BMW X2 5

Audi And BMW Go To War With The Mini SUVs

Audi and BMW Reveal new Crossovers at the Paris Motor Show

The crossover has become a common sight on our roads recently, they combine the high riding superiority of a 4×4 and the compact ease of driving of a family hatchback. And now both BMW and Audi have decided they want a piece of the action. Both companies have revealed new compact SUVs at the Paris Motor Show, the X2 from BMW is a micro version of their X6 coupe SUV, and Audi revealed the Q5 the little brother to Audi’s big boy the Q7.

bmw-x2-3

The X2 Aims to Combine the Coupe and the Compact

The X2, BMW say: “Combines the fast-moving body language and low-slung proportions of a coupe with the robust construction of an X model. This is a sporty vehicle with a bold character”. The X2 makes a very aggressive image, much more so than the Audi, whilst this may not make it into the final production model the front end is certainly a sight to behold. Its large kidney grills along with the even bigger intakes are designed to give the BMW an aggressive sporty look similar to its sportier M car cousins. The angled bars within the kidney grills are meant to create a “shark nose” effect, bringing additional depth and sculptural richness to this area of the car.

Static photo, Colour: Garnet red

Unimaginative Design From a Company who Have Lost Their way?

The Audi Q5 on the other hand has a much more conventional style to it, rather than the exciting chunky look of the BMW the Q5 has kept a – dare I say – boring look, maintaining the well known but not unattractive look of just another Audi. The Q5 when compared with the X2 fades into the background it is far less exciting, and maintains much more of the Audi brand image, rather than taking a step on the wild side with the BMW.

Static photo, Colour: Garnet red

Only one is Currently Slated for Production

Despite the unexciting and unoriginal design of the Q5 it is a car that will be available, whilst the BMW is just a concept. The Q5 comes with the now world renowned Quattro system of course, and is available with a range of engines including four TDI engines and one TFSI. Power range is also varied from 163 bhp in the 2.0 litre TDI to 252 bhp in the 2.0 litre TFSI. The Q5 also boasts a 90 kg weight loss over its predecessor.

bmw-x2-6

The Future vs Now

The Audi is a look at what the crossover is today, the BMW is what it could be, whether you love it or hate it the BMW prompts a reaction, the Audi is just vanilla. Audi has lost its vision, it used to produce exciting cars that were usable everyday the first R8 was a game changer, whereas the new one has been forgotten in the rush of new exciting supercars. Whilst the Audi is probably a fine car, it bears none of the intrigue or beguiling features of its competitors. Whilst the BMW X2 is only a concept at this stage it is an exciting look at what the crossover will come to be in the very near future, there is no word on if or when the BMW will reach production, the Audi however is expected to be in dealerships by early 2017.

Follow me on Twitter @jimafred

Gallery

BMW X2

bmw-x2-1 bmw-x2-2  bmw-x2-4   bmw-x2-7

bmw-x2-8 bmw-x2-9 bmw-x2-10 bmw-x2-11 bmw-x2-12 bmw-x2-13 bmw-x2-14

Audi Q5

Static photo, Colour: Garnet red

Static photo, Colour: Garnet red

Static photo, Colour: Garnet red

Static photo, Colour: Garnet red

Static photo, Colour: Garnet red

Static photo, Colour: Garnet red

Static photo, Colour: Garnet red

Static photo, Colour: Garnet red

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *