One can see where the attraction of the SUV (or crossover, sport activity vehicle or whatever else the carmakers come up with) comes from. Simply put, it’s a spacious family car for those who don’t want to be seen a traditional family car like an estate or an MPV.

You have to put up with some of their idiosyncrasies though for SUVs are tall, heavy machines with the increased body roll and compromises in driving dynamics that these two features entail, right?

Perhaps this used to be the norm for a long period of time but not anymore. Automakers obviously listen to their customers (and, probably, the Press) and have made the latest breed much more enticing – even the ones belonging to the compact segment.

Nowadays, a compact SUV ticks all the right marks, and if it’s a diesel it even does away with the fuel consumption issue, too. The three premium models tested by Aussie website Drive, i.e. the Audi SQ5, BMW X4 and Porsche Macan, make some pretty convincing arguments for themselves.

For one, they have torque. All three are powered by 3.0-liter diesel engines, V6s in the Audi and the Porsche and an in-line straight six in the BMW. The X4 and Macan output figures are almost identical, both putting out 258PS (255hp) and the Porsche having a 20Nm (15 lb-ft) advantage in torque.

None can hold a candle to the twin-turbocharged SQ5, though, which has an output of 313PS (308hp) and, more crucially, 650Nm (479 lb-ft) of torque. The “S” badge that Audi has slapped on its diesel Q5 is not just for show…

Nevertheless, the result is far from a foregone conclusion as a. performance is not the only criterion and b. both the Macan and the X4 have a few tricks up their sleeve, as you can see in the video that follows after the jump.

Video