Audi has officially announced the return of the A2 nameplate as the A2 e-tron, which will be for a battery-electric, entry-level model that is to be unveiled later this year. This follows a rumour last month that the A2 name is to be revived for an entry-level model.
The upcoming model’s name is a “deliberate nod to the Audi A2, which pioneered efficiency and urban mobility” when it emerged in 1999. In an earlier Autocar report, the A2 e-tron has been said to indirectly replace the A1 and Q2 which come to their end of production this year.
Set to be produced at the brand’s Ingolstadt headquarters, the A2 e-tron adds to the brand’s manufacturing presence in Europe and in its native Germany. “The A2 e-tron is crucial for our brand and also for our German home. With the production of an additional fully electric model family in Ingolstadt, we are securing jobs and delivering electric mobility ‘made in Germany’,”said Audi CEO Gernot Döllner.
Its silhouette suggests it will take after the form of its predecessor with a raised floor and relatively generous interior headroom, though its ‘A’ rather than ‘Q’ naming convention indicates it is not positioned as a crossover, despite the appearance of its physical height.
Technical details for the A2 e-tron have yet to be officially disclosed, though it has been said to be built on Volkswagen’s MEB platform that underpins the Volkswagen ID.3, when originally the compact Audi EV was planned with the SSP architecture. For reference, the ID.3 gets batteries of 58 kWh and 77 kWh capacities, the latter offering up to 546 km of range on the WLTP testing standard.
Within the official communication for the A2 e-tron, Audi also hinted at the debut of the Q9 flagship SUV, also to take place later this year, and with the A2, this bookends the range of Audi models to be offered. As its name suggests, the Q9 is to be positioned above the Q7, and therefore will rival the likes of the BMW X7, Mercedes-Benz GLS and the L460 Range Rover.
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