2017 Audi Q2 SUV Review – Video

Audi only really had to turn up to have a winner with the Q2, but the fact is it’s a great small SUV. It has something Audis (and most German cars) have lacked in the past – charm. It’s cool, safe, spacious, fun, great to be in and great to be seen in. Our only reservations are over price, especially once you add the most desirable big-car options, and the ride on bigger alloys. Stick with smaller wheels and the standard set-up and spend some cash on a few tasty options for a great small SUV.

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.