Compare cars

Pick up to 3 cars to see how they stack up on score, price and specs.

BMW X1

Agile premium compact crossover balancing UK/JDM sub-1,500 cc tax savings, punchy diesel efficiency, and up to 205 mm ground clearance.

Best value

Audi SQ2

Compact high-performance crossover blending 300 hp Quattro launch performance, aggressive S-line styling, and sub-2,000 cc customs duty tax savings.

Volvo XC40

Chic subcompact lifestyle crossover with extensive tech packages, 211 mm ground clearance, Harman Kardon audio, and sub-2,000 cc duty savings.

BMW X1Audi SQ2Volvo XC40

Mandai score

8.5/10

8/10

8.5/10

Typical price

KSh 4,200,000

KSh 4,500,000

KSh 5,200,000

Years

2017-2023

2018-2023

Fuel

Petrol, Diesel, Hybrid

Petrol

Petrol, Diesel, Plug-in hybrid

Transmission

Automatic, Dual-clutch

Automatic

Doors

Fuel and running cost

Trim

2.0L TFSI Quattro

Fuel consumption

16.5 km/L6.1 L/100km combined · about 842 km a tank

12.5 km/L8.0 L/100km combined · about 688 km a tank

13.5 km/L7.4 L/100km combined · about 729 km a tank

Running cost

KSh 1,376 / 100 kmKSh 14 a km · KSh 13,755 for 1,000 km · petrol

KSh 1,816 / 100 kmKSh 18 a km · KSh 18,157 for 1,000 km · petrol

KSh 1,681 / 100 kmKSh 17 a km · KSh 16,812 for 1,000 km · petrol

Dimensions

Length

4,447 mm (F48) / 4,500 mm (U11)

4,210 mm

4,425 mm

Width

1,821 mm (F48) / 1,845 mm (U11)

1,802 mm

1,863 mm

Height

1,598 mm (F48) / 1,642 mm (U11)

1,524 mm

1,652 mm

Wheelbase

2,670 mm (F48) / 2,692 mm (U11)

2,594 mm

2,702 mm

Ground clearance

183 mm (F48) / 205 mm (U11)

150 mm

211 mm

Boot space

505 L (F48) / 540 L (U11 - 1,550 L / 1,600 L folded)

355 L

460 L (1,336 L folded)

Kerb weight

1,430 kg (sDrive18i) / 1,680 kg (xDrive25e PHEV)

1,510 kg

1,625 kg (1,810 kg Recharge PHEV)

Seats

Specifications

Engine

1.5L B38 Turbo Petrol / 2.0L B47 Turbo Diesel / 2.0L B48 Turbo Petrol

2.0L Turbocharged Inline-4 TFSI

2.0L T4 Turbo Petrol / 2.0L T5 Turbo Petrol / 1.5L T5 Recharge PHEV

Power

136–140 hp (18i) / 150 hp (18d) / 192 hp (20i) / 190 hp (20d) / 220 hp (25e PHEV)

300 hp @ 5,300–6,500 rpm

190 hp (T4) / 247 hp (T5) / 262 hp combined (Recharge PHEV)

Torque

220 Nm (18i) / 350 Nm (18d) / 280 Nm (20i) / 400 Nm (20d) / 385 Nm (25e PHEV)

400 Nm @ 2,000–5,200 rpm

300 Nm (T4) / 350 Nm (T5) / 425 Nm combined (PHEV)

Drivetrain

Front-Wheel Drive (sDrive) or Intelligent xDrive AWD

Quattro Permanent All-Wheel Drive

Front-Wheel Drive / All-Wheel Drive

0–100 km/h

6.9 sec (25e PHEV) / 7.6 sec (20i) / 7.8 sec (20d) / 9.6 sec (18i)

4.8 sec

6.5 sec (T5 AWD) / 7.3 sec (Recharge PHEV) / 8.4 sec (T4)

Top speed

203 km/h – 225 km/h

250 km/h

210 km/h

Fuel economy

Combined

14.8 – 16.5 km/L (sDrive18i 1.5T) / 17.5 – 19.8 km/L (sDrive18d/xDrive20d 2.0D) / 35.0 km/L equivalent (xDrive25e PHEV)

12.5 km/L

14.8 km/L (T4 Petrol) / 13.5 km/L (T5 AWD) / 45.0 km/L equivalent (Recharge PHEV)

City

12.0 – 13.5 km/L (sDrive18i 1.5T) / 14.5 – 16.0 km/L (sDrive18d/xDrive20d 2.0D)

10.0 km/L

12.0 km/L (T4 Petrol) / 11.0 km/L (T5 AWD) / 45 km pure EV range (PHEV)

Highway

16.5 – 18.2 km/L (sDrive18i 1.5T) / 19.5 – 22.0 km/L (sDrive18d/xDrive20d 2.0D)

15.0 km/L

17.5 km/L (T4 Petrol) / 16.0 km/L (T5 AWD) / 22.0 km/L (PHEV hybrid mode)

Tank size

51 L (Petrol/Diesel) / 36 L (PHEV)

55 L

54 L (Petrol) / 48 L (PHEV)

CO₂ emissions

128 g/km (18i) / 133 g/km (20d) / 43 g/km (25e PHEV)

180 g/km

154 g/km (T4) / 47 g/km (PHEV)

At a glance

Model

BMW X1 (F48 Facelift & U11 Series)

Audi SQ2 (GA Series)

Volvo XC40 (CMA Platform)

Production years

2017–2023

2018–2023

Body type

5-Door Premium Compact Crossover SUV

5-Door High-Performance Crossover

5-Door Subcompact Lifestyle Luxury Crossover

Seating capacity

5 seats

Fuel types

Clean Diesel, Petrol, Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV)

Petrol (TFSI)

Petrol (Drive-E), Clean Diesel, PHEV

Engine sizes

1,499 cc (1.5T 3-Cyl) / 1,995 cc (2.0D 4-Cyl) / 1,998 cc (2.0T 4-Cyl)

1,984 cc

1,477 cc (1.5T PHEV) / 1,969 cc (2.0L T4/T5/D4)

Transmission

7-Speed Steptronic Dual-Clutch / 8-Speed Automatic

7-Speed S tronic Dual-Clutch

8-Speed Geartronic Automatic / 7-Speed DCT (PHEV)

Drivetrain

Front-Wheel Drive (sDrive) or Intelligent xDrive AWD

Quattro Permanent AWD

FWD or AWD

Ground clearance

183 mm (F48) / 205 mm (U11)

150 mm

211 mm

Source market

UK / Japan (RHD JDM & UK Spec)

Japan / UK (RHD)

UK / Japan (RHD)

Pros and cons

What’s good

Sub-1,500 cc & sub-2,000 cc KRA tax advantage: 1.5L models qualify for lower customs duty valuation baseline.
Exceptional 17.5–19.8 km/L diesel fuel economy: 2.0L B47 diesel delivers massive cruising range on highway trips.
Practical 505 L cargo capacity: Generous boot space expanding to 1,550 L with 40:20:40 sliding rear seats.
Elevated seating position & visibility: Easy entry/egress with high ground clearance (183–205 mm) to tackle speed bumps.

Explosive hot-hatch performance: 300 hp TFSI engine with launch control rockets 0–100 km/h in 4.8 seconds.
Sub-2,000 cc customs tax advantage: 1,984 cc displacement qualifies for KRA's standard 25% excise duty rate.
All-weather Quattro traction: Ensures maximum launch grip and confident high-speed highway stability.
Audi Virtual Cockpit & premium tech: 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and Bang & Olufsen sound system options.

High 211 mm ground clearance: Easily clears tall speed bumps, deep potholes, and rough upcountry estate roads.
Sub-2,000 cc KRA duty advantage: All 1.5T and 2.0L engines qualify for the lower 25% excise tax bracket.
Extensive Scandinavian safety suite: Pilot Assist semi-autonomous driving, City Safety, and run-off road protection.
Chic contrast-roof styling & clever storage: Removable trash bin, door slot laptop storage, and folding bag hooks.

What’s not so good

Firm suspension on M Sport 19-inch wheels over unpaved murram roads.
Front-wheel-drive bias on sDrive models (lacks pure RWD BMW feel).

Lowered S-sport suspension: 150 mm ride height requires caution over steep unstandardized Kenyan speed bumps.
Firm ride quality: S-sport damper tuning and 19-inch alloys transmit road firmness on corrugated gravel.
Premium fuel requirement: Demands minimum 95 RON premium unleaded to maintain full 300 hp output.

High CRSP customs valuation: Import duty represents a solid investment compared to Japanese subcompact crossovers.
Sensus touchscreen learning curve: Climate control operates via central touchscreen rather than physical buttons.