Generation next

A decade ago, it would have been hard to imagine the impact that SUV vehicles would have on the world’s motoring consumers. The combination of size, practicality, even seating position have all struck a chord with customers to the point where SUV sales now outstrip many more traditional models.

But savvy customers have demonstrated that performance, handling and appointment are not areas that they are willing to see compromised, which has seen Audi’s Q family of SUVs achieve tremendous success worldwide and particularly here in Australia.

The SUV takeover continues at a ferocious pace, with sales of Audi’s stunning Q7 for example, up more than 75 percent in some markets this year alone, and the Audi Q range is expanding to reflect the public’s appetite for the SUV.

The latest, and most arresting, of these is, of course, the Q2, a wicked-looking city-sized SUV that shows off its A3 origins with a pert rear end, but has plenty of the toughness and vertical impact of the Q5, and even Q7, from front on.

While the family lineage is clear, there are also plenty of unique design touches to the Q2, like the polygon shapes and the ‘blades’ that add a tougher edge to the overall look as well as allowing customers an area to add their personal touch to the external appearance. 

The Q2 proves a point that car companies have long realised; people no longer need a high-riding, SUV-style vehicle, but they most certainly want one.

That’s why a car like the Q2 will appeal to a broad range of buyers – compact enough for  life in the city but big enough to cater to a range of lifestyle activities and the various equipment that form part of daily life.

A fresh focus is reflected in the vibrant palette of options for things like the aforementioned ‘blades’, the two-tone contrasting roof, the 12 exterior paint choices and the cladding and skid plates, which can be colour coded to match the body.

The Q2’s interior is possibly the coolest and funkiest ever to come out of Ingolstadt HQ – which is saying something – with a choice of bright materials and metals allowing buyers to personalise their cabin ambience in a whole new way. 

There are plenty of the high-quality materials and soft-touch plastics familiar from the A3 as well, of course, and there’s a luxe-looking seven-inch infotainment screen at the top of the dashboard, which you can use to display your Apple CarPlay or Android Auto interfaces.

Audiophiles will want to upgrade to the brilliant Bang & Olufsen 14-speaker stereo, while simply everyone will want to tick the box for the future-perfect Virtual Cockpit, which adds a second, lushly rendered 12.3-inch infotainment screen behind the steering wheel, and basically turns your instruments into a customisable desktop for driving.             

With its wide-aperture doors and raised roofline, there’s also plenty of room in this funky home away from home, making maximum use of its proportions; the Q2 is 1.5m tall, 1.8m wide and 4.2m long, making it just 10cm lower than a Q5. Headroom is never going to be a problem. And boot space comes in at 405 litres, 50 litres more than the A3 Sportback, and can grow to 1050 litres with the rear seat folded flat.

Buyers will have a choice of a zesty 1.4-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and front-wheel drive (Q2 design 1.4 TFSI S tronic), or a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel with quattro all-wheel drive and a new S-tronic gearbox (Q2 sport 2.0 TDI quattro S tronic).

Not long after the Q2 goes on sale this month, another, more fiery petrol engine, a 2.0-litre TFSI turbo four-cylinder, will round out the line-up.

The engineering team behind the Q2 knew they had the opportunity to make a real driver’s car, thanks to the sharp proportions, low weight and short wheelbase, and their goal was to provide go-kart-like handling. 

It’s a goal they’ve kicked out of the park, because the Q2 feels squat, stable and sharp on the road, with the ability to carve up corners that will be familiar to anyone who’s driven an A3, or a TT for that matter.

Feedback from the new Progressive Steering system is also excellent, with the car following your inputs through the leather-wrapped and sporty-feeling steering wheel instantaneously. Cleverly, this variable electric steering system also adjusts its feedback to make the car easier to park at low speeds.

While the Q2 attacks S-bends like a go-kart, it certainly doesn’t ride like one, with the kind of premium quality to the suspension that you expect from Audi vehicles.

The 1.4 TFSI engine, driving the front wheels, looks likely to be a popular seller, with its 110kW and 250Nm more than ample for the cut and thrust of city living. Plus it features Audi’s clever cylinder-on-demand technology, which can cut the number of cylinders being used when they’re not needed to save fuel. 

Fuel economy is an astonishing 5.5 litres per 100km, a figure that would have seemed implausible for a car this size just a few years ago. 

Those who plan to tow things – a jet ski perhaps – with their Q2 will opt for the quattro and diesel combination, offering 110kW and 340Nm of pulling power.

Of course the Q2 doesn’t miss out on the very latest in technology, either, with Audi Pre Sense Front fitted as standard across the range. This ingenious system can detect objects, or pedestrians, in front of the vehicle and, if you don’t hit the brakes quickly enough yourself, can bring the vehicle to a full stop to avoid any collision.

Despite our global love affair with SUVs – sales are predicted to hit 21 million worldwide by 2020 – bigger isn’t always better, because a smaller, lighter car can often be more fun on the road. 

And that’s why the Q2 looks set to be a surefire winner, because it’s got the SUV-style that people love to look at, and be seen in, with the driving dynamics of an A3, and a fresh, fun interior that raises the bar, once again, for Audi.

The next generation has arrived. 

Audi Q2 design 1.4 TFSI S tronic – $41,100*

Audi Q2 sport 2.0 TDI quattro S tronic – $47,900*

*MLP - Manufacturer's List Price (excludes dealer delivery and government statutory charges)