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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…
Late last year, Audi gave its large SUV range a freshen up by stocking its showrooms with the Q8 55 e-tron model; a rebadged, facelifted full-sized electric SUV designed to go head-to-head with things like the Mercedes-Benz EQE.
As it turned out, the Q8 55 was destined to become the mid-spec model and now Audi has book-ended the Q8 range with the entry-level Q8 e-tron 50 and the flagship SQ8 e-tron.
And while the previous 55 model was available in Sportback and SUV (station-wagon) forms, the latter has now been dropped.
That leaves the 50 model as an SUV only, while the headline act – and the vehicle we’re testing here – the SQ8 can be had in either body style.
The reason we’re concentrating on the biggest, baddest, most expensive variant, is that’s precisely what Audi is tipping the Australian market will gravitate towards.
In fact, as many as 70 per cent of Q8-platform sales could be the SQ8. That’s in line with the Australian market’s fondness for spending up big on the sportiest version of many makes and models, but it remains a bit of an anomaly in the rest of the car-buying world. Nevertheless, it remains the reason we’re focussing on that variant here.
Of course, electrification has never been more important for a carmaker operating here since the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard was announced recently, and even though the Q8 range will be a small percentage of Audi’s sales here, any EV represent progress towards meeting corporate targets.
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.
There’s not doubt large, luxury SUVs like the SQ8 have a lot to gain from electrification in terms of refinement, performance and running costs. The flip-side is the extra mass of the batteries and other electrical gear but, in this case at least, there might be a silver lining there in the way the hulking SUV manages to force the air suspension into agreeable submission.
For our money, the station-wagon variant is the one to buy. It’s cheaper to begin with and with its greater luggage capacity, it simply makes more sense. Which is not to say the Sportback version is compromised in luxury, safety or performance terms, but if practicality doesn’t figure highly in any purchasing decision involving an SUV, then we sense a great disturbance in the force.
Regardless of what’s powering the SQ8, the driving experience is vintage Audi and that’s a good thing, and even that massive kerb mass can’t blunt the sort of chassis dynamics and feedback we’ve come to expect from the brand.
Some buyers will possibly baulk at the projected range and the Audi’s appetite for electrons, but when lined up side-by-side with its major competition, the SQ8 is every chance to emerge as the one to buy. We’ll need a proper comparison for that, of course, but the Audi should be on any short-list of big, deluxe, electric SUVs.
Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with 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.
Stylistically, the big news is that the SQ8 is the second model to take up Audi’s latest exterior design language. That includes the two-dimensional Audi grille logo as well as a 'singleframe' (Audi’s own word) light bar that links the matrix headlights.
The SQ8 also gets Audi’s Sport Package as part of the price of admission, and that includes black roof rails and other touches.
Of more technical interest is the way the front of the car has been designed to aid air flow around the front wheels. Controllable flaps in the front fascia as well as underbody winglets keep the air flowing around the wheels without contributing to excess aerodynamic drag at speed.
In an engineering sense, the big news is the adoption of a three-motor layout. While some manufacturers are yet to see the value in this, having a motor on each of the rear wheels means there’s no longer a need for a rear differential.
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).
There’s absolutely no question Audi knows a thing or two about cabin layouts and ergonomics. Like other contemporary Audis, this one features the fully customisable Virtual Cockpit with a huge range of possible displays and layouts. And again, as usual, it all works seamlessly and efficiently.
The head-up display is amazingly clear and the twin touchscreens divide the car’s tasks logically. Yes, there’s a lot going on, but compare the way the Audi applies logic to the menu strategy to the scatter-gun approach of many others, and you can see that plenty of thought has gone into this stuff.
Also, it goes without saying, of course, that there are multiple charging points as well as plenty of connectivity with good wireless connections available. That includes wireless phone changing.
The front seats are sporty but not too firm, even if they do give you a bit of a squeeze thanks to high bolsters and lots of contouring. The rear seat is likewise firm initially and is really best for two backsides thanks to the sculpting of the rear bench.
That said, it will accept a centre passenger, but that seat will be the last one occupied. Rear legroom – important in a car like this - is good, there’s enough room for your feet under the front seats and headroom, even in the allegedly racier looking Sportback, is ample if not huge.
The panoramic sunroof means there’s plenty of light to counter the dark interior colours, and the only real surprise is the amount of hard plastic on the upper part of the door trims, just below the glass. Given the acres of much plusher trim farther down the door, this seems a bit odd.
The other comment we’d make is that the SUV body simply makes more sense in terms of load carrying (569 litres plays 528) and makes more of the SUV’s claim to practicality.
The Sportback is also a bit of an acquired taste and while it’s not the first SUV-coupe mash-up we’ve seen, to many eyes, the combination never looks right. Coupe on stilts? Surely, not for everyone.
On that subject of practicality, the SQ8 bucks the trend in EVs by being able to tow up to 1800kg with a braked trailer. The factory towing pack is a $2180 option.
In Australia, there will be four X2 grades in total - the xDrive20i and M35i xDrive petrol models, and the iX2 eDrive20 and xDrive30 all-electric models.
The iX2 xDrive 30 and the two X2 petrol grades are expected late in quarter one, or early in quarter two. The iX2 eDrive20 will follow shortly after in the third quarter.
The model grades largely mirror that of the X2’s mechanical twin, the X1, although the X1 is also offered in base front-wheel-drive sDrive18i guise as a range-opener.
At the international launch event, the two grades available to drive were the iX2 xDrive30 and the X2 M35i, so I will focus on those two models when it comes to the driving and practicality sections of this review. But I will detail elements of the whole range in other sections.
That X2 xDrive20i kicks off the range from $75,900 before on-road costs. For that you get features like a leather sports steering wheel, dual-zone automatic climate control, satellite navigation, an automatic tailgate, 19-inch alloy wheels, four USB-C ports and more driver-assistance systems and digital services compared with the previous model.
The $92,900 X2 M35i xDrive adds an extra dollop of performance but also includes 20-inch alloy wheels, a 12-speaker Harman/Kardon sound system, leather upholstery, a panoramic glass roof, a BMW M body kit and more.
The most affordable iX2 is the eDrive20 that kicks off at $82,900, while the iX2 xDrive30 dual-motor all-wheel-drive is $85,700. Both of these currently fall under the luxury car tax threshold at the time of writing.
There are several individual options and options packages across the range that can quickly push these prices up.
The X2 is a bit more expensive than the equivalent grades of the X1. The X2 xDrive20i costs $5500 more than the same X1 grade, while the M35i is only $2000 dearer than the equivalent X1.
For the EV, the X2 price premium is $4000 for the eDrive20 and just $800 for the xDrive30.
When it comes to rivals, pricing is a little higher than similar swoopy small SUVs like the Audi Q3 Sportback when it comes to the petrol models.
For the EV, competitors include the Lexus UX300e ($79,990-$87,665), Mercedes-Benz EQA (from $82,300-$102,579), and the Volvo C40 Recharge ($78,990-$87,990).
None of the Q8 variants are what you’d call remotely spartan, and even the entry-level Q8 50 gets air suspension, Audi’s 'Virtual Cockpit', 20-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, ambient interior lighting, dual-zone climate control, driver’s seat memory function, a head-up display, digital radio and a 360-degree camera.
The Q8 55 builds on that with the Sportback body (which is not available on the 50 variant) an extra 50kW of power from its twin electric motors, 21-inch alloy wheels, sports front seats and four-zone climate-control. There’s also an electrically adjustable steering column (the 50 has manual adjustment).
What makes the SQ8 the flagship car, of course, is not just more equipment (though there is plenty of that) but rather the optimised driveline with its three electric motors and 370kW output.
Beyond that, you also get a panoramic sunroof, 22-inch alloys, matrix LED headlights, heated front seats and a Bang & Olufsen premium sound system with no less than 16 speakers including 3D loud-speakers.
And because choice equals luxury, the SQ8 can be had in either of the Q8’s body styles; the station-wagon SUV or the Sportback. Neither of which run to a third row of seats.
Option packs include the 22kW charger option at $6900 and the 'Sensory Pack' which gets you headlights capable of branded projections on to your garage wall, e-tron branded puddle lights, powered, soft-close doors, heated rear-outer seats, an interior ioniser and 'fragrancer', extra dashboard leather and manual rear-window sun-shades. Yours for an extra $9600.
And if the SQ8 doesn’t look menacing enough, there’s a black exterior package at $2300 that, um, adds extra blackness.
The one option you need to think about carefully is the virtual mirror package which, at $3500, replaces the conventional mirrors with cameras that show what’s behind on panels in the top corner of the front door trims. It takes a bit of acclimatisation and revision of muscle-memory and is definitely not for everybody.
The price hike over the $140,600 entry level car is a hefty $33,000 for the SUV variant ($173,600) and a neat 40-grand for the Sportback ($180,600).
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.
While many electric all-wheel-drive vehicles use a motor on each axle, the Audi electric 'Quattro' system here arguably goes one better with a total of three motors.
The front axle features the traditional single motor while the rear axle has two; effectively a motor on each rear wheel.
When they all chime in, they bestow the e-tron with a maximum of 370kW of power and an astonishing 973Nm of torque; more than enough to get the 2.6-tonne e-tron moving.
Enough, in fact to get the car from rest to 100km/h in a claimed 4.5 seconds and on to an electronically limited top speed of 210km/h.
A single-speed reduction transmission is fitted and drive is constantly sent to all four wheels via an electric version of Audi’s famed Quattro all-wheel-drive layout.
Suspension is by adaptive air springs and there’s adjustable (via the steering wheel paddles) regenerative braking.
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.
Moving this much weight at such velocities and for such distances requires a big battery. In fact, Audi claims the SQ8’s battery, at 114kWh is the biggest in the business.
But, again, it needs to be, especially with the claimed energy consumption of a hefty 28.8kWh per 100km for the SUV version and 28.0kWh per 100km for the slightly slipperier Sportback.
That gives a theoretical range of 417km for the SUV and 430 for the Sportback, both of which are numbers some potential buyers won’t consider sufficient.
But those same people should consider the fact that in a mix of winding country roads and some freeway running, we were able to beat those consumption claims, recording closer to 26 or 27kWh per 100km which, if nothing else, suggests the published range figures might be somewhat closer to reality than the EV (or any other segment of the car industry) market typically gets.
The standard charger runs at 11kW but on a 10-amp household socket, home charging will be limited to 7.2kW, although an optional 22kW charger ($6900) is also available from Audi.
The DC charging is the highlight, however, and the SQ8 can cope with charging speeds of up to 170kWh, meaning it can theoretically get from 10 per cent to 80 per cent charged in about 31 minutes on a commercial charging station with enough grunt.
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.
Almost a thousand Newton-metres (not to mention 370kW) infers some pretty serious performance and so it is.
When you press down on the throttle pedal, there’s an instant and somewhat furious response from the driveline. And just as the Audi’s touchscreens have been calibrated to respond on a human scale, so too have the major driving controls.
That said, while there’s more acceleration on tap than most drivers will ever have experienced, the SQ8 doesn’t move forward with quite the irresistible force the bald numbers might suggest.
And that’s purely down to the thing weighing the wrong side of 2.6 tonnes. Sure, Audi claims 4.5 seconds and that seems fairly believable, but it’s not quite as ballistic as some other current EVs.
Still, that’s hardly its mission in life, anyway. Top speed, in the interests of thermal management, has been limited to an entirely understandable – not to mention adequate - 210km/h.
But one thing all that kerb mass has (arguably) done is make the suspension work properly. Speaking purely personally, until I’d sampled the SQ8 over a variety of bitumen joins, potholes of all sizes and even clattering level-crossings, I was yet to drive a passenger car on air suspension that worked as well as the brochure claimed.
Historically, air suspension has been okay on smooth roads and even sometimes bigger lumps and bumps. But it usually fell short of expectations on small amplitude, high frequency stuff that made the suspension judder and stutter. Not this Audi.
Even on the 'Dynamic' setting, the ride never falls beyond plush although you will notice a little more stiffness being dialled into it by the computer.
The best advice is to leave it in the 'Comfort' setting where there’s still lots of roll and pitch control, yet an even higher degree of suppleness that fundamentally refuses to be beaten by a lack of post-Covid road maintenance. And this from a car that rides on 22-inch wheels and tyres.
Perhaps compressed air doesn’t scale in a linear manner, making the addition of a couple of tonnes of sprung mass a positive, rather than a negative.
The other thing Audi has done well to maintain is that almost indefinable corporate steering response.
It’s kind of muted this time around in terms of its ability to talk to you, but there’s still an over-arching Audi-ness to it with an instant pointiness without the frenetic feel often associated with a quick ratio and sticky tyres.
The X2 and iX2 are yet to be crash tested by ANCAP or Euro NCAP for that matter.
As mentioned, it gets a more generous list of standard safety features than its predecessor. Features include the latest version of BMW’s front collision warning system, auto emergency braking, speed limit detection, active pedestrian protection and a front centre airbag.
All X2s come standard with BMW’s Driving Assistant Professional which features ‘Steering and Lane Control System’, adaptive cruise control with stop and go braking function, and a blind-spot monitor, as well as Parking Assistant Plus with a surround-view camera, reversing assistant and ‘Drive Recorder’.
Like any modern, high-end SUV, the Audi is dripping with safety gear, both passive and the latest active driver aids.
Autonomous Emergency Braking is included, of course, but goes a bit further with pedestrian and cyclist detection. There’s also adaptive cruise-control with a speed limiter and the Audi offers assistance rather than just a passive warning with traffic-jam assist, collision avoidance assist, turn assist, exit assist, intersection assist, rear-cross traffic assist and lane-change warning and assist.
There are also front and rear parking sensors combined with a 360-degree camera system which includes a kerb view function for tight parking spots.
Given the bulk of the e-tron, that might be a pretty handy addition. A tyre-pressure monitoring system is also a great standard feature.
The SQ8 hasn’t been locally crash-tested but has scored a maximum five stars in European testing.
What’s missing? Probably only a central airbag to prevent front-seat head clashes in the case of a side impact.
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.
Audi’s factory warranty is a good, but no longer remarkable five-year/unlimited warranty on most of the SQ8.
The exception is the battery which is covered by a six-year/160,000km warranty. Audi will also come to your home and connect the standard 10-amp charger and there’s an Origin Energy green power offer that comes with it.
Charging is taken care of for the first six years with a Chargefox subscription as well as Audi Connect. You’ll also get six years of free roadside assistance and the first six years of standard servicing are also included.
The SQ8 also makes good on the EV promise of less maintenance with service intervals every two years or 30,000km, whichever comes first.