New 2017 Audi Q2 In Detail – Video

 

Key Audi rivals BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and even Lexus have flooded the market with every conceivable size and shape of crossover SUV over the past decade or so. Yet the four-ringed brand from Ingolstadt has plugged along with just three such models: the Q3, Q5, and Q7. All three have been success stories, sure, but profit-laden variations and entries in other size classes have been conspicuous by their absence. Enter the Q2, which begins the rapid expansion of Audi’s SUV lineup.

 

 

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.