It’s official! New Audi A2 e-tron on the way as brand’s entry-level model
Audi has confirmed its new entry-level EV will be called ‘A2 e-tron’
The all-electric Audi e-tron range will soon branch out into the compact class with the new A2 e-tron, which has just been officially teased for the first time.
The newcomer is set for its world premiere in the autumn, and our spies have caught it testing multiple times already, but Audi has only just confirmed the return of the A2 name during its annual media conference.
The A2 e-tron will be pitched as Audi’s entry EV, acting as an indirect replacement for the A1 and Q2, as well as an all-electric alternative to the similarly sized combustion-engined A3 hatchback. Among its rivals will be the likes of the MINI Aceman, Volvo EX30 and Mercedes EQA.
We expect a significant gap in price to Audi’s next largest electric car, the £47,355 Q4 e-tron (which can be had with an average saving of over £4,000 on the Auto Express Buy A Car service), with the A2 e-tron likely to start around the £30,000 mark.
Audi CEO Gernot Döllner announced the A2 e-tron and explained why Audi has lowered the entry point to its e-tron range: “Our customers want electric mobility that impresses in everyday life. The A2 e-tron is our promise to deliver exactly that – efficient, compact, and confident. We’re making entry into the electric Audi world easier and more relevant than ever.”
What will the new Audi A2 e-tron look like?
Audi says the A2 name “is a deliberate nod to the Audi A2, which pioneered efficiency and urban mobility over 25 years ago”. We can clearly see the original A2 has influenced the A2 e-tron’s design as well. The teaser image shows a silhouette that follows the upright bodystyle of the famous oddball Audi A2 hatchback from the early 2000s.
The most obvious reference to the A2 is the car’s cab-forward silhouette, with a steeply angled windscreen and short bonnet helping with aerodynamics. Compared with the Volkswagen ID.3, the Audi’s roofline is lower and sleeker, and arcs more aggressively at the rear to create a tail that looks directly related to the A2’s.
The new EV even looks likely to share the A2’s two-piece glass design for the tailgate, hinged up on the roof to create a much larger opening. There’s other evidence to suggest an A2 connection, too, including round flared wheelarches and a small wing attached to the bootlid.
Where the new EV car will feature more in common with current Audis is the front-end styling. This includes the use of thin upper daytime running lights with smaller main beams mounted below. The prototype also features a Q4-like grille and rear lights – expect these to be substantially different when the real thing is revealed next year.
Unfortunately, this car is too far through its development process to adopt the new design language being evolved by new design chief Massimo Frascella, who was installed only 12 months ago. There might have been time for some small changes, however, as has been rumoured about the forthcoming Audi Q7.
Our exclusive images show how the new Audi A2 e-tron could look under all its camouflage. We based the design on the company’s 2019 AI:ME concept, which was a little shorter overall than the current A3. But those dimensions could easily be stretched to create a unique, bespoke EV shape, while not stealing too much of the Q4 e-tron’s SUV image, being between five and 10 centimetres shorter than that vehicle.
What range and performance will the new Audi A2 e-tron offer?
It remains to be seen what technology the new A2 e-tron will feature and if it’ll introduce innovative features such as the original A2’s aluminium body and clever use of space. We do know the new model is likely to use the MEB+ platform – an updated version of the MEB architecture that already underpins about a dozen EVs, including the Volkswagen ID.3, Skoda Elroq and Ford Capri.
We’re expecting the new Audi model will likely share any technical upgrades with the new ID.3 Neo, along with a combination of a rear-mounted e-motor and battery pack mounted underneath the floor.
We don’t know if there are any wholesale changes to the current battery technology on the cards. But we expect the new Audi will probably be available with some or all of the 58kWh, 77kWh and 79kWh battery options available in the current ID.3, with the largest unit likely to offer close to 400 miles of range.
How the Audi A2 e-tron fits into Audi’s wider plans
The new A2 e-tron is one of three models Audi has confirmed it will be unveiling this year. First to make its debut will be the next-generation Q7 luxury SUV, followed shortly by a brand-new, even larger SUV called the Q9.
Audi CEO Döllner, who has also taken on the role of technical development chief, admits that his team has gone through a review of its future product plans in recent years, sharpening its focus on key markets such as China (where the company will soon launch a bespoke, locally made version of its new Q6 e-tron) and the United States. Döllner said that some vehicles had been pushed aside by the review, but insisted that the planned entry point has escaped the axe.
When asked directly if Audi had cut vehicles from its plans or simply delayed them, Döllner said, “We did both, really. We stretched the timeframe to give us a little bit more time for these 20 models. I’ve never seen something like this in my career so far. And we discussed some models that we deprioritised, and put emphasis on other ideas.”
Did you know you can sell your car with Auto Express? Get the highest bid from our network of over 5,500 dealers and we'll do the rest. Click here to try Auto Express Sell My Car now...
