Audi Q2

As compact SUVs go, the Audi Q2 is unusual. It’s unusual for two reasons. The first is that for an Audi, its styling is quite bold, with some interesting design elements that complement its upright stance. Secondly, it doesn’t live in the dull, dreary, 100kW/200Nm space that seemingly everything from Japan and Korea occupies.

In fact, when I first drove the Q2 40 TFSI, I wondered if it was the first warm compact SUV on the market. With Quattro all-wheel drive, a moderately powerful 2.0-litre turbo and a chassis that ditches all the pretence of mud-plugging potential elevated ride height suggests, it’s a strong argument.

Arriving on my drive in the wake of its more fiery twin, the SQ2, it was a good opportunity to remind myself of the most-bought Q2 model and the one that made me think Audi was serious about grabbing buyers willing to pay well over forty grand for such a thing.

Pricing and Features

The Q2 40 TFSI is the middle child of the Q2 range if you accept the SQ2 is part of that range. The 40 starts at $49,900 before on-road costs, which for badge-conscious buyers with a bit of wriggle room, isn’t a substantially more expensive proposition than the excellent (and larger) Kia Seltos GT-Line. The Kia itself is more expensive than an un-optioned Volkswagen T-Roc 140TSI. A front-wheel drive Q2 35 TFSI lands in the middle of those two at $42,900 + ORC with its 1.5-litre turbo engine.

Onboard a 40 TFSI you’ll find 18-inch alloys, a ten-speaker stereo, S-Line styling package, keyless entry and start, power tailgate, fake leather seats (no harm in that, it’s fine), sports front seats, LED headlights, real leather wheel and shifter, wireless phone charging, dual-zone climate control, USB-powered Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, cruise control, auto wipers, sat-nav and a tyre repair kit in lieu of a spare.

The MMI screen, controlled by a console-mounted rotary dial has gotten bigger over the years and has the aforementioned Android and Apple connectivity. Even though it’s an older version of the code, it checks out (that joke works better if the car is white with the black S-Line bits) and, as ever, works really well.

Almost all rivals have reverse cross-traffic alert and some have reverse AEB, so it’s sad these are missing from the Q2.

It’s when you arrive at the list of safety features that the age of the platform is apparent. Based heavily on the outgoing A3, the Q2 has six airbags, ABS, stability and traction controls as well as forward AEB with cyclist and pedestrian detection as well as forward collision warning. Apart from blind-spot monitoring, that’s it. Almost all of its rivals have reverse cross-traffic alert and some have reverse AEB, too, so it’s sad these are missing from the Q2. Only the SQ2 adds lane-keep assist as standard.

Two ISOFIX and three top-tether anchors look after the younger folks in your life.

The Q2 scored five ANCAP stars in 2016 but there have been significant rule changes since then.

Options on this car included a matte grey C-pillar blade ($370), $1195 for metallic paint (!) and the $2950 Premium Package that throws in adaptive cruise, lane-keep assist, fancier electric mirrors with heating and folding, privacy glass, two more speakers, heated front seats and the excellent Audi Virtual Cockpit digital dashboard. Given the latter can sometimes cost almost this much on its own, it’s not bad value as Audi options go and most of the additions are genuinely useful and in a couple of cases, improve the car’s safety.

The great thing about a lifted hatchback with a higher roof is that you get a bit more space. It takes the marginal rear seat of the A3 on which it’s based and with a higher seat and more headroom, you’re less likely to brush your knees against the rear of the front seat – providing neither occupant is over about 180cm.

Rear seat passengers miss out on cup holders as there isn’t even a rear armrest, which is a bit rich on a fifty grand car. Heck, it’s a bit rich on a twenty grand car. The seat is comfortable, though and that’s a good thing.

The front seats in the 40 TFSI are almost worth the price of admission alone and when seated you’ll see the instantly familiar dash setup of the A3. I still love the four circular air vents and while the 8.3-inch screen (up from 7.0-inches) is fixed in place these days, it still looks great. The feeling of modernity is no doubt helped by the optional Virtual Cockpit. Up front, you get two cup holders and door pockets into which you can squeeze a plastic bottle, but don’t get too ambitious. The view out is good, too, with lots of glass to see through and let light in.

Boot space weighs in at 355 litres, as it does for the SQ2. It’s worth nothing a hefty deficit of 50 litres compared to the 35 TFSI, which is front-wheel drive and makes do with cheaper torsion beam suspension rather than the Quattro/multi-link combo of the 40.

On the road

It is yet another VW Group car with a 2.0-litre turbo, seven-speed dual-clutch auto and a Haldex all-wheel drive; they are as common as muck and they’re all characterless.

One part of that sentence is wrong and it’s the last part for dramatic effect that is incorrect. You really have to be made of stone to think they’re all the same and it’s also a bit insulting for the people who make them, as they do quite a lot of work to spin up something new on a familiar platform. The Q2 is one of those efforts where apart from the obvious visual cue of the A3’s dashboard, you have to be extremely picky to declare this as merely a jacked-up A3.

Obviously, the drivetrain feels very much the same, with a brief lag from the turbo and transmission while they organise themselves before the engine’s silky power delivery sees the tacho needle swing cheerfully towards the redline accompanied by crisp upshifts from the now very competent seven-speed dual-clutch. The gearbox is much-improved over earlier attempts and, for the most part, behaves impeccably.

The claimed fuel economy figure of 7.0L/100km on the combined cycle seems reachable, a bit of a rarity on an Audi. My time with the car was mostly suburban with a cheeky (legal) run down a nice bit of road and I got 7.6L/100km, which is not bad at all.

You can go a bit boy-racer with the 40, changing the gears yourself with the paddles, threading the little chunkster through traffic or down a fun bit of road.

While I didn’t get that much of a chance to give the Q2 a bit of a push, its firm but liveable suspension is confidence-inspiring. You can go a bit boy-racer with the 40, changing the gears yourself with the paddles if you fancy it, threading the little chunkster through traffic or down a fun bit of road. It doesn’t feel its height, which is always reassuring and while it won’t ever feel as secure as a similarly specified hatch, it’s got plenty, with the added bonus of better visibility. It’s still the warm compact SUV I originally thought it to be and, honestly, you’re going to have to think very carefully about whether you really need the significant extra grunt of the very silly but very fun SQ2 for another fifteen large. I’m quite serious about that.

I mean, if I had the extra, I’d do it, but I’d have a good think about it first.

What you’re getting with the 40, though, is a swift, competent and unique compact SUV.

Ownership

Audi’s unimpressively short three year/unlimited-kilometre warranty applies to the Q2 and really, it needs to be longer. Please, I’m begging someone, anyone, to sort this out. These cars are not cheap and there’s more to a badge than the feeling of solidity. If mechanically similar but cheaper cars from other brands in the group can deliver a five- or seven-year warranty, why can’t the epitome of the group’s mainstream brands do the same?

As if by way of compensation, the five-year/75,000km service package (paid upfront) is a fairly reasonable $2280, with visits to the dealer required every 12 months or 15,000km. That’s an average of $456 per service which isn’t cheap but is $10 per service less than a Kia Seltos.

VERDICT

I know this kind of thing is weird to say almost five years into a car’s life, but it’s genuinely important to people buying these cars – why buy one of these if you can have the hatchback for (probably) less? Or an SUV from one of the sister brands for (definitely) less?

Because it’s different enough for you to enjoy those differences and not care about the similarities. It’s also great to look at and easier to load things and people in and out of. It’s a rare event for me to say this, but in this segment, the Audi is the pick of the lot. Or would be if it had a more comprehensive safety and aftercare package.

2021 Audi Q2 40 TFSI S-Line specifications