After teasing the return of the funky and frugal A2 subcompact, Audi has partly revealed the little EV. As Audi is wont to do, the vehicle in the photos is production-ready, but it’s covered in abstract, almost cubist vinyl graphics to obscure the details. We can still see plenty, and even better, Audi actually provided lots of details about what’s going on both on the outside and the inside to make it efficient and even fairly quick.
It Definitely Looks Like An A2, Down To Having A Low Drag Coefficient
The two main things anyone knows the Audi A2 for are its design and its efficiency, and the former was related to the latter. It was short in length, relatively tall, and had a light and aerodynamic body. The roof was rather dome-shaped with a little kammback tail. It looked like nothing else on the market, if a tad dorky.
Audi A2 E-Tron from the front three-quarter angleAudi
The new A2 E-Tron manages to capture all that, while making it look sportier and more aggressive. It has the same rounded roof, but it’s lower with respect to the rest of the car. It also has a little vertical window for the kammback. The whole cabin looks a bit more rearset, though, and the windshield is swept back farther. At the front, the nose looks relatively low, further emphasized by the faux grille positioned below both the running lights and the Audi badge. It’s faithful to the original’s most distinct features, but puts them in a package that isn’t quite so strange looking.
Potentially even more important, though, is the fact that this shape is aerodynamically efficient. The version Audi showed is one with what the company calls the efficiency package, which gives the new A2 a drag coefficient of 0.24. Audi has achieved this with careful use of air curtains and covering panels. The lack of conventional door handles (it has pull tabs on the window sills like on the Volvo EX60) likely contributes, too.
Audi A2 E-Tron from the sideAudi
Not only is the efficiency package A2 the most aerodynamic trim, but it will be the most aerodynamic Audi you can get, period. As a point of comparison, Nissan touted the fact that the new Leaf is the company’s most aerodynamic car it has built, and it has a coefficient of 0.26 in the US, and 0.25 in other markets with camera mirrors.
It’s Based On The VW ID.3
Underneath the A2’s unique body is much more familiar equipment. It’s built on the MEB platform that underpins the VW ID.3 and ID.4. It will also be available with some of the same basic battery and powertrain options as the ID.3 in Europe. The version Audi showed has a pack with a total of 61 kWh, 58 of which are usable. It uses a lithium-iron-phosphate chemistry and has a 400-volt configuration that supports DC fast charging rates of up to 105 kW.
Audi A2 E-Tron from the frontAudi
In the case of the preview vehicle, the pack is paired with a 188-horsepower electric motor at the back. Audi does claim some efficiency-improving changes to the power unit, such as silicon carbide semiconductors and low-friction oil. Combined with the low drag afforded by the efficiency package, Audi estimates this version of the A2 will be able to deliver 4.85 miles per kWh on the generous WLTP test cycle. For reference, a similarly equipped VW ID.3 manages 4.47 at its most efficient on the same test. So the Audi is significantly more efficient than its VW cousin. Even more impressive is that the A2’s efficiency falls right between the highway and city economy of the base Lucid Air Pure. As a reminder, you cannot buy a more efficient car in the US than the Lucid Air Pure.
If you don’t require maximum efficiency, though, Audi will have other powertrains on offer. A mid-range option provides 228 horsepower and 228 pound-feet of torque, and at the top of the range will be a 322-hp motor with 402 lb-ft of torque. All of these options, though, will have just a single rear motor and rear-wheel drive.
Audi A2 E-Tron from the rear three-quarter angleAudi
All The Details Are Coming This Fall
We’ll get to see the A2 fully unveiled in a few months, giving us a clear look of both the outside and the interior. We should also have additional details on trims and features. Audi says the A2 will be available to order soon after the reveal, and deliveries will start before the end of the year. Sadly, we aren’t expecting the A2 to make the trip to America. The car doesn’t have any history in the US, and it may be difficult to make it cheap enough to appeal to American buyers, especially since it will be built in Germany. Even then, luxury economy cars have never clicked with customers in this country.
