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.