When we drove the new-generation BMW X1 earlier this year, we were really impressed by it. The new look, the spacious cabin, the punchy engine, the engaging handling and the improved ride quality just made it feel so much more rounded than the original. The overall feeling was that the X1 had evolved to offer everything a compact luxury SUV buyer could want. The best compact luxury SUV? There was a high chance it was the one.
To put lingering doubts to rest, we’ve brought together the new X1 and its closest rivals from Germany – the Audi Q3 and the Mercedes-Benz GLA. The competent Q3 has been on sale the longest but Audi has done its bit to keep it fresh over the years. In fact, the Q3 received its last facelift in 2015 and looks all the better for it. Meanwhile, Merc’s swanky GLA brings a different flavour to the contest.
Worth noting is that while the BMW and Audi are available in front-wheel-drive form too, it’s their all-wheel-drive avatars we’ve considered for this comparison.
And this makes the front-wheel drive GLA the odd one out because Mercedes doesn’t sell the standard GLA with the 4Matic all-wheel-drive hardware in India. However, the Merc is the cheapest of this trio with the GLA 200 d Sport priced at Rs 35.93 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). BMW’s X1, in nicely specced xLine trim, costs Rs 36.9 lakh though for Rs 4 lakh more, you can get the M Sport version with sportier body kit and a few more features. The Audi Q3 Technology retails for Rs 39.8 lakh.
With introductions out of the way, let’s get to the big fight among the small SUVs.
Talk of the town
It’s a mid-day start to the battleground, which is the photo shoot location, on the outskirts of Mumbai. What that means is we have to battle through the metropolis’ notoriously bad traffic and potholed roads. We’d like to fast forward and get to the good stuff but the truth is that these are the sort of conditions this trio of SUVs will have to deal with for a large part of their lives. So, we start making notes early in the journey.
I start behind the wheel of the X1 and quickly take a liking to it. The X1 uses BMW’s new 2.0-litre diesel engine that makes 190hp, the most powerful of this lot. Straight off, I can tell the engine is a lot quieter than the old X1’s and performance in town is pleasant too. However, engine responses seem too sharp in Sport mode and too dull in Eco Pro. Comfort mode offers the best compromise for the drive though I do wish the driving mode switch worked the dampers too, something none of these cars offer. Bump absorption is good on the X1 but at higher city speeds, the suspension seems a touch soft and there’s some amount of vertical movement over long wave undulations. At the same time, there’s a hint of firmness on expansion joints and the like and that’s probably down to the X1’s use of relatively hard sidewall run-flat tyres.
I switch to the Audi Q3 and within the first few minutes of the drive, can conclude that it’s got the better ride quality. The Q3 not only drives flatter at speed but also comfortably manages to take sharper edges in its stride. It’s got the lighter steering too which feels that little bit easier to twirl in town. The Q3’s 177hp, 2.0-litre diesel engine is also running quieter than the X1’s. Refinement at low speeds is really good but I do hear a bit of that characteristic mid-range drone from this Volkswagen Group engine. What’s also easy to tell is that the Q3 has a wider powerband. There’s a steady dose of power upwards of 1,500rpm or so and this means the Audi feels that little bit more alert than the X1 in town. Like the X1 though, I realise it’s best to leave the Q3 operating in Comfort mode in town.
Time to hop into the Merc. The GLA’s 2.1-litre diesel engine is the largest here but it actually makes the least power – 136hp to be precise. But performance, at least in city conditions, is not the problem. In fact, the GLA’s engine has a nice bottom-end and there’s plenty of poke in the mid-range as well. The actual issue is the engine’s refinement. Sure, the engine behaves itself at mild throttle inputs but get the revs up and it becomes loud. The engine also clatters at idle and feels leagues down on the competitors’ motors in this area. Where the GLA also trails the other two is in ride quality. The GLA doesn’t have sufficient wheel travel and tends to crash through larger potholes, and just feels a tad too stiffly set up for its own good. As we park the cars for a quick lunch, I also find out the hard way that it’s got the heaviest steering too.
When we drove the new-generation BMW X1 earlier this year, we were really impressed by it. The new look, the spacious cabin, the punchy engine, the engaging handling and the improved ride quality just made it feel so much more rounded than the original. The overall feeling was that the X1 had evolved to offer everything a compact luxury SUV buyer could want. The best compact luxury SUV? There was a high chance it was the one.
To put lingering doubts to rest, we’ve brought together the new X1 and its closest rivals from Germany – the Audi Q3 and the Mercedes-Benz GLA. The competent Q3 has been on sale the longest but Audi has done its bit to keep it fresh over the years. In fact, the Q3 received its last facelift in 2015 and looks all the better for it. Meanwhile, Merc’s swanky GLA brings a different flavour to the contest.
Worth noting is that while the BMW and Audi are available in front-wheel-drive form too, it’s their all-wheel-drive avatars we’ve considered for this comparison.
And this makes the front-wheel drive GLA the odd one out because Mercedes doesn’t sell the standard GLA with the 4Matic all-wheel-drive hardware in India. However, the Merc is the cheapest of this trio with the GLA 200 d Sport priced at Rs 35.93 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). BMW’s X1, in nicely specced xLine trim, costs Rs 36.9 lakh though for Rs 4 lakh more, you can get the M Sport version with sportier body kit and a few more features. The Audi Q3 Technology retails for Rs 39.8 lakh.
With introductions out of the way, let’s get to the big fight among the small SUVs.
Talk of the town
It’s a mid-day start to the battleground, which is the photo shoot location, on the outskirts of Mumbai. What that means is we have to battle through the metropolis’ notoriously bad traffic and potholed roads. We’d like to fast forward and get to the good stuff but the truth is that these are the sort of conditions this trio of SUVs will have to deal with for a large part of their lives. So, we start making notes early in the journey.
I start behind the wheel of the X1 and quickly take a liking to it. The X1 uses BMW’s new 2.0-litre diesel engine that makes 190hp, the most powerful of this lot. Straight off, I can tell the engine is a lot quieter than the old X1’s and performance in town is pleasant too. However, engine responses seem too sharp in Sport mode and too dull in Eco Pro. Comfort mode offers the best compromise for the drive though I do wish the driving mode switch worked the dampers too, something none of these cars offer. Bump absorption is good on the X1 but at higher city speeds, the suspension seems a touch soft and there’s some amount of vertical movement over long wave undulations. At the same time, there’s a hint of firmness on expansion joints and the like and that’s probably down to the X1’s use of relatively hard sidewall run-flat tyres.
I switch to the Audi Q3 and within the first few minutes of the drive, can conclude that it’s got the better ride quality. The Q3 not only drives flatter at speed but also comfortably manages to take sharper edges in its stride. It’s got the lighter steering too which feels that little bit easier to twirl in town. The Q3’s 177hp, 2.0-litre diesel engine is also running quieter than the X1’s. Refinement at low speeds is really good but I do hear a bit of that characteristic mid-range drone from this Volkswagen Group engine. What’s also easy to tell is that the Q3 has a wider powerband. There’s a steady dose of power upwards of 1,500rpm or so and this means the Audi feels that little bit more alert than the X1 in town. Like the X1 though, I realise it’s best to leave the Q3 operating in Comfort mode in town.
Time to hop into the Merc. The GLA’s 2.1-litre diesel engine is the largest here but it actually makes the least power – 136hp to be precise. But performance, at least in city conditions, is not the problem. In fact, the GLA’s engine has a nice bottom-end and there’s plenty of poke in the mid-range as well. The actual issue is the engine’s refinement. Sure, the engine behaves itself at mild throttle inputs but get the revs up and it becomes loud. The engine also clatters at idle and feels leagues down on the competitors’ motors in this area. Where the GLA also trails the other two is in ride quality. The GLA doesn’t have sufficient wheel travel and tends to crash through larger potholes, and just feels a tad too stiffly set up for its own good. As we park the cars for a quick lunch, I also find out the hard way that it’s got the heaviest steering too.
When we drove the new-generation BMW X1 earlier this year, we were really impressed by it. The new look, the spacious cabin, the punchy engine, the engaging handling and the improved ride quality just made it feel so much more rounded than the original. The overall feeling was that the X1 had evolved to offer everything a compact luxury SUV buyer could want. The best compact luxury SUV? There was a high chance it was the one.
To put lingering doubts to rest, we’ve brought together the new X1 and its closest rivals from Germany – the Audi Q3 and the Mercedes-Benz GLA. The competent Q3 has been on sale the longest but Audi has done its bit to keep it fresh over the years. In fact, the Q3 received its last facelift in 2015 and looks all the better for it. Meanwhile, Merc’s swanky GLA brings a different flavour to the contest.
Worth noting is that while the BMW and Audi are available in front-wheel-drive form too, it’s their all-wheel-drive avatars we’ve considered for this comparison.
And this makes the front-wheel drive GLA the odd one out because Mercedes doesn’t sell the standard GLA with the 4Matic all-wheel-drive hardware in India. However, the Merc is the cheapest of this trio with the GLA 200 d Sport priced at Rs 35.93 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). BMW’s X1, in nicely specced xLine trim, costs Rs 36.9 lakh though for Rs 4 lakh more, you can get the M Sport version with sportier body kit and a few more features. The Audi Q3 Technology retails for Rs 39.8 lakh.
With introductions out of the way, let’s get to the big fight among the small SUVs.
Talk of the town
It’s a mid-day start to the battleground, which is the photo shoot location, on the outskirts of Mumbai. What that means is we have to battle through the metropolis’ notoriously bad traffic and potholed roads. We’d like to fast forward and get to the good stuff but the truth is that these are the sort of conditions this trio of SUVs will have to deal with for a large part of their lives. So, we start making notes early in the journey.
I start behind the wheel of the X1 and quickly take a liking to it. The X1 uses BMW’s new 2.0-litre diesel engine that makes 190hp, the most powerful of this lot. Straight off, I can tell the engine is a lot quieter than the old X1’s and performance in town is pleasant too. However, engine responses seem too sharp in Sport mode and too dull in Eco Pro. Comfort mode offers the best compromise for the drive though I do wish the driving mode switch worked the dampers too, something none of these cars offer. Bump absorption is good on the X1 but at higher city speeds, the suspension seems a touch soft and there’s some amount of vertical movement over long wave undulations. At the same time, there’s a hint of firmness on expansion joints and the like and that’s probably down to the X1’s use of relatively hard sidewall run-flat tyres.
I switch to the Audi Q3 and within the first few minutes of the drive, can conclude that it’s got the better ride quality. The Q3 not only drives flatter at speed but also comfortably manages to take sharper edges in its stride. It’s got the lighter steering too which feels that little bit easier to twirl in town. The Q3’s 177hp, 2.0-litre diesel engine is also running quieter than the X1’s. Refinement at low speeds is really good but I do hear a bit of that characteristic mid-range drone from this Volkswagen Group engine. What’s also easy to tell is that the Q3 has a wider powerband. There’s a steady dose of power upwards of 1,500rpm or so and this means the Audi feels that little bit more alert than the X1 in town. Like the X1 though, I realise it’s best to leave the Q3 operating in Comfort mode in town.
Time to hop into the Merc. The GLA’s 2.1-litre diesel engine is the largest here but it actually makes the least power – 136hp to be precise. But performance, at least in city conditions, is not the problem. In fact, the GLA’s engine has a nice bottom-end and there’s plenty of poke in the mid-range as well. The actual issue is the engine’s refinement. Sure, the engine behaves itself at mild throttle inputs but get the revs up and it becomes loud. The engine also clatters at idle and feels leagues down on the competitors’ motors in this area. Where the GLA also trails the other two is in ride quality. The GLA doesn’t have sufficient wheel travel and tends to crash through larger potholes, and just feels a tad too stiffly set up for its own good. As we park the cars for a quick lunch, I also find out the hard way that it’s got the heaviest steering too.
When we drove the new-generation BMW X1 earlier this year, we were really impressed by it. The new look, the spacious cabin, the punchy engine, the engaging handling and the improved ride quality just made it feel so much more rounded than the original. The overall feeling was that the X1 had evolved to offer everything a compact luxury SUV buyer could want. The best compact luxury SUV? There was a high chance it was the one.
To put lingering doubts to rest, we’ve brought together the new X1 and its closest rivals from Germany – the Audi Q3 and the Mercedes-Benz GLA. The competent Q3 has been on sale the longest but Audi has done its bit to keep it fresh over the years. In fact, the Q3 received its last facelift in 2015 and looks all the better for it. Meanwhile, Merc’s swanky GLA brings a different flavour to the contest.
Worth noting is that while the BMW and Audi are available in front-wheel-drive form too, it’s their all-wheel-drive avatars we’ve considered for this comparison.
And this makes the front-wheel drive GLA the odd one out because Mercedes doesn’t sell the standard GLA with the 4Matic all-wheel-drive hardware in India. However, the Merc is the cheapest of this trio with the GLA 200 d Sport priced at Rs 35.93 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). BMW’s X1, in nicely specced xLine trim, costs Rs 36.9 lakh though for Rs 4 lakh more, you can get the M Sport version with sportier body kit and a few more features. The Audi Q3 Technology retails for Rs 39.8 lakh.
With introductions out of the way, let’s get to the big fight among the small SUVs.
Talk of the town
It’s a mid-day start to the battleground, which is the photo shoot location, on the outskirts of Mumbai. What that means is we have to battle through the metropolis’ notoriously bad traffic and potholed roads. We’d like to fast forward and get to the good stuff but the truth is that these are the sort of conditions this trio of SUVs will have to deal with for a large part of their lives. So, we start making notes early in the journey.
I start behind the wheel of the X1 and quickly take a liking to it. The X1 uses BMW’s new 2.0-litre diesel engine that makes 190hp, the most powerful of this lot. Straight off, I can tell the engine is a lot quieter than the old X1’s and performance in town is pleasant too. However, engine responses seem too sharp in Sport mode and too dull in Eco Pro. Comfort mode offers the best compromise for the drive though I do wish the driving mode switch worked the dampers too, something none of these cars offer. Bump absorption is good on the X1 but at higher city speeds, the suspension seems a touch soft and there’s some amount of vertical movement over long wave undulations. At the same time, there’s a hint of firmness on expansion joints and the like and that’s probably down to the X1’s use of relatively hard sidewall run-flat tyres.
I switch to the Audi Q3 and within the first few minutes of the drive, can conclude that it’s got the better ride quality. The Q3 not only drives flatter at speed but also comfortably manages to take sharper edges in its stride. It’s got the lighter steering too which feels that little bit easier to twirl in town. The Q3’s 177hp, 2.0-litre diesel engine is also running quieter than the X1’s. Refinement at low speeds is really good but I do hear a bit of that characteristic mid-range drone from this Volkswagen Group engine. What’s also easy to tell is that the Q3 has a wider powerband. There’s a steady dose of power upwards of 1,500rpm or so and this means the Audi feels that little bit more alert than the X1 in town. Like the X1 though, I realise it’s best to leave the Q3 operating in Comfort mode in town.
Time to hop into the Merc. The GLA’s 2.1-litre diesel engine is the largest here but it actually makes the least power – 136hp to be precise. But performance, at least in city conditions, is not the problem. In fact, the GLA’s engine has a nice bottom-end and there’s plenty of poke in the mid-range as well. The actual issue is the engine’s refinement. Sure, the engine behaves itself at mild throttle inputs but get the revs up and it becomes loud. The engine also clatters at idle and feels leagues down on the competitors’ motors in this area. Where the GLA also trails the other two is in ride quality. The GLA doesn’t have sufficient wheel travel and tends to crash through larger potholes, and just feels a tad too stiffly set up for its own good. As we park the cars for a quick lunch, I also find out the hard way that it’s got the heaviest steering too.