Audi Q2 SUV (2020 - ) review

The Audi Q2 is priced competitively in the compact SUV segment, sitting between rivals such as the Mini Countryman and Mercedes-Benz GLA. Uncharacteristically for an Audi, the Q2 also features a generous amount of standard equipment that would be optional on other models in its range. Strong resale values and a fixed annual service plan should also help make the monthly finance costs on any version relatively easy to manage.

All versions of the Audi Q2 have a three-year roadside assistance plan and three-year warranty, covering an unlimited mileage in the first two years. Reliability data on the Audi marque is mixed: the engines may be shared with other models in the range and proven, but there has been repeated criticism from owners about the electrics on the A3, as well as longer-term issues regarding the DSG gearbox on the Q3. Audi sits well down the bottom of the JD Power Vehicle Dependability Study, which ranks manufacturers, and has done for several years in a row.

All versions of the Audi Q2 come with six airbags and Audi 'Pre Sense' with pedestrian recognition, a automatic emergency braking system. There are further optional safety features, too, such as adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, traffic sign recognition and park assist. You can also choose the optional head-up display that projects your speed and navigation instructions onto the windscreen, so the driver rarely needs to take their eyes off the road.

The modern-yet-minimalist style of most Audi cabins is hugely desirable, if slightly reserved, but the Q2 adds a welcome injection of vibrant colour. There are red, yellow or silver themes available for the dashboard inlays, seats and contrasting stitching, plus gesture-controlled LED lighting that illuminates the cabin in sharp white light. Meanwhile, all the controls are robust, sturdy and precise. The large standard infotainment screen isn’t touch-sensitive and is fixed on the dashboard, but all the information is clearly presented, and the rotary control that you use to scroll through the menus is beautifully weighted and easy to use on the move. However, although you sit in a slightly raised position, the roofline is quite low, so it feels more like you’re in a slightly taller hatchback than a 'proper' SUV. Despite the compact dimensions (the Q2 is marginally shorter than the Audi Q3 SUV), it’s still easy to fit one six-foot adult behind another comfortably. There are Isofix child seat mounting points on the rear seats. The boot provides 405 litres of space with the rear seats in place, which is a little bigger than an Audi A3 and only slightly smaller than the Q3. There’s a through-loading facility for skis and, when the seats fold flat, there is a very useful 1,050 litres available. Unfortunately, the stylish rear pillars do create some pretty huge blind spots when reversing, so parking sensors or a reversing camera are must-have options. Audi has obviously done its homework on UK roads, as even S line cars (that would normally come on firmer sports suspension) are fitted with standard suspension settings. You can still specify the sports set-up as a no-cost option, but having tried it, we’d advise against it, as it makes the ride become quite firm and easily agitated. In terms of its handling, the Q2 feels more hatchback than SUV. The steering is at its best when the car is fitted with the 16-inch wheels included on the Technik model, feeling light, accurate and well connected. Up the wheel size, and while the amount of effort on the driver's part increases, the feel and connection both decrease.

The Q2 is available in Technik, Sport, S line, Black Edition and Vorsprung trims, and every version comes with alloy wheels, DAB radio and smartphone integration as standard. Technik gets you 16-inch wheels, halogen headlights and cloth seats, as well as an electric boot lid, while the Sport trim adds 17-inch wheels, sports seats and Audi Drive Select, which lets you tweak the characteristics of the steering engine and gearshift (on auto models) between Comfort, Auto, Dynamic and Efficiency modes. You also get sat-nav. The S line model has 18-inch wheels and more powerful LED headlights, as well as a part-leather upholstery, while the Black Edition adds black 19-inch wheels and black highlights to the exterior, including the grille surround and side mirrors. The top-of-the-range model is the Vorsprung, which features a panoramic sunroof and upgraded adaptive suspension as well as heated front seats clad in leather, and an upgraded infotainment system. You also get the Virtual Cockpit as standard, which replaces traditional dials with a 12.0-inch screen, as well as a head-up display, a Bang & Olufsen sound system and adaptive cruise control. There are also some pretty tasty options, if you fancy blinging up your Q2 further. Various packs add things like the Virtual Cockpit and upgraded infotainment system (the Technology Pack), parking sensors and upgraded sound system (Comfort & Sound Pack) and carbon exterior bits (Carbon Style Pack).

There are five engines to choose from: three turbocharged petrol engines and two diesel units. The entry-level 116-horsepower 1.0-litre petrol – labelled the 30 TFSI – has a cheeky three-cylinder thrum, and when combined with the light action of the six-speed manual gearbox, it works enthusiastically in town. The equivalent 116-horsepower 1.6 diesel – the 30 TDI – is a far noisier affair, and is especially coarse and vocal when pulling away from the mark, driving some hefty shudders into the cabin as you release the clutch pedal. Thankfully, it’s a good deal smoother and quieter when settled into a cruise. The pick of the range, however, is the 150-horsepower 1.4 turbocharged petrol engine, called the 35 TFSI. It’s an impressively smooth and flexible motor, and while we’re not talking hot-hatch levels of performance, it is pretty punchy in the middle of the rev range, and delivers surprisingly rapid performance. This is especially true when matched with the seven-speed automatic gearbox. Although the gear changes can sound and feel a wee bit jerky when trundling along in slow-moving traffic, the shifts are generally smooth and rapid once the engine is into its stride. There’s also the 40 TFSI, which is a 190-horsepower petrol, and the 35 TDI, a 150-horsepower diesel. We’ve yet to try them.