It took time for the Chinese and Japanese. In 2016, Audi launched the Q2, a small crossover - 4.21 meters long and slightly taller than the A3, with a height of 1.48 meters. A stylish and compact SUV, but much more accessible in price. It's still with us, with a 1,500 cc turbo petrol engine, 150 hp, 0-100 km/h in 8.6 seconds, and an official combined fuel consumption of 8.6 km/l.
The price today starts at NIS 200,000, like the luxurious and powerful versions of the Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, and Mazda CX5. Instead of another Korean SUV, Audi offered customers a luxury symbol, the service level of a luxury car, and easier parking with a shorter vehicle. Perfect for those who always dreamed of a luxury brand and no longer need the superior space of the Korean and Japanese crossovers.
The competitors observed, understood, and last year four competing projects matured at once, landing in the country starting this month: one hybrid and three electric. Suddenly, the Q2 is no longer alone in the field, especially after Audi announced that it would not have a direct successor, though it may be preparing an electric replacement.
The hybrid is the Lexus LBX. It took Toyota's luxury division time, but in the end, it decided to do what Audi has been doing successfully for years: taking components from Volkswagen and presenting them in a more luxurious, well-equipped, and expensive package.
The LBX is based on the Toyota Yaris Cross, but you would struggle to recognize it thanks to an exterior design upgrade and a more quality interior and driver environment.
The LBX is 1 cm shorter, 3 cm wider, and 7 cm taller. Its wheelbase is also 1 cm shorter, making it easy to see which car was in the Lexus studio during development. It also comes with a 1,500 cc petrol unit, only 130 hp, but hybrid, promising a combined consumption of 21.7 km/l, though the performance is slightly slower. Compared to the Audi priced between NIS 200,000 and NIS 220,000 across three trim levels, the Lexus offers four trim levels, ranging from NIS 200,000 to NIS 226,000.
The three electric competitors are essentially three versions of the same car: the Volvo EX30, Smart 01, and Zeekr X, all coming from the Chinese Geely group and also manufactured in China. They share the same platform and additional components, but the three divisions managed to give them slightly different designs and characters.
The EX30 is the smallest among them, with a length of 4.23 meters, a width of 1.84 meters, and a height of 1.55 meters. Wheelbase? 2.65 meters. But it looks like a Volvo.
The Smart looks like how you would imagine the cute two-seater city car in a five-seater crossover size and a bit larger: 4.27 meters long, 1.82 meters wide, and 1.64 meters tall. Wheelbase: 2.75 meters.
The Zeekr X is the largest of the three: 4.43 meters long, 1.83 meters wide, 2.75 meters wheelbase, and 1.57 meters tall.
All three have 272 hp in the base version with rear-wheel drive - compared to front-wheel drive in the Audi and Lexus - and 428 hp in the all-wheel drive version, which shows short 0-100 times of 3.9 seconds in the Mercedes, 3.8 seconds in the Zeekr, and only 3.6 seconds in the Volvo.
All three Chinese cars, as well as the Lexus, also have advanced safety equipment, including autonomous reverse braking, blind-spot vehicle detection, and automatic high beams.
Despite being new and slightly larger, the Audi has the largest trunk among the five, with a volume of 405 liters, compared to 318 in the Volvo, 332 liters in the Lexus, 362 liters in the Zeekr, and 280-411 in the Smart.
Joining them is the new Jeep Avenger, the American off-road brand's first electric vehicle. The Avenger (starting at NIS 190,000) is a bit smaller - 4.06 meters long, 1.78 meters wide, 1.53 meters tall, and a wheelbase of 2.56 meters.
The dynamic performance is not outstanding either: only 156 hp, only 54 kWh, and only 400 km range. In fact, it is a luxurious version of the Peugeot e2008, on which more and more models of the Stellantis group, the parent company of Peugeot-Citroen-Opel and Fiat-Chrysler-Jeep, are based.
In its favor stands a distinctive design very much identified with the 4x4 world, even though it currently comes only with front-wheel drive. And also a brand that tells a story. Maybe that's what's important today?
This is a technological and marketing battle, petrol versus hybrid and electric, old luxury brands versus new ones. We'll gather at the end of the year to see how this interesting battle was decided.