Hands up anyone utterly confused and bemused by the apparently limitless extent and complexity of car manufacturer model ranges? Mine are both in the air, and I do this for a living.

You might have thought a warmed- over Audi crossover SUV is just the kind of niche within a niche product whose presence within Motor Sport may not necessarily enrich our pages. And I’d probably have agreed with you, until I drove it. But as it turns out, this SQ2 has a certain something, in addition to its pleasantly rugged and, for Audi, quite distinctive appearance.

Think of it instead as what it actually is: a rebodied Volkswagen Golf R, still the best all-round fast hatchback going. And now we see this Audi in a rather different light. It’s only a little more expensive than the VW, has a more prestigious badge and seems scarcely any slower. So all good then?

Nearly. The problem is that Audi will insist on tuning the car its way. I can see the desire to create a different feel to the Golf, but when the Golf is so damn good, why mess with that formula? The result is a car that rides less well and steers less fluently.

The SQ2 is a very capable small SUV but, like them all, it works only until you consider the cheaper, better hatchback from which it is derived.

Andrew Frankel

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Audi SQ2

Price £36,800
Engine 2.0 litres, 4 cylinders, turbo
Power 296bhp at 5300rpm
Weight 1510kg
Power to weight 196bhp per tonne
Transmission seven-speed double clutch, four-wheel drive
0-60mph 4.8sec
Top speed 155mph
Economy 33.2mpg
CO₂ 192g/km
Verdict Great, but still not a Golf