Overview
The Audi Q2 will be out in November 2016, priced from £22k, and it’s designed to bring new customers to the brand
With its ‘floating blade’ C-pillar and plenty of colourful trims and finishes, the new Audi Q2 aims to add an extra fun element to Audi’s growing crossover line-up. Audi describes the car as something of a Trojan Horse: it’s being introduced to get new customers used to buying Audi’s.
The sportily-styled Q2 model was revealed first at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show, with a UK debut made shortly afterwards in London. It’s the fourth and smallest member of the Q family, and Audi says it will be available to order in July, and hit the roads in November 2016. The Q2 is aiming to punch above the Mercedes GLA and forthcoming BMW X2 in the fierce crossover boom, and will cost from around £22,000.
Influence is drawn from the Crosslane Coupe concept displayed at the 2012 Paris Motor Show, but the design has matured from a two-door SUV coupe to a swoopy five-door in that time. It’s the first car overseen and signed-off by design boss Marc Lichte, who joined in 2014 and has been relishing the chance to truly make his mark on one of the brand’s models.
The Q2 is 4.19m in length (around 12cm shorter than the A3), 1.79m wide and just over 1.5m tall (10cm shorter than the Q3). It also weighs from a relatively light 1205kg. It’s still unmistakably an Audi in profile, but the Q2’s overall design brief was to join the A1 in attracting a younger clientele to the carmaker.
The broad shoulders, sloping roofline and short rear overhangs are crucial to this, as will design details like the hexagonal cut out along the car’s waistline, the ‘blade’ floating C-pillar and striking bonnet lines. The grille remains the same shape, but uses fresh ‘egg-crate’ slats to give it extra personality.
Colour schemes will also be an essential part of creating the youthful image Audi is after. There will be 12 body colours offered at launch, a well as a big list of options for customisation inside and out including a two-tone roof and coloured dash inserts. It’s been specifically designed to counter criticism that all Audis come in dour greys, blacks and blues.
Options on UK cars will include painted bumpers and blades, 16 to 19-inch alloy wheels, interior inlay colouring and contrasting piping on the seats. There will be a choice of cloth, alcantara and leather for the upholstery, too, and you can specify the new Audi Virtual Cockpit as seen on the new A4. Other interior options focus on younger buyers, such as the wireless phone charger, smartphone connectivity and Bang & Olufsen stereo system.
