- Audi’s reborn A2 EV is set for a fall debut ahead of production starting in Ingolstadt.
- New SUV uses older platform from Q4 e-tron, not FWD one from VW’s new ID. Polo.
- Winter testing footage suggests Audi’s smallest EV could be entertaining to drive.
Audi’s long-dead A2 is officially coming back this fall, and unlike the original aluminum oddball, this one’s aiming squarely at the mainstream crowd and is fully electric. But despite its sensible mission, Audi’s latest teaser footage hints the compact crossover SUV might still know how to have some fun sideways.
The company confirmed the A2 e-tron will debut later this year as a new entry-level EV family built at Audi’s Ingolstadt headquarters in Germany. It’ll effectively replace both the combustion-powered A1 hatchback and Q2 crossover while opening the door to cheaper electric Audis for younger buyers.
Related: Audi’s Paperwork Confirmed The Return Of The A6 Allroad Before Audi Did
Audi’s announcement doesn’t reveal much beyond production details and testing locations, but the accompanying video tells a more interesting story. Footage shows the camouflaged A2 happily oversteering around snowy Scandinavian test routes, suggesting engineers haven’t forgotten driving enjoyment while chasing efficiency and aerodynamic bragging rights.
That playful balance probably comes down partly to the platform underneath. Unlike Volkswagen Group’s latest small EVs, such as the ID. Polo and Skoda Epiq, which are based on the newest front-wheel-drive MEB architecture, the A2 sticks with the older rear-drive-capable MEB setup already underpinning cars like the VW ID.4 and Audi Q4 e-tron.
RWD Standard, AWD Optional
That means entry-level models should remain rear-wheel drive, while dual-motor all-wheel-drive versions will likely follow later. It also means the A2 won’t benefit from the faster-charging 800-volt systems arriving elsewhere in the Volkswagen Group empire, since this platform still relies on 400-volt electrical architecture.
Still, Audi clearly believes the package makes sense for buyers who care more about practicality, design, and price than ultra-fast charging times. The company says the A2’s sloping roofline delivers impressive aerodynamic efficiency, something engineers continue refining inside Audi’s Ingolstadt wind tunnel at speeds reaching 186 mph (300 kmh).
The slippery shape deliberately references the original 1999 A2, one of Audi’s weirdest and most fascinating production cars. That pioneering hatch combined futuristic styling with lightweight aluminum construction and astonishing fuel economy, but it was expensive for its size, and buyers never really embraced it.
This reboot feels far less risky. Compact electric crossovers are exactly what Europe wants right now, and Audi’s hoping familiar retro-inspired styling combined with attainable pricing could finally make the A2 badge a commercial success instead of merely a cult favorite.
