Audi Q2 Review (First Drive): Best Entry Level Premium SUV?

The new compact-SUV is now the brand's entry-level model to its ‘Q' range in India. We got our hands on the Audi Q2 for a couple of days and drove it around in the city and on the highway as well. So, how was the car to drive and is it worth its premium price tag? Let's find out!

Design & Styling

To start things off, the model we drove was the range-topping ‘Technology' variant with the brand's sporty ‘S-Line'. This means that the car did not get any chrome elements on it what-so-ever, with all of them being replaced with a black finish.

At the front, you get a huge grille and all the surrounding elements are blacked out. You only get the Audi logo in chrome and the Quattro badge on the right-hand side of the grille as well. The front bumper comes with vent-like plastic claddings on either side, which adds to the sporty nature of the SUV.

The headlights are full-LED and have 'T' shaped LED DRLs that look extremely nice. The car gets a projector unit for the low beam and a reflector for the high and the cornering lights. Sadly the SUV does not get a set of fog lights, but the overall visibility from the headlight cluster is good.

Moving to the side, the car gets 17-inch multispoke alloy wheels that look pretty nice and go well with the overall proportions of the car. However, we would have preferred the alloys and brake callipers in contrasting shades, just to enhance the SUV's sportiness. The car also gets an ‘S-Line' badge on the side fender, along with blacked out ORVMs. The ORVMs get integrated LED indicators as well.

The roof of the car is half black and half red and it also gets a shark fin antenna. Now the sharp lines and creases on the body are what makes the Q2 look sporty from the side. The creases start off parallelly from the headlight and then merge into one at the rear.

Talking about the rear, the Q2 gets chrome elements in the form of badges. The taillight looks good and has a unique design to it. The Q2 gets dynamic indicators at the rear but misses it at the front. The car gets a rear parking camera with adaptive guidelines and sensors that help to park easily in a tight space. The Q2, from the outside, may not look as big, but the entry-level premium SUV looks sporty especially in the red and black paint job.

Interiors & Features

Step inside the car and you will be surprised at how spacious the cabin is. The Q2 gets blacked out interiors with silver and dark grey elements all around. The centre stage of the dashboard is taken by an 8.3-inch display without a touchscreen. There is, however, a touchpad (MMI Touch Controller) present behind the gear-lever, which is used to toggle between the different functions on the screen.

The Audi Q2 also comes with the brand's virtual cockpit. The full LED instrument cluster gives out a lot of information and at the same time can be configured in various ways according to the driver's needs. Like if you want to use the maps, press the ‘VIEW' button on the steering wheel and the speedo and tachometers will become small and the map will be displayed on the full cluster.

Speaking about the steering wheel, the Q2 gets a flat-bottom wheel with an excellent grip to it and is leather-wrapped. The steering mounted controls are easy to use and keeps the driver's focus on the road.

You also get circular AC vents with rotary knobs and it looks pretty cool. The Q2's overall dashboard setup is not very premium but it does its job well. You also get dual-zone air conditioning. Sadly the car does not feature rear AC vents, but honestly, it does not need one as the cabin is not that big and cools down fast. You also get a panoramic glass sunroof.

Now coming to the seats, both the front seats are extremely comfortable and sporty at the same time. They have good side bolsters, decent under-thigh support and an adjustable headrest. Sadly, the car does not get electric seats, which might be a major disappointment for some buyers. We wish Audi had offered electric seat adjustability at least for the driver's side.

Now coming to the second row, again the seats are comfortable, but tall people might find the space slightly cramped. You also have a centre armrest that can be deployed if there are only two people at the back, which is what we recommend. The third person might find it difficult to sit for a long journey as the floorboard is not flat because of the transmission tunnel.

Coming to the last bit of the interiors, which is the boot. The Q2 gets a 355-litre boot, which is adequate at best. The Audi Q2 does, however, offer foldable rear seats, which can extend the luggage space whenever necessary.

Engine & Handling

Now, the Q2 might be small in size but it's got a big heart. Powering the SUV is a 2.0-litre, turbocharged petrol engine. It produces 188bhp of power and 320Nm of peak torque. It is mated to a seven-speed DSG gearbox and the power is transmitted to all-four wheels via its Quattro permanent all-wheel-drive system.

The Q2 is based on the VW Group's MQB platform and comes with a transverse engine, which has more of a front-biased setup, and an on-demand AWD system based on a multi-plate clutch. But the car handles like a charm when you want to play around with it a bit.

Power delivery is excellent and the Q2 gets five driving modes: Eco, Comfort, Dynamic, Individual and Auto. In Eco mode, the steering and the throttle response gets extremely sluggish. Whereas in the Dynamic mode, the steering wheels stiffens up and the throttle response becomes really crisp. We would recommend you to use the Comfort mode for most of your driving as you will get the best of both worlds in that mode.

There is no lag in between shifts and the DSG gearbox delivers lightning-fast shifts. You also get paddle shifters that make the shifting easy. We think that due to the BS6 norms the power delivery of the car has become very linear, but that's not a bad thing. I mean you will not be thrown back to your seat in an instant but as the revs build-up, there is a smooth flow of power throughout.

We felt that the suspension is slightly on the stiffer side, but that did not hamper the ride quality of the Q2. The car managed to take over all the bumps and potholes that the city had to offer easily. You will be surprised how well the Q2 handles around corners. The steering response is excellent and just with a slight flick, the vehicle manages to shift lanes.

Due to the slightly stiff suspension setup, the Q2 feels pretty planted at high speeds on the highway. Thanks to the Michelin tyres, the level of grip on the Q2 is excellent and the driver will definitely feel confident and will not hesitate to go fast.

Since the car weighs under 1,500 kg, it feels extremely quick and a 0 to 100 km comes in 6.5 seconds. While the top speed is said to be 228km/h, which is impressive for a car its size.

The Q2 delivered us a mileage of around 8.4 to 11.2 km/l in the city and 14.5 to 16.8 km/l on the highway. We are sure that with a lighter foot on the gas, better fuel efficiency can be achieved. But, the above-mentioned figures are also not bad.

DriveSpark Thinks!

The prices for the Q2 starts at Rs 35 lakh and the one we got is the top of the line ‘Technology' variant which is priced at Rs 48.89 lakh. All prices are ex-showroom (India). We felt the pricing of the Audi Q2 could have been a tad more competitive, which would have made it an even more value-for-money luxury offering in the Indian market.

The Q2 does not have any direct rivals yet in the Indian market. However, in terms of its pricing, the Q2 does compete against the likes of the BMW X1 and the Mercedes-Benz GLA. So, if you are willing to spend some money on a decent-sized vehicle and stick to a premium brand at the same time, we would definitely recommend you to have a look at the Audi Q2.