Audi

Q2

The five-door Audi Q2 is German carmaker’s first venture into the compact SUV sector and it certainly ups the ante thanks to its sporty profile, smart styling and array of on-board technology.

Test Drive

Audi Q2 35 TFSI S tronic Black Edition (2023)

When Audi launched its Q2 model it was proof to the world that the German carmaker could downsize and do it in style.

The Q2 may be the smallest in the Audi SUV line-out, but it’s very big on style, character and practicality. And with a range of engines and trim levels, there is ample choice for customers.

We opted for the Q2 in Black Edition trim level costing £38,085, although stunning Turbo Blue paintwork, a Comfort and Sound Pack and some additional safety features bumped up the price by a further £2,500.

Powered by a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine, delivering 150PS of power and 250Nm of torque, the car could reach 62mph from a standing start in 8.6 seconds and maxed out at 132mph. According to official WLTP figures, it could achieve a combined 44.1mpg with carbon emissions of 146g/km.

The Q2 Black Edition looks dynamically-proportioned when approached from any angle thanks to its blacked out grille housing the four Audi rings, blacked out alloy wheels, S line front and rear bumpers, a roof spoiler, tinted windows and smoked headlights.

The interior is exceptionally upmarket with a wealth of technology to explore with features including a smart infotainment screen, full navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity, Bluetooth, a DAB digital radio and a pitch perfect Sonos sound system which is part of the optional Comfort and Sound pack.

A click dial offers easy access to the many on-board features and all controls and readouts are simple to operate in this driver-focused cockpit. The sports seats can be heated to fend off the winter chill. They offer plenty of support and feature S badging, as do the doors and the flat-bottomed teering wheel.

When it comes to performance, the Q2 is always a great car to test with bundles of power on tap thanks to its punchy petrol engine. The seven-speed S tronic automatic transmission is beautifully timed with steering wheel-mounted paddles for added driver fun.

There are also drive modes that alter the characteristics of the car and these are called Efficiency, Comfort, Auto, Dynamic and Individual. The Dynamic setting really gives the Q2 more bite with sharper acceleration and quicker gear shifting along the way.

The Q2’s suspension system is quite firm which means you will feel the odd jolt from potholes, but generally the refinement levels are good with a well-insulated cabin protecting occupants from any engine, road surface or wind noise.

This is a car that can cruise with ease at 70mph on motorways, but enjoys to show its ability when faced with twisting country lanes too. It’s well balanced with impressive grip and minimal body sway, unless bends are attacked a little too enthusiastically.

The elevated seating means the driver benefits from great visibility forwards and sideways, although the narrow rear screen rather hinders the levels of rearview sight.

On the practicality front, the Q2 has ample space up front so a couple of six-footers can sit comfortably. The rear occupants do not fare quite so well with fairly limited legroom. It would be fine for a trio of children though and it is worth remembering that this is the most compact SUV in the Audi line-up.

The boot is a decent size and accessed via a powered tailgate. It has a  capacity of 405 litres, increasing to 1,050 litres with the 60:40 split-folding rear seats dropped flat. And elsewhere there are numerous convenient storage options, including a glovebox, door bins with space for a bottle, a cubby bin, trays and cup holders.

Another plus-point for the Q2 is its comprehensive range of safety features and driver assistance aids that helped it secure a maximum five stars when tested for its Euro NCAP rating. These include pre-sense front with pedestrian detection, six airbags, adaptive cruise control,Isofix child seat fixtures, reversing sensors and lots more besides.

All in all, the Audi Q2 is a great choice for anyone looking for SUV practicality without the bulk of a full-sized model. It’s big on design, performance and technology with plenty of choice to suit a range of budgets.

Test Drive

Audi Q2 35 TFSI 150PS S line S tronic (2021)

Audi has given its baby SUV, the Q2, a makeover with some sharper design tweaks, improved technology and additional safety kit.

From a styling viewpoint, the latest revisions give the compact SUV a more athletic, confident stance. It has grown a little in length, the grille is slightly wider and lower, plus front and rear LED lights are now standard across the range.

Our five-door model in S line specification was priced at £30,420, but as is the way with premium car makers, the list of optional extras to fully personalise your car seems endless. Our Q2 ended up with a price-tag of £40,025.

Among the options that really stood out on the car were 19-inch alloy wheels in matt titanium with red brake calipers, Matrix headlights, including LED rear lights and dynamic indicators and a panoramic sunroof.

The interior is high-end quality through and through with the finest black Alcantara leather upholstery with S embossing and contrast grey stitching. There is a pitch perfect Bang & Olufsen sound system, full navigation, smartphone integration, heated seats, an infotainment screen on top of the dashboard, along with a host of other on-board goodies to explore.

Powered by a 1.5-litre petrol engine, delivering 150PS and 250Nm of torque, the Q2 could complete the 0-62mph dash in a very respectable 8.6 seconds and maxed out at 135mph. And according to official figures under stricter WLTP testing, the Q2 could deliver a combined 44.8mpg thanks to its efficient cylinder-on-demand technology, with carbon emissions of 144g/km.

Comfort levels within the car are high with ample seat and steering wheel adjustment to help you find a perfect driving position and the elevated seating results in excellent all-round visibility.

All the controls, dials and readouts are ideally positioned for ease of the use on the fly and it’s nice to have simplistic controls to adjust the climate control rather than having to navigate a complicated on-screen menu.

The acceleration through the nicely timed seven-speed S tronic automatic gearbox is smooth and constant and there is always plenty of power on tap for short bursts of speed.

And should you want to take a little more control then there are steering wheel-mounted paddles to manually change gears along with a choice of drive modes that alter the car’s reactions. These are called Efficiency, Comfort, Auto, Dynamic and Individual. No marks for guessing which of those is the most fun!

The car is well balanced through corners with plenty of grip and the nicely weighted steering offers ample driver feedback. The cabin is well insulated against road surface, wind and engine noise and the car’s highly efficient suspension set-up does a worthy job of smoothing out the bumps and dips along the way.

There is plenty of space in the back of the Q2 for a couple of adults to sit comfortably and the storage options are good too with a boot that can swallow 405 litres of kit, a limit that increases to 1,050 litres with the split-folding rear seats dropped flat.

Elsewhere there is a lockable glovebox, a central cubby box with USB ports and a wireless charging pad, cup holders, door bins and pockets in the backs of the front seats.

Safety systems are comprehensive on the car too and options on the test model included Audi side assist with cross-traffic assist, a Driver Assistance pack that adds adaptive cruise control and an upgraded parking pack.

All in all, the latest Q2 has improved on an already very successful model with sharper styling and improved technology. But there is one other treat in store for potential buyers – prices have been reduced on some of the latest cars by as much as £600 compared to their predecessors and the Q2 also boasts excellent resale values.

Test Drive

Audi Q2 – first drive (2016)

The demand for compact SUVs is growing at a rapid pace – so much so in fact that it has attracted the attention of premium car maker Audi.

And now the German marque is the first high-end manufacturer to enter the segment with the launch of its all-new Q2 which will rival the likes of the Nissan Juke, Mazda CX-3 and Vauxhall Mokka.

Built in Ingolstadt, Germany and priced from £22,380 (an entry model costing £20,230 will be available very soon), the five-door Q2 is Audi’s smallest SUV and is available with a choice of diesel or petrol engines, manual or automatic transmissions, along with either front- or four-wheel drive.

Customers can choose from three main trim levels called SE, Sport and S-line, plus an Edition #1 model that is priced from £30k-plus and only available with certain powertrains.

Buyers can also select from 12 exterior colours and in keeping with customer requirements in the sector, Audi has taken the bold step of introducing contrasting C-pillar blades to the Q2. A Manhattan grey finish is reserved for SE (optional on Sport), Ice silver for Sport (optional on S line) and matt Titanium grey for S line. Alternatively Ibis white C-pillar blades are available on all of the three entry trims. The range-topping Edition #1 features its own solid Brilliant black blade with the Audi four rings logo.

First impressions count and the Q2 looks sporty, dynamic and athletic from every angle thanks to its strong profile, a single frame octagonal grille, LED headlights with sweeping LED rear indicators, tinted windows, along with smart alloys ranging from 16 to 19-inches in size.

Step inside and large cabin and the build quality and luxurious touches that help Audi stand out as a premium brand simply cannot be ignored.

There’s a splash of colour across the dashboard to match the exterior paintwork along with inserts on the seats. However, while some manufacturers seem to take the personalisation and contrast options a little too far and end up with vehicles looking quite tacky and outlandish, the Q2 maintains its refined character and looks beautifully stylish – very Audi-esque in fact.

On-board technology is plentiful even from the entry level SE trim. And, of course, the list of options is comprehensive too allowing the customer to stipulate exactly what features they desire and what budget they want to spend.

The car features full smartphone connectivity including Apple CarPlay, a pitch perfect sound system, dual zone air conditioning and lots more besides.

One option certainly worth considering is Audi’s brilliant virtual cockpit with 12.3-inch high resolution LCD display. This was first seen on the TT model and allows the driver to choose what information is shown in front of them such as sat nav directions or traditional speedo and rev counter dials. The driver can also adjust how it is displayed.

Audi always packs lots of tech into its vehicles but somehow manages to keep operations nice and simple so there is minimal driver distraction. The car’s infotainment system and settings can easily be accessed via a central dial rather than over-complicated buttons and scroll-down touchscreen menus.

Passengers are treated to plenty of space within the Q2 with ample leg, head and elbow room for tall adults in the back. There is room for three back seat passengers at a push, but ideally two would be a lot more comfortable. Storage options are also good with a boot capacity of 405 litres, which can easily be increased to 1,050 litres with the split-folding rear seats dropped flat.

Audi believes most customers will choose models powered by petrol engines and in particular the 1.4 TFSI Cylinder-on-Demand 150PS version. So it was a Q2 Sport with that powertrain mated to a six-speed manual gearbox that we tested first.

The car, in dazzling Tango red, was priced at £23,245 (£28,655 with options fitted) and could reach 62mph from a standstill in 8.5 seconds, maxing out at 131mph. According to official figures it can deliver combined fuel economy of 52.3mpg with carbon emissions of 124g/km (on 17-inch wheels).

Comfort levels within the Q2 are first-rate and the elevated driving position results in excellent all-round visibility. In busy town centre traffic the car weaved its way effortlessly through the crowds with the parking sensors and optional rearview camera making light work of squeezing into tight parking spaces. Then out on the faster roads and country lanes, it accelerated smoothly and rapidly through the six-speeds. The road-holding was super-grippy with no body roll even when pushed hard into corners. The steering was light and precise and another plus-point was how well-insulated the car proved against engine, road surface or wind noise.

Next up was the 1.6 TDI 116PS diesel engine mated to a six-speed manual gearbox in SE trim. This car was priced at £21,795 (£27,535 with options) and could sprint from 0-62mph in 10.3 seconds, topping out at 122mph. It can achieve combined fuel efficiency of 64.2mpg with CO2 emissions of 114g/km. Once again it was on 17-inch wheels.

After less than 10 minutes behind the wheel of the diesel model we were in full agreement that the petrol engines will prove more popular with buyers. Whilst the car has better fuel economy and still performed well, it seemed harder work to generate the pace and was considerably noisier at higher speeds.

Finally, we took to the road in the 1.4 petrol model again, but this time with Audi’s S tronic six-speed automatic gearbox and in S line trim level. This car, costing £27,045 (£34,005 with options) could sprint from 0-62mph in 8.5 seconds, had a top speed of 131mph, combined fuel economy of 52.3mpg and carbon emissions of 123g/km. It was on 18-inch wheels.

And it was this particular Q2 that proved to be our favourite. It felt agile, responsive, easy to handle and the automatic gearshifts were sharp and clean. The steering wheel-mounted paddles are there if you want to take a little more control. And even though it was on slightly larger wheels than the first two test cars, it was still very assured and there was a near-silent cabin environment. The choice of driving modes through Audi’s Drive Select system, which is available from Sport grade upwards, also adds to the enjoyment of the driving experience, with ‘dynamic’ mode really cranking up the fun factor.

Being an S-line model it featured all the trimmings including the likes of leather front seats, an LED interior lighting package, plus options such as a flat-bottomed Sport steering wheel, privacy glass, Sports suspension and an advanced sound system.

All in all, the Q2 is a fabulous newcomer to the compact SUV scene. It may be more expensive than its rivals, but a premium competitor in this ever-growing segment will help to keep the bar at a very high level.