Will Audi release the new Q2 in Canada by 2020? Not sure about it yet, so the best way to give it a shot, before it comes to North America is going to the only place in the world where it is already available: Europe. In this article, I will provide my feedback after test-driving a 2019 Audi Q2 during the month of April, back in Netherlands and Belgium.
Available Q2 Trims and Engines
2019 Audi Q2 SE 30 TFSI FWD with Automatic Transmission.
The Q2, which can be seen as a "slightly" shorter and smaller Q3, is a new crossover released by the German manufacturer in the 2017 Geneva Car Show. It is available, in the UK, with the following trims:
- SE - £22,595 (39,540CAD direct conversion)
- Sport - £23,995 (41,990CAD direct conversion)
- S line - £26,245 (45,930CAD direct conversion)
- Black Edition - £28,140 (49,250CAD direct conversion)
And with the following gasoline engines:
- 30 TFSI
- 35 TFSI
- 40 TFSI
I tested the 2019 Q2 SE with front wheel traction only.
Although I would have loved to test the edition with Audi's Quattro, which is one of the most enjoyable driving features, the FWD edition performed pretty well. Having a turbo 3.0L engine on a vehicle that size, definitely delivered a lot of power when it was needed. Overall, the S mode was quick enough to push forward, but I would never recommend it for Canada.
Vehicle Features
Regarding general features, you can find the entire list here, but I'll mention the main ones (as specified for the SE trim):
- Audi Smartphone Interface,
- 7” color MMI screen
- Audi Pre-sense Front with pedestrian recognition
- Automatic Start-Stop system with recuperation
- Dynamic suspension
- Manual seat adjustment for front seats
- Multi-collision brake assist
- Tyre pressure warning light – visual and acoustic warning if the pressure drops in 1 or more tires
- First aid kit with a warning triangle
- 3-spoke leather multi-function steering wheel (with paddles for automatic transmissions) – height and reach adjustable
- Manual air conditioning
- MMI Radio Plus with 7” color MMI screen and MMI controller
- Electromechanical parking brake
- Rear parking sensors
- Cruise control
- Hill-hold assist
- Light and rain sensors
- Seat belt monitoring
- 6-airbag system
- Electronic Stabilisation Control (ESC), including ABS, ASR, and EDL
Audi's Classical wheel-dash design and distribution.
The Drive
Overall, it drove like any other Audi: responsive; brakes were really aggressive, something I like about the brand and the fact that the vehicle is so short was pretty useful in scenarios with narrow streets like the European roads are.
It wasn't noisy at all, and you could bring it to 130 km/h highways (the average speed limit in the Netherlands) without much need of raising the volume of the music and affecting the cabin conversation level.
Interior space in the front worked pretty well, and I could fit two carry-on bags with my stuff in the back with not much problem. Legroom in the back, on the other hand, was not enough for me (6.07ft) to sit behind me. Suitable for kids, probably, but not as long as an Audi A4.
Non-touch 7-inch Infotainment screen, controllable from the big wheel right next to the shifter.
Navigation and the Dash
Although Audi Navigation is pretty lovely and the integration with the dashboard is handy, in many cases, way better than Google Maps, specifically on roundabouts and complex intersections, I'm a Google Maps guy. Even though, main advantages:
- Intersections description are great.
- Next turns breakdowns come very handily, to have an idea which lane turn into.
- Traffic is pretty inaccurate.
- Arrival estimation is done mostly on the arrival time, not on the ETA (never figured out a way to customize it, if possible)
The dash is pretty simple and very Audi. I'm used to my VW Atlas buttons distribution, so it always takes me some time to adapt to any other new one. Not much to say. It was the base model, so the entire digital cockpit is only available on upper trims.
It was nice, but not entirely impressive.
Final Take
I would say, even after being an SUV guy, that I would stay with an A4 before jumping into the Q2. Honestly, it is a beautiful car; maybe if I had driven an AWD edition or a more packed one, my feedback would be different. But I prefer a base A4 than a base Q2.
