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.

Volvo XC40

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

Audi Q2

Compact German luxury crossover featuring polygon styling, Virtual Cockpit tech, and sub-1,500 cc import duty savings.

Best value

BMW X1Volvo XC40Audi Q2

Mandai score

8.5/10

7/10

Typical price

KSh 4,200,000

KSh 5,200,000

KSh 2,900,000

Years

2017-2023

2018-2023

2017-2023

Fuel

Petrol, Diesel, Hybrid

Petrol, Diesel, Plug-in hybrid

Petrol, Diesel

Transmission

Automatic, Dual-clutch

Automatic

Doors

Fuel and running cost

Trim

Fuel consumption

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

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

18.0 km/L5.6 L/100km combined · about 900 km a tank

Running cost

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

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

KSh 1,261 / 100 kmKSh 13 a km · KSh 12,609 for 1,000 km · petrol

Dimensions

Length

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

4,425 mm

4,191 mm

Width

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

1,863 mm

1,794 mm

Height

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

1,652 mm

1,508 mm

Wheelbase

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

2,702 mm

2,601 mm

Ground clearance

183 mm (F48) / 205 mm (U11)

211 mm

150 mm

Boot space

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

460 L (1,336 L folded)

405 L

Kerb weight

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

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

1,280 kg

Seats

Specifications

Engine

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

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

1.4L TFSI Turbo Petrol (Cylinder on Demand)

Power

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

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

150 hp @ 5,000 rpm

Torque

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

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

250 Nm @ 1,500–3,500 rpm

Drivetrain

Front-Wheel Drive (sDrive) or Intelligent xDrive AWD

Front-Wheel Drive / All-Wheel Drive

Front-Wheel Drive

0–100 km/h

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

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

8.5 sec

Top speed

203 km/h – 225 km/h

210 km/h

212 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)

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

18.0 km/L (1.0T) / 16.5 km/L (1.4T)

City

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

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

15.0 km/L (1.0T) / 13.5 km/L (1.4T)

Highway

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

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

21.0 km/L (1.0T) / 19.5 km/L (1.4T)

Tank size

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

54 L (Petrol) / 48 L (PHEV)

50 L

CO₂ emissions

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

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

122 g/km

At a glance

Model

BMW X1 (F48 Facelift & U11 Series)

Volvo XC40 (CMA Platform)

Audi Q2 (GA Series)

Production years

2017–2023

2018–2023

2017–2023

Body type

5-Door Premium Compact Crossover SUV

5-Door Subcompact Lifestyle Luxury Crossover

5-Door Compact Urban Crossover

Seating capacity

5 seats

Fuel types

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

Petrol (Drive-E), Clean Diesel, PHEV

Petrol (TFSI), Clean Diesel (TDI)

Engine sizes

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

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

999 cc / 1,395 cc / 1,498 cc / 1,968 cc

Transmission

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

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

7-speed S tronic Dual-Clutch Automatic

Drivetrain

Front-Wheel Drive (sDrive) or Intelligent xDrive AWD

FWD or AWD

FWD or Quattro AWD

Ground clearance

183 mm (F48) / 205 mm (U11)

211 mm

150 mm

Source market

UK / Japan (RHD JDM & UK Spec)

UK / Japan (RHD)

Japan / UK (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.

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.

Sub-1,500 cc customs tax advantage: 1.0L and 1.4L/1.5L engines qualify for lowest KRA tax bracket.
Premium Audi Virtual Cockpit: 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster with Google Maps navigation views.
Excellent 16.5+ km/L fuel economy: Cylinder on Demand (CoD) tech deactivates 2 cylinders under light load.
Compact urban agility: Easy maneuverability and parking in Nairobi CBD and Westlands.

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).

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.

150 mm ground clearance: Requires cautious driving over tall estate speed bumps.
S tronic dual-clutch sensitivity: Heavy stop-and-go traffic requires proper DSG fluid maintenance.