Audi Q2 | Road test

Review: Audi Q2 (Overall score 4/5)

SUVs used to be huge, cumbersome things, but in recent years ever-smaller models have been introduced. These aim to satisfy demand from buyers who want something economical, easy to park, but with a higher seating position. Audi’s smallest SUV, the Q2, made its UK debut in 2016, and the relatively titchy crossover has proved a hit with its efficient engines, user-friendly cabin and posh badge.

Cabin (4/5)

The Q2 doesn’t seem especially small on the outside but there still isn’t as much cabin or boot space as you might expect. By the time those up front have got comfy, anyone in the back is less likely to be happy, with leg room and head room in the second-row average at best. The sports seats in our test car were superb, and I expect the standard chairs to be excellent too. They’re height-adjustable along with the seatbelts, combined with a steering wheel that’s adjustable for reach and rake, so it’s a doddle getting comfy and there’s good all-round visibility.

The instrumentation seems quite busy and confusing initially, but it’s easy to configure, being a fully digital set-up; the multimedia system is also user friendly, in typical Audi fashion. Cubby hole space is good, with lots of places to put oddments, though none of them are very big. However, what impresses the most – predictably – is the build quality and the plushness of the interior, with the Q2 feeling every inch the premium car that it is.

Driving (4/5)

If you’ve ever driven any modern, small Audi, you can guess what the Q2 will be like to drive before you’ve even got behind the wheel. Refinement is excellent, the gear change is slick and precise, while all of the controls are damped to perfection, if not especially light. The turbocharged 1.0-litre engine isn’t short of urge and it’s wonderfully flexible, but you have to use the revs if you want some swift acceleration. Despite the raised ride height, the Q2 handles more like a hatchback thanks to its firm suspension, but that means you pay with some crashiness over scarred roads. The 30 TFSI gets a 115bhp 1.0-litre engine, the 35 TFSI has a 148bhp 1.5-litre unit and there’s a 187bhp 40 TFSI. Diesel lovers get a 115bhp 1.6 TDI unit in the 30 TDI, while the 35 TDI has a 148bhp 2.0-litre engine.

Costs (3.5/5)

The Q2 range starts at £22,720 for an entry-level Technik, above which are the Sport, S line, Black Edition and Vorsprung. The 30 TFSI tested here is the entry-level Q2 engine-wise, and in Technik form you get 16-inch alloy wheels, electrically folding door mirrors, cruise control and an electric tailgate. Sport adds 17-inch wheels, navigation and sports seats, while S line gets LED headlights, 18-inch wheels and a styling pack. The Technik is all you need, in 30 TFSI form; an equivalent 30 TDI costs £24,085 or £25,635 with an automatic gearbox.

We’d add the £1,195 Comfort & Sound Pack though that adds heated front seats, a B&O sound system plus parking sensors all round and a rear camera, bringing the total to £23,915 for a petrol-engined manual-gearbox Q2. Economically, the smallest petrol engine is rated at a reasonable 54.3mpg, while the 1.6 diesel engine only offers 6mpg more. Insurance ratings start at 14 for the 30 TFSI Technik, the 30 TDI is group 15, with the 35
TFSI sitting in groups 19-23 depending on trim level.