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OST Audis look the same these days. The new R8 looks like the old R8. The old A4 looks like the new A4. In fact, when the latter was parked next to its dour predecessor it was kind of like playing an expensive game of Spot the Difference. And very few players, let me tell you, scored full marks.

Sameness seems to run deep at Audi. Except maybe not with the new Q2. Yet another compact crossover smashing yet another nail into the coffin of the hatchback/sedan, the Q2 is probably the most adventurous car to wear the fourringed badge in a very long time: those hexagonal facets beneath the side windows, the contrasting C-pillars, a face that immediately distinguishes itself from all the other visages in the sales catalogue.

It seems Audi’s new head of design, Marc Lichte, might well be pulling the brand out of the deep ditch of sales-rep conservatism in which it has been stuck. And it’s about time.

So, yeah, the Q2 stands out. It attracts attention and sparks conversation with parking-lot strangers. “Wow, it sure looks beautiful,” they exclaim, slowly circling it like a rogue wolf sizing up exotic prey. “What’s it like to drive?” And the short answer is “Good”.

The Q2 goes about its business like an A3 Sportback on stilts. While the raised ride height gives you better confidence in traffic, the familiar MQB underpinnings help deliver pleasantly crisp driving dynamics. Maybe not quite as sporty as the Mazda CX-3 but definitely tight enough to keep most keen drivers happy.

It rides pretty well too. Even fitted with optional 18-inch alloys, my test unit was not too hard and not too soft. Just right in the Goldilocks sense? Provided the asphalt wasn’t radically uneven or undulating then I’d have to say yes.

While the six-speed manual gearbox was pointless — I can’t see why you would want anything other than the S-Tronic in a machine like this — the surprisingly thirsty 1.4 turbocharged engine offered more than enough pull.