2017 Audi Q2 – Official – Video
The Audi Q2 presents a powerful and energetic image at first glance. Two large, powerfully contoured air inlets and the highly positioned Singleframe radiator grille clearly give the front end an SUV look.
The Q2 will be aimed at a far younger demographic than even the Q3, and it’s expected to appeal to people for whom previous Audi cars and SUVs have seemed a bit stodgy. To this point, at least in Europe, the entry-level Q2 will utilize front-wheel drive—Audi figures the target customers will see sacrificing Quattro all-wheel drive as acceptable in return for a lower price—and pack a 114-hp 1.0-liter turbocharged three-cylinder gasoline engine. There are bigger, stronger four-cylinders that we’re likely to get, however, and all-wheel drive is standard on the upper trims.
A 148-hp 1.4-liter turbo four will offer cylinder-deactivation technology that shuts off the middle two cylinders when the car’s cruising and power demands are low. (We got a deep dive on this engine a few years ago prior to its launch.) The top-spec engine is a 190-hp 2.0-liter turbo four; it will mate exclusively with all-wheel drive. It remains to be seen if Audi will offer a diesel version in our market given the VW Group’s emissions-cheating scandal, but it has spun up 1.6- and 2.0-liter options for Europe. (For what it’s worth, Audi’s U.S. chief believes diesel power has a future in America.) The 1.6 makes the same 114 horsepower as the gasoline three-cylinder, while the 2.0-liter will be available in 148- and 190-hp strengths. The 2.0-liter gas and diesel models work through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic as standard.
Spurred by its own research as well as the success of cars like the Mini Countryman, the BMW X1, and the Lexus NX, Audi realized the bottom end of the crossover market was fertile ground for premium entries, and premium is what the company has tried to deliver. Indeed, the small Q2 seemingly has been crammed with every piece of technology the VW Group could gin up. The top-level versions will pack Audi’s Virtual Cockpit, a 12.3-inch high-definition digital display that replaces the analog speedometer and tachometer, and which can be customized to highlight current priorities, like navigation information, trip data, or the audio system. It also offers a head-up display, to replicate the most important data higher up in the driver’s vision, as well as two sizes for the center infotainment screen sitting near the top of the dashboard. The audio system tops out at a 750-watt, 14-speaker Bang & Olufsen unit, and it is controlled, as in other Audis, by a rotary knob on the center tunnel. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as in-car Wi-Fi connectivity, are also on the menu.