The A1 will also be retired, as the Four Rings shift to larger cars with greater profit margins.
The Audi Q2 is one of Audi’s lesser-known models. It was first launched in 2016, before receiving a mid-cycle facelift four years later. The German luxury brand is focusing on larger cars with greater profit margins and won’t allow the Q2 to survive a second generation. The A1 supermini will be the last of the current generation.
In an interview with Handelsblatt, Markus Duesmann, Audi CEO, stated that the company would no longer build its smallest crossover. said: “We have decided to not build the A1 anymore and there will not be a successor model from Q2. We also repositioned Audi as a premium brand. We will reduce our model range at bottom and increase it at top.”
The Q2 was not built in Ingolstadt only, it is also made in China. Its name Q2L refers to its longer wheelbase which allows for more legroom in the rear. The People’s Republic also sells the baby crossover in E-Tron with all-electric propulsion. This zero-emissions model can only be purchased locally. It comes with a 38-kWh battery that provides 165 miles (265 km) of range based upon the local NEDC test cycle.
Audi’s entry-level model Q is available in the SQ2 specification. It features a powerful 2.0-liter gasoline engine that produces 296 horsepower and 295 pounds-feet (400 Newton meters) of torque. This engine is connected to a dual-clutch, seven speed automatic transmission. The Volkswagen T-Roc R performance model is essentially a more luxurious variant of the T-Roc R. It was redesigned in November 2020.
After the current-generation models, the A1 and Q2 will be discontinued. The A3 will effectively be the entry point to Audi’s global range. The company will also launch its final combustion engine-powered vehicle in 2026, before discontinuing ICE production in 2033. The production of gasoline-fueled vehicles may continue in China for a few years, depending on the demand.
The Q6 Etron will be added to the lineup. This is Audi’s first product to use the PPE platform developed with Porsche. A Volkswagen Atlas-based SUV will be available in China in 2022, with the confusing name Q6. The facelifted E-Tron is also expected to arrive this year. It will be called Q8 E-Tron in order to better reflect its position within the range.