My test drives of 3 fabulous compact SUVs

January 2015 saw some serious test driving of 3 compact SUVs. Each car gave a fabulous experience of power, design and luxury. If you are looking for a compact SUV, self-driven, city driving, then this review of the Ivy League of the Compact SUVs - Audi Q3, BMW X1 and Volvo V40 Cross Country may add to your information and insights. This post below reviews the Q3. The reviews for BMW X1 and V40 in the same blog page below.

Would love to know your experience ?

Audi Q3

Sporty, urbane and formal all at once – that’s the Q3 for you. It’s great to take out on an adventure, roll in to a hotel driveway or simply drive it to work. This 5-seater, with a 2.0 litre diesel engine, looks impressive from the outside. Not too big, not too small, the elegantly shaped Xenon lights and LED bulbs call for attention. 

At 175mm ground clearance, the Q3 has the best view among the three cars I drove. The famous Bengaluru roads, pot holes and unscientific speed breakers were all traversed with unbelievable ease. Pick up was effortless, the engine responding smoothly to rev and acceleration. I didn’t get a chance to experience their famous Quattro technology, but the suspension at 100 km/h at a bend felt a bit soft which may not be good.

The interiors are spacious, but if you think five people is a given, remember the 5^th person at the centre back-seat will be a bit uncomfortable. Rear leg space and thigh support could have been a tad better. The console looks very good and the sun roof converts into a moon roof in the night.

The Q3 offers a pretty silent cabin, cutting out city noise effectively.  For mini families of four who like to drive out of town regularly, the 460 ltrs boot space offers the largest space among the three cars. 

Overall:Best buy in the compact SUV segment. What you’ll own is the undeniable stamp of engineering excellence from a great brand.

If you…are fanatic about German technology and a No.1 brand, then the Audi Q3 it is.

Read review of my test drives of the BMW X1 and Volvo V40 Cross Country on my blog page below.

The Volvo V40 Cross Country - Here comes the head turner

The Volvo V40 Cross Country

And here comes the head turner. 

There is no doubt that the Scandinavian auto giant has put its heart into the design of the V40. 

The shoulder blades of this beauty are its angular rear lamps and are the best aspects of design. The Passion Red model that I drove with black two-tone design elicited nothing less than gasps through the 12 km test drive. The 4-year kid sitting with his mom in the sedan, the businessman reclined at the back of his saloon, the guy who was driving the SUV, the man on his moped, the pedestrians, the auto rickshaw driver and his passengers…and obviously I preened in the driver’s seat.

When you are able to tear away from the looks, the other little things become obvious. First, it is not a compact SUV. It is a luxury hatch. The fact that it still gets mentioned in the same breath as Q3, X1 and Mercedes GLA is testimony to its engineering excellence and design.

The leather seats are black, but unlike the X1, they are beautifully crafted and compliment the black ‘waterfall’ console. The fixed tinted sun/moon roof completes the elegance.  Rear leg space is better than the Q3 and X1. But ground clearance is low at 155m and boot capacity of 335 ltrs is quite small. The 2.0 ltr diesel engine is noisy and sluggish on the pick-up. It has some unique features like Pedestrian detector, something that we would value in India. Anyone over 5’11” – driver or passenger - watch out for headroom space!

At app. 45 lacs (on road, Bengaluru) it is a steep price for a luxury hatch.

Overall: Brilliant design, thoughtful features, fabulous colors. V40 Cross Country – take a bow!

If you…want to stand out, be seen, make heads turn, forget everything and go for the V40.

BMW X1 - Power and engineering excellence

BMW X1

At 157 mm ground clearance, I personally felt that the X1 could not be called a mini SUV. It didn’t give me the commanding view of the Q3, but the 2.0 litre diesel engine was definitely better than the Audi Q3 in terms of performance. Pick up was effortless and some features like automatic switch off when the car stops at a signal etc., were cool.

I am personally not a fan of the famous BMW kidney grill and elongated bonnet, so that was a minus. The all-black interiors were gloomy; the console is quite ordinary to look at and boot space at 380 ltrs was smaller than the Q3. The rear leg space felt more cramped than the Q3 (but I am not sure if it actually is). For me, the biggest minus, after the kidney grill was the absence of a spare tyre. While BMW does claim that its famous RFT (Run Flat Tyre) will help you go at 100+ kms with a puncture, it still makes me nervous not to have a spare.

Of course, all or most of the standard safety, comfort and luxury features seen in the Q3 are available with X1.

Overall: Best priced in this segment (especially against the Q3).

If you…have always aspired to own a BMW and looking to upgrade, this is one. Go for the Sportsline version and indulge yourself a bit.