Driving the Q2

With its chiseled exterior design, the new Q2 immediately grabs attention and signals a new design direction for the brand. This much has been obvious from the moment it was revealed at the Geneva Autosalon early in 2016. ‘Polygonal Design’ is the name the look has been given by Audi designers – a reference to the sharp-edged geometric shapes to be seen all over the Q2, most obviously those carved into its sides.

Now, after the first stint behind the wheel, we know it’s equally sharp-edged on the road. Audi staged the official international introduction of the Q2 in Switzerland. From tight-curving roads high up in the Alps to the narrow streets of villages in the busy valleys below the new Audi felt right at home.

Size was one of the reasons why. The Q2 is, naturally, smaller than the Q3. The big difference is in overall length; the Q2 is 20cm shorter. It’s also lower, and slightly narrower. But it’s built on the VW Group’s excellent MQB component set, and shares its wheelbase with the Audi’s A3 three-door. This model, not sold in Australia, has a shorter wheelbase than the A3 Sportback and Sedan, which are available Down Under. Even so, the axle-to-axle measurement of the Q2 is just 5mm shorter than that of the Q3.

But Audi’s engineers wanted to give the Q2 a handling character to match its visual personality. So, while much of its chassis and drivetrain hardware is shared, some key components of the small SUV were specially developed for it.

Most importantly, the Q2’s steering system is all its own. It has a different column geometry, to ensure the steering wheel angle is close to vertical. Feels more car-like this way. The steering rack, too, is specific to the Q2. Its teeth are cut to vary ratio depending on how much lock is being applied. It’s slower and calmer around straight ahead, but becomes quicker and livelier the more the wheel is turned. Only two turns are required to go from lock-to-lock, according to Jens Kosyna from Q2 technical program management.

The engineer runs through other key chassis changes. A combination of larger wheels (17- and 18-inch for the Australian market) and suspension alterations lift the Q2 higher than an A3. To counteract the higher centre of gravity that results, the Q2 has a widened rear track.

There are two different rear axles used in the Q2, says Kosyna. Front-drive versions are equipped with a simple torsion beam, while more powerful models with quattro all-wheel-drive get a multilink rear end.

Both are headed for Australia. Audi will launch Q2 here in the first quarter of 2017, offering a front-driver with 1.4 TFSI turbo petrol four with cylinder de-activation technology and a 2.0 TDI quattro with turbo diesel. Maximum power of both engines is 110kW. These will be joined by a 2.0 TFSI quattro with a 140kW turbo petrol engine later in the year, but only the first two were available for test driving in Switzerland. 

Both were equipped with things that will be optional in Australia, including Audi’s Virtual Cockpit instrument screens, head-up displays and adaptive dampers that could be varied via Audi’s familiar Drive Select system.

While the last mentioned make some difference to ride in Comfort and handling in Sport, they don’t dramatically alter the basic driving character of the Q2. The quick and accurate steering creates a genuine sense of agility, something that’s missing in many small SUVs. Cornering, the Q2 is grippy and well balanced. There’s not too much body roll, either. It’s eager and able in the bends.

The lighter 1.4 TFSI feels a little more nimble than the 2.0 TDI quattro, and the refined elasticity of the turbo petrol engine is very pleasant. The 2.0 TDI quattro’s turbo diesel four is a little noisier, but the engine’s ample torque easily covers the extra weight of the all-wheel-drive system.

Both engines are teamed with seven-speed S-tronic double-clutch auto transmissions. They’re not the same. The 2.0 TDI quattro (and the 2.0 TFSI quattro, too) come with an all new S tronic with wet clutches. It features an automatic ‘sailing’ system, that saves fuel by coasting when, in Efficiency mode, the accelerator pedal is released. The 1.4 TFSI has an earlier dry-clutch version of S tronic. Both versions promise excellent fuel efficiency, thanks partly to the Q2’s slippery-by-SUV-standards shape.

But, as with so many other Audis, it’s the Q2’s interior that is probably its most alluring asset. That relatively long wheelbase mentioned earlier is the basis for a seating package that’s impressive for something so compact. There’s space in the rear for large adults, with ample head, knee and toe room, and the cargo compartment is only 50-litres or so smaller than a Q3.

It’s even better up front, where the neat design, playful colouring and sheer quality of the instrument panel are more easily appreciated. The standard level of infotainment, connectivity and driver-aid technology is also impressive up here. If what’s there isn’t enough to satisfy, the options list makes it possible to lift the small Q2 to a level of tech that’s a near match for the big Q7.

It might be small, but the Q2 packs a lot of appealing goodness into its compact dimensions. That sharply shapely exterior design promises personality, and the drive doesn’t disappoint.