Top Gear On Ice: Range Rover Evoque vs Audi Q3

The Q3 weighs 75kg less than the Evoque and is 13cm slimmer, but feels lighter still. And despite having less power from its 2.0-litre turbo petrol - 208bhp versus 240bhp in the Rangie, also with a 2.0-litre turbo - it's faster to 62mph, at 6.9secs versus 7.6. Put that down to the weight difference, and the slightly quicker shift of the dual-clutch 'box versus the Evoque's ZF torque-convertor. The Audi feels more placeable and the steering's lighter, but at the same time it puts more of the responsibility in your hands. It finds roughly the same raw grip as the Range Rover - down to that Haldex 4x4 set-up - but there's no terrain response or hill-descent assistance here. So it's up to you to manage the ultimate slipping point, rather than letting the gadgets take over. And when the car does get there first, it's with the standard traction-control system, which feels a bit simple next to the more intelligent computer on the Rangie. Put it this way: the Q3 reacts, the Evoque predicts.