Different strokes have defined a sharp and progressive new look for the new Audi Q2, the fourth member of the highly successful Audi Q family which makes its world public debut at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show.
Head of Audi Design Marc Lichte and his team have taken the compact SUV in a bold new styling direction designed to appeal to a younger audience, and have combined this with a quality of finish and a portfolio of connectivity, infotainment and assistance systems that will be instantly familiar from the larger Audi models.
The result: a powerful SUV that shows a lot of vertices and edges. At the front, a strong image is created by the high-mounted Singleframe grille in octagonal design as well as the large air inlets. Especially eye-catching is the low roof that descends and merges into the C-pillars with colour offset blades. The rear body terminates in a dynamic way with a long roof spoiler and a diffuser that has an underbody-protection look.
In profile, the high shoulder line is especially eye-catching as are the concave flanks in the door area. The latter emphasise the wheel housings and thereby the quattro character of the compact SUV. The vehicle measures 1.51 metres tall and 1.79 metres wide. The overhangs are short with a vehicle length of 4.19 metres and a wheelbase of 2.60 metres.
Along with the optional Audi virtual cockpit and the head-up display, the driver assistance systems for the Audi Q2 also come from the larger Audi models – including the Audi pre sense front that is standard. The system recognises critical situations with other vehicles as well as pedestrians crossing in front of the vehicle, and if necessary it can initiate hard braking – to a standstill at low speeds. Other systems in the line-up: adaptive cruise control with Stop & Go function, traffic jam assist, the lane-departure warning system Audi side assist, the lane-keeping assistant Audi active lane assist, traffic sign recognition and rear cross-traffic assist.
The Q2 is launching in the UK with a selection of five different engines. Along with a 1.0-litre three-cylinder TFSI, two four-cylinder petrol engines are being offered with 1.4 and 2.0 litres of displacement (2.0-litre TFSI to follow in 2017). In addition, two four-cylinder diesel engines will be available with 1.6 and 2.0 litres of displacement and outputs of 116PS and 150PS. As an alternative to the six-speed manual transmission, Audi also offers the S tronic dual clutch transmission with seven speeds for all engines. In the 2.0 TFSI, a newly developed dual-clutch transmission is used which has a new type of oil supply and reduced friction. The 150PS TDI engine can be combined with quattro permanent all-wheel drive, and the system is standard in conjunction with the 2.0 TFSI engine.
Installed at the rear on the front-wheel drive versions is a semi-independent suspension, while the quattro models have a four-link suspension. Progressive steering is standard in all versions. It varies the steering gear ratio as a function of the steering input; the ratio is made more direct with large steering movements. Adaptive dampers are available as an option, as is the Audi drive select system with which drivers can set an individual characteristic for their Q2.
