New Audi A2 e-tron review – no modern classic but more appealing than a VW ID.3
Audi's efficient icon returns, albeit using VW Group bones rather than as an ambitious engineering exercise of its own. A worthy effort?
On occasion an ordinary car develops a cult following and enthusiast affection normally reserved for sports cars. The original Audi A2 of 1999 was one of those cars, though much about it was far from ordinary. No-holds-barred investment and engineering effort, including a bespoke aluminium platform, made it remarkably lightweight, low-drag and fuel-efficient. It was no regular runabout. Twenty-seven years later, the Audi A2 is back, now as a pure EV, with a different focus but a similar streamlined monobox shape and now, we’ve driven it.
Audi describes it as the most efficient electric car it has ever built, as well as the new entry-point model in its EV line-up. Unlike the original, the new A2 – the Audi A2 e-tron to give it its full name – is not built around a unique spaceframe structure. Quite the opposite, in fact. It shares its MEB architecture with other VW Group models such as the Volkswagen ID.3 and Cupra Born. Audi has developed its own suspension, steering and stability control as well as the striking (and slippery) body design which riffs on the original’s curved roofline and two-part glass tail.
Audi A2 e-tron: the line-up
The A2 e-tron is available from launch with three battery sizes (52kWh, 61kWh and 84kWh) and four power outputs: 125kW, 140kW, 170kW and 240kW (equivalent to 168bhp, 187bhp, 228bhp and 322bhp). The middle two power outputs are expected to be the volume sellers in the UK, predicted to account for around 80 per cent sales between them.
In the UK, there are four trim levels: Technik, Sport, S line and Edition 1. Despite its name, the latter is not a limited edition and is likely to continue in production until a future mid-life update. S line versions get chunkier bumpers, dark glass and black exterior trim, and Edition 1 cars feature Matrix LED lights with selectable patterns and animations. The top 322bhp power output is available only with S line or Edition 1 trim.
Whilst the fastest model costs more than £46,000 in S line trim at launch, the lowest-powered 170ps version in entry-level trim is only a little more than £30,000 when taking the UK electric car grant into account.
Design, range and efficiency
The most efficient variant, the 187bhp version with an 84kWh battery in its lightest trim, can officially manage up to 397 miles between charges on the combined WLTP range. The smallest range belongs to the 168bhp version with the 52kWh battery, at 261 miles. This is the first Audi to feature lithium-ion phosphate (LFP) batteries. A rapid charger can take the battery pack from 10 to 80 per cent in around 24 to 26 minutes.
The tapered tail bookended by subtle little aero trims, and measures such as active air inlets at the front, air curtains around the wheelarches, and underbody aero surfaces all contribute to a drag coefficient of .24. That’s even lower than the original A2, although it’s offset by the new car’s much bigger frontal area.
There are no conventional doorhandles, with little winglets instead blending with the window line to allow strikingly tall, clean side surfaces. They unlock the doors electrically on touch. Wheel options range from 18 to 20 inches depending on trim, with drag-reducing aerodisc designs among the available choices.
New Audi A2 interior
Small-on-the-outside, big-on-the-inside packaging was a key attribute of the original A2 and the e-tron also maximises interior space, making a virtue of its skateboard platform. It’s shorter than its Q4 e-tron relation but has a longer wheelbase, giving it almost as large a cabin. It’s a much bigger car all-round than the strikingly narrow original A2, being 495mm longer and 116mm wider (though also 2mm lower). In fact, it’s bigger than the Audi A3 and Q2.
All A2s get a large, curved digital display which arcs behind the squarish steering wheel and out to the centre of the dash, integrating a responsive, lag-free touchscreen. Soft fabrics across the curved dashboard surfaces and into the doors. It’s a sombre but high-quality, premium-feeling cabin, with plenty of equipment as standard across all trims such as heated seats and a cooled phone-charging tray with magnetic attachment. S line and Edition 1 trims get microfibre interior trim and chunky sports seats, with lower models trimmed with cloth. Examples that are sport trim and upwards get an ‘augmented reality’ head-up display, with sat-nav instructions projected onto the windscreen.
The windscreen has a dramatically shallow, almost Lamborghini-like angle from the driver’s seat, with a split B-pillar and quarter-lights. Unusually for an EV, it feels like you’re sitting relatively low in the car, though that’s a sensation that’s accentuated by the high scuttle.
The boot is reasonably usable, with enough space for three large suitcases. Mid to high trim levels get a little 13-litre ‘frunk’ in the nose with just enough space to stow a charging cable or a small bag but it’s not a feature on entry-level models.
What’s the new Audi A2 like to drive?
You don’t switch the A2 on as such; press the brake pedal and it comes to life. Pull-away is smooth and intuitive but you might want to check your blind spot more thoroughly than in most cars; the distinctive tail design makes over-the-shoulder vision trickier than in most cars though there’s a suite of sensors and cameras to help.
We’re in the top-dog 322bhp version, on the largest 20-inch wheels and surprisingly sporty (though EV-specific) Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport tyres. S line and Edition 1 trims have adaptive dampers and variable-ratio power steering. The ride is impressively smooth, particularly over big bumps at low speeds, despite the large wheels. It remains comfortable in Dynamic mode too, with less of a big step in firmness between Comfort and Dynamic than in some other Audis.
The progressive steering hasn’t been given an overly darty, quick response, and it lends the A2 a measured, relaxed feel. There’s a reasonable degree of body roll, and a little more headswing than in a conventional hatch, betraying the seating position being higher than it feels.
Regardless of which power-level of motor is fitted, all A2s have four levels of regenerative braking: none at all, to coast and glide smoothly, or three levels of motor-braking, controlled by the gearchange-style paddles behind the wheel. There’s also a fully automatic setting. Brake feel is very natural at urban and medium speeds, not always the case in EVs.
Refinement is truly impressive, with little in the way of road or wind noise. There’s a cushioned edge to the 322bhp motor’s torque delivery, and it feels brisk rather than rapid.
We swap into the base model, with the cloth seats and lowest-powered 168bhp motor and smaller battery. In some ways, it’s the sweeter driving car, thanks to its lower weight and smaller wheels. Despite lower-spec models having passive dampers, the ride is thoroughly smooth and the fixed-rate steering isn’t markedly less responsive. Without a glass roof, the interior is rather more dingy than the higher-spec car we drove earlier.
The original Audi A2 was something of a curate’s egg. It brought a new level of engineering to the small hatch sector but its aluminium-intensive structure made it expensive to develop and build, and pricey to repair for owners (and easily written-off by insurers). It cost Audi more money than it made by an eye-watering margin, reportedly losing thousands of pounds on each car.
Unsurprisingly, the new A2 e-tron is a far more prosaic product. It’s unlikely to become a darling of enthusiasts like its cult modern-classic predecessor but it is a well-resolved EV with impressive attention to detail, a distinctive identity and affordable pricing, depending on battery and spec. As a second car in a household with the capacity to run an EV, it carries enough attributes to recommend it for a shortlist.
Price and rivals
The smallest and middle battery options both qualify for the UK’s £1500 electric car grant, making the entry-level 52kWh Technik around £30,700 at launch. The top 84kWh version’s price puts it over the qualification threshold for the grant. The most powerful 322bhp version is expected to make up less than 10 per cent of initial sales. It’s available only in S line and top Edition 1 trim, priced at £46,500 and £50,880 respectively.
First customer deliveries are scheduled for early 2027. Part of the A2 e-tron’s remit is to keep existing Audi A-segment customers within the brand, and attract first-time Audi customers, including those with young families.
An Audi spokesperson cited the Volvo EX30 (with a similar starting price and smaller range) and Smart #3 (available with more power but with a much smaller range) as the new A2’s most natural rivals. The VW ID.3 Neo shares much of the same platform as the Audi, as does the Cupra Born, though the Audi has a slightly bigger boot. The Skoda Elroq is much more practical though lacks the Audi’s premium sheen.
Alternatively, a used option such as a two- to three-year old Kia EV6 GT could offer greater performance and practicality for similar cash or less.
Specs
| Audi A2 e-tron | Audi A2 e-tron S-Line | |
|---|---|---|
| Motor | Single motor, RWD | Single motor, RWD |
| Power | 168bhp | 322bhp |
| Torque | 258lb | 402lb ft |
| Weight | 1840 | 1930 |
| 0-62mph | 8.8sec | 5.7sec |
| Top speed | 99 | 124 |
| Basic price | £32,000 | £46,500 |
