The VW Group’s ‘dieselgate’ scandal may be affecting other projects, but it hasn’t slowed down Audi’s push for more SUVs, including their first subcompact-sized model.
As we recently found out, it will be called the Q2, and not Q1, as Audi had previously announced, after the Germans secured the “Q2” and “Q4” monikers from the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles group, and it’s scheduled for a world premiere at next year’s Geneva Motor Show in March.
Designed as a premium offering in the segment, the Q2 will be positioned against the MINI Countryman, rather than the similarly sized Nissan Juke or the Opel Mokka (sold as the Buick Encore here). While it will launch in markets outside Europe, including China, Audi sources have said that it’s unlikely to be sold in North America.
The camouflaged prototype we spied testing in northern Sweden wasn’t fitted with a production front, but it should blend styling cues seen on Audi’s 2012 Crosslane Coupe Concept with the brand’s familiar SUV shapes in a smaller package.
Built around a shortened version of the VW Group’s modular MQB platform instead of the current A1’s older architecture, the Q2 will have a slightly shorter footprint than an A3 hatch at around 4.2 meters in length.
The engines, however, are expected to be carried over from the A1 and include a selection of four-cylinder turbocharged petrol and gasoline mills connected to six-speed manual or dual-clutch automatic transmissions driving the front or all-four wheels via Audi’s Quattro system. A hybrid e-tron model as well as an SQ2 performance variant with the S1’s 228hp 2.0-liter turbo could also join the range down the line.
Photo Credits: CarPix for CarScoops
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