Triple test: Audi Q2 v DS 4 Crossback v Seat Ateca
More and more people are looking for an SUV that is small but which has a level of kit and brand quality that matches the raised ride height. Audi probably has the highest brand qualities of these three, but the Seat Ateca has won a lot of plaudits since its launch, while DS is going for the premium SUV look with a cheaper price tag. Three different approaches, but only one winner.
The DS 4 Crossback may be the cheapest but it also has the least powerful engine, at 128bhp. You need to work it to get it going, although the short gearing does make it feel not too slow. Both the others, as part of the VW Group, share the same 1.4-litre 148bhp engine. However, the extra 100kg of the Seat counts against it in performance terms, allowing the Audi to romp into the lead.
That 148bhp unit is a smooth and quiet one, too, being notably quieter and more sophisticated than the 1.2-litre turbo unit in the DS. The DS adds to that noise with some racket from road and wind, and some road bumps come shuddering through. It’s softly sprung but that doesn’t make it the most comfortable.
By SUV standards, the Audi Q2 is the most carlike when it comes to handling. It rides lower and turns sharper and leans less than the others. The downside is a slightly jittery ride quality over poor surfaces, whereas the Seat is a good combination of fairly firm handling with a gentler ride quality.
We are looking at small SUVs here, and you’re very aware of the sizing issue when you get into the DS 4. There’s decent space in the front, but in the rear it feels cramped and also a touch claustrophobic thanks to the lack of window area. The Audi, even though it’s on the A3 platform, also feels a bit small inside, again more so in the rear. It’s not bad but you never feel as though you have much room, unlike in the Seat, which feels much more airy.
The Ateca also has the largest boot, but the Q2 starts to win back points when it comes to the quality of the cabin rather than the space of it. This is always an Audi strong suit, and once again it trumps the opposition with a classy, well-designed space that uses premium materials.
The Audi also gets a 7in infotainment screen, along with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard. The Seat trumps this with an 8in screen, complete with sat nav, DAB radio etc as standard. The DS gets the same sort of level of standard kit but the 7in touchscreen is much harder to use and navigate.
All three get air con, leather steering wheel, auto headlights and wipers, tyre pressure monitoring and more. But the Audi doesn’t throw in as much as the others as standard, since both the DS and the Ateca have climate control, reversing camera and keyless entry and start.
At first glance this makes the DS 4 a good bet since it has a lower list price and you can haggle some off that. But it’s the most expensive to insure and service and depreciation will be the sharpest. Slow depreciation should mean that the Seat Ateca will be the cheapest car here after three years, about £1500 less than the Audi and a lot less than the DS.
The Seat Ateca has recently dethroned the Nissan Qashqai, and here it knocks any crown off the Audi Q2 as well. The Seat is economical, spacious, good handling, practical and generously equipped. The fact that it’s the cheapest here over three years seals the deal.
The Audi Q2 is a fine opponent though, and makes even more of that engine, while offering up the best small cabin you’ll find in an SUV.
Which leaves the DS 4 Crossback trailing quite badly. This is the top-of-the-range model but it really doesn’t feel it in this company. It’s the cheapest but you’d be hard pushed to make an argument that it’s the best value. That argument is won by the Seat Ateca.
Seat Ateca 1.4 EcoTSI 150 Xcellence (5 stars)
Engine size 1.4-litre turbo petrol
List price £23,905
Target price £23,249
Power 148bhp @ 5000rpm
Torque 184lb ft @ 1500rpm
0-60mph 10.5sec
Top speed 125mph
Gov't fuel economy 52.3mpg
True MPG 42.8mpg
CO2 emissions 123g/km
Audi Q2 1.4 TFSI 150 Sport (4 stars)
Engine size 1.4-litre turbo petrol
List price £23,930
Target price £23,698
Power 148bhp @ 5000rpm
Torque 184lb ft @ 1500rpm
0-60mph 8.1sec
Top speed 132mph
Gov't fuel economy 52.3mpg
True MPG 45.3mpg
CO2 emissions 124g/km
DS 4 Crossback 1.2 Puretech 130 (2 stars)
Engine size 1.2-litre turbo petrol
List price £22,295
Target price £21,079
Power 128bhp @ 5500rpm
Torque 170lb ft @ 1750rpm
0-60mph 10.1sec
Top speed 123mph
Gov't fuel economy 56.5mpg
True MPG 42.6mpg
CO2 emissions 116g/km
Pushing the premium buttons on three small SUVs.