NO, your eyes are not deceiving you. The Infiniti Q30 Sport and Volvo V40 Cross Country might look like hatchbacks, but they have slightly taller ride heights and are marketed as crossovers by their respective brands.

And although these crossovers are not deemed “hot”, a quick glance at their technical specifications will have you thinking otherwise.

The Q30 has 208bhp and 350Nm, while the V40 possesses 190bhp and 300Nm. Both crossovers are powered by turbocharged 2-litre engines, but surprisingly, the more powerful Q30 takes slightly longer than the V40 to complete the century sprint (7.3 seconds versus 7.1 seconds). The difference in acceleration is probably down to the Q30’s all wheel-drive system and heftier mass. At 1540kg, it weighs 70kg more than the V40.

Between the two crossovers, the V40, launched in 2012, is the more established one.

But the Q30 isn’t totally new – Infiniti’s first contender in the premium hatchback segment is actually a rebodied MercedesBenz GLA, the crossover version of the A-Class hatchback.

If you’ve ever driven a GLA, you’ll notice that the Q30’s seats, dashboard, steering wheel and aircon controls are all from Mercedes. Even the pedals are mounted too close to the driver, just like in the GLA.

This equipment-sharing, however, means that the Q30’s fit-and-finish is a notch above the V40’s.

This is not to say that the V40’s cockpit isn’t a nice place to be in. On the contrary, the V40 feels more high-tech than the Q30, thanks to its digital instrument cluster with three selectable display settings.