If you can't beat them, join them - right? That seems to be how the premium car segment in particular is played nowadays. Seemingly no niche, successful or otherwise, can be left unpopulated if a rival is also there. Remember how daft a Mercedes CLS once seemed? It worked, Audi made an A7, BMW made a 6 Series Gran Coupe, then there was the CLA, A5 Sportback, 4 Series Gran Coupe...
Expect the compact, sporty coupe-SUV to follow suit very soon. Hot on the heels of the BMW X2 M35i is this, the Audi SQ2. Sitting beneath more potent SUVs like the Mercedes-AMG GLA45 and the outgoing RS Q3, consider the SQ2 as a shorter, higher riding, chunkier S3: same MQB architecture, same 300hp version of the EA888 2.0-litre turbo, same quattro all-wheel drive system.
Performance, unsurprisingly, is in that ballpark: 4.8 seconds to 62mph (no doubt ably assisted by the standard dual clutch 'box) and 155mph flat out. Interestingly Audi claims its 1,984cc turbocharged lump weighs only 150kg, benefitting "not only the all-up weight of the Audi SQ2 (not actually disclosed), but also the axle load distribution." Encouraging...
Additional tweaks to make a Q2 into an SQ2 - and deliver "compelling handling", no less - include an electronic controller for the quattro system to direct torque rearwards, plus a 20mm drop in ride height, a specific tune for the power steering and uprated brakes - 340mm front discs, 310mm rear. So yes, that's hatch architecture raised up to be an SUV, dropped back down again for a sporty SUV - not lost on us either. 18-inch wheels are standard, but expect the majority of SQ2s to feature the optional 19s.
There are familiar Audi 'S' cues inside and out of the Q2, the exterior distinguished by black accents for the mirrors, bumpers and intakes. The interior features leather/Alcantara upholstery, contrast stitching, 'S' logos and a flat-bottomed wheel. Can't be without the vitals...
The SQ2 will make its debut next week at the Paris Motor Show, ahead of UK sales commencing before the year is out. Expect a timely order to be on your drive in early 2019. Given the most expensive Q2 is currently £25k, a price approaching £30,000 seems likely.
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