Review: Audi Q2 35 TFSI

The Audi Q2 in this current guise has been around since 2020, but was first launched in 2016 at the Geneva Motor Show.

It’s a great little car and very popular. It has lots going for it, which is why it's a shame that it is to be discontinued at the end of this year to make room for a new range of electric models.

Classed as a compact SUV, the Q2 is smart and sleek with sharp styling, a well put together interior and enough on-board kit to satisfy even the most committed technophile.

Audi refers to it as an ‘urban crossover SUV’ with ‘all the benefits of a family SUV, whilst remaining compact but luxurious’.

It is available in three trims: Sport, S line and Black Edition, with a choice of two TFSI petrol engines: the 30 TFSI 1.0-litre petrol engine and the 35 TFSI 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine.

The Q2 is easy to drive and easy to live with. There’s enough room for five, at a pinch, the seats are comfortable, and the boot is spacious with a low lip to make loading heavy items easy.

Audi has long been a brand to aspire to, but price is often the barrier to ownership.

The Q2 is more affordable, though. It’s not cheap, by any means, but starts from a competitive price of £31,575.

We drove the 35 TFSI S tronic with an on-the-road price of £33,125.

Powered by the 148bhp petrol engine and mated to a sharp-action seven-speed S tronic automatic gearbox, it has a brisk 0-62mph acceleration time of 8.6 seconds and a top speed of 135mph.

Although Audi markets this as a car as an urban runabout, it is actually rather good as a long-distance, high-speed machine. It eats up the miles and is superbly comfortable at motorway speeds. Wind and tyre noise are minimal, and the driving experience is relaxing.

The suspension is on the firm side, and it is quite noticeable on potholed roads and when negotiating speed bumps, but this is outweighed by the lack of lean around corners and its tight grip when cornering on twisty roads.

Moving inside, the driving position is easy to adjust with reach and rake adjustment on the steering wheel and powered adjustable lumbar support for the driver’s seat.

If you’re familiar with Audis, the cockpit will hold no surprises. Everything is laid out logically, and switches are easy to hand and intuitive to use.

You get the usual gadgets and gizmos like Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, sat nav and, if you opt for the technology pack, wireless phone charging.

There are rear parking sensors, cruise control and speed limiter, lane departure warning and pedestrian recognition, plus a whole load of other active and passive safety features.

Official fuel consumption is 47.1mpg for the Sport, 46.3mpg for the S line and 44.8mpg for the Black Edition. CO2 emissions range from 136-144 g/km across the three trim levels.

Specifications

Audi Q2 35 TFSI S tronic

Price: £33,125.

Engine: Four-cylinder 1.5-litre petrol

Power: 148bhp

Torque: 184.4lb/ft

Transmission: Automatic seven-speed

Top speed: 135mph

0-62mph: 8.6 seconds

Economy: 46.3mpg

CO2 emissions:139g/km