the standard front seats) might have been a nice addition. 

So, how does the Q5 compare with its PHEV counterparts? Its most obvious rival is the BMW X3 xDrive30e which is more expensive at $111,800.

Then there’s the Range Rover Evoque R Dynamic HSE ($104,310) and Volvo XC60 Recharge ($101,990), which line up closely with the Audi, while the Lexus NX450h+ undercuts them all ($91,423).

Each of the four grades come with a different powertrain, and the xDrive20i kicks it all off with its 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol unit, making 150kW of power and 300Nm of torque. It drives all four wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and can hit 100km/h in 7.4 seconds.

The xDrive M35i ups the fun factor with a gruntier 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol unit, driving all four wheels via the same transmission as the 20i, all while delivering power and torque of 233kW/400Nm This ensures a 0-100km/h dash of 5.4 seconds.

The iX2 eDrive20 is powered by a 150kW/247Nm electric motor on its front axle, and the iX2 xDrive 30 uses two motors - one on the front and one on the rear axle for all-wheel-drive traction. The total system output is 230kW and 494Nm and the xDrive30 gets to 100km/h in just 5.6 seconds.

The Q5 pairs a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine - found in many VW Group products - with a plug-in hybrid set-up that includes a lithium-ion battery pack and an electric motor.

The total system output is 270kW of power and 500Nm of torque, which is impressive. In fact, it has more power - but a little less torque - than the SQ5 performance flagship. 

It drives all four wheels thanks to Audi’s quattro all-wheel drive system, and does that via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.

A fuel-use figure for the xDrive20i is yet to be confirmed, but the front-wheel-drive sDrive20i offered in Europe with a three-cylinder engine sips as little as six litres per 100 kilometres on the combined cycle. Expect the Australian version to be a little higher than that given it’s AWD and has a more potent engine.

The M35i consumes 7.7L/100km. 

The high-voltage 64.8kWh lithium-ion battery in the iX2 ensures a driving range on the WLTP cycle of between up to 477 kilometres in the eDrive20 and between 417 and 449km for the xDrive30. 

The latter has an energy efficiency range of 16.3 to 17.7kWh/100km, and BMW says you should be able to top up the battery from 10 to 80 per cent in 29 minutes at a fast charging station.

That driving range is not bad compared with the Lexus UX300e and Peugeot e-2008, but not quite as impressive as the Volvo C40 twin-motor. 

I missed out on checking the energy efficiency figure of the iX2 xDrive30 following our drive, but after an 88km drive loop, the iX2’s range had dropped by 91km, which is just a 3km difference.

The PHEV’s battery capacity is 17.9kWh and that ensures the Q5 has an electric driving range of up to 55 kilometres on the WLTP protocol. 

Audi says the average daily commute of an Australian is 35km, so technically many people could get to work and back using electric power only.

It might not sound like a huge amount, but it’s more than the 41km offered by the BMW X3, although it doesn’t come near the Lexus NX’s 87km claim.

Energy consumption is rated at 23.9kWh/100km, and the official fuel consumption figure for the Q5 is 2.0 litres per 100km - bettering the X3’s 3.2L/100km figure but not as frugal as the Lexus (1.3L).

It has a 54-litre fuel tank and emits 45 grams per kilometre of CO2.

The Q5 PHEV has a Type 2 plug and comes with a charger to add more juice at home.

It has an AC charging capacity of 7.2kW and it will take two and a half hours to fully charge using a home wallbox charger. You can also plug it into a regular wall socket at home and it’ll be charged up in about eight hours, or overnight. It's not capable of DC charging.

The M135i xDriveis undeniably quick off the mark. The lovely 2.0L turbo engine is well matched to the seven-speed dual-clutch and it’s responsive and willing from a standing start and when overtaking.

The engine sounds lovely too, although we suspect it’s amplified in the cabin, and steering is as sharp as it should be in a warmed-up performance SUV. We darted through some very twisty roads outside Lisbon and had quite a lot of fun in the process, so the M Performance badge is justified. 

I drove the previous-generation X2 M35i a few years back and was disappointed with the ride quality. It was quite jiggly on uneven road surfaces and way too firm.

While the new version still has a firm tune to aid dynamic driving, it is much more compliant than the old car and overall ride comfort has improved.

The iX2 is also quick off the mark and in xDrive30 guise is only 0.2sec slower to 100km/h than the M35i. 

That lively, smooth EV acceleration is present here, adding a sense of fun to the iX2.

It too has sharp steering, and the cabin is hushed. Not just because it’s an EV either. We were on coastal roads on a windy day and there was only a hint of wind noise in the cabin.

In some instances taking corners that had typical European walls or houses right up against the road, the iX2 would slow before I had a chance to tap the brakes. But it was hard to tell if that was a vehicle safety function, or the regenerative braking.

The ride in the iX2 was a bit of a mixed bag. It coped with some of the pockmarked roads exceptionally well, soaking up the imperfections. But then on other roads it was a little choppy.

It also bounces a little when you go over speed bumps, but that’s not exclusively an iX2 trait. I’ve felt it on many an EV, given the placement of the very heavy battery packs under the floor.

On the driving tech front, the X2 has a well executed head-up display projected directly onto the windscreen. It includes the speedo of course, nav guidance, a crystal clear display and more info. 

The Q5 has always been the driver’s pick among its peers - specifically the BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLC. You could argue a Porsche Macan is more engaging and you’d probably be right. But of those immediate German rivals, the Q5 takes the cake.

Adding a PHEV powertrain and the circa-300kg of extra weight that brings should impact dynamics - but somehow, it doesn’t. 

First of all, the Q5 PHEV can do the 0-100km/h dash in just 5.3 seconds which is hot hatch territory. 

But the really impressive thing about this Q5 is how well it handles, despite that extra weight. The battery pack is housed under the boot floor, and Audi engineers have done a bang up job in ensuring it retains that dynamic prowess it's known for. 

We drove on some delightfully twisty roads in the Gold Coast hinterland for this launch event, and the Q5 didn’t miss a beat.

It maintained composure when pushed into tight corners, and had plenty of grip. And the electric urge coming out of those corners - providing you have battery charge left - only helps the experience.

Typically sharp Audi steering is indeed present and welcome.

Riding on 20-inch Audi Sport alloy wheels, and with a sporty bent, you’d think the ride quality would be impacted. But that was another pleasant surprise.

The Q5 soaks up corrugations with the standard suspension set-up, and the tyres have a decent sidewall. So no unpleasant sharp bumps detected.

The cabin is reasonably well insulated from most outside intrusion as well.

The Q5 plug-in counts an impressive level of safety gear, including eight airbags in total, although that does not include a front centre airbag.

It comes with the usual suite of driver aids, including Audi’s ‘pre-sense city’ system that activates emergency braking at speeds up to 85km/h, ‘pre-sense front’ emergency braking up to the Q5’s maximum speed, as well as attention assist, an active bonnet, a tyre pressure monitor, and hill descent control. 

It also features adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, blind spot monitor, safe exit assist, cross traffic alert and a 360-degree camera with an excellent display. 

While the rest of the Q5 range is covered by a five-star ANCAP safety rating dating back to 2017, the Q5 plug-in hybrid remains unrated for now.

The X2 range is covered by BMW’s five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty - something the German giant only increased from three years back in 2022. This is now the minimum standard.

The battery warranty for the iX2 is eight years or 160,000 kilometres. 

BMW does not have scheduled servicing terms, instead, servicing is condition-based and the car’s computer will alert the driver when to book in for a service.

A five-year servicing package will cost you $3171 for the petrol X2s, while the iX2 is $2186 for six years.

The Q5 comes with Audi’s five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty. This was an increase on its previous term that Audi announced at the start of 2022. The PHEV is also covered by an eight-year/160,00km battery warranty.

Service intervals are every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first, and Audi offers a capped-price service plan for five years that costs about $3500 all up. That’s a little pricer than BMW and Volvo’s plan.