Review: Audi Q2 Black Edition 35 TFSI
What is it?
As the smallest of Audi’s Q cars, the Q2 is, for me at least, the best proportioned Q car in the range; in fact it’s the one I enjoyed the most. Add its Solid Turbo Blue paintwork with 19” gloss black alloys, and I may have gone a little overboard with the photos!
Apparently the Q2 was intended for all those lifestyle people who like to venture out into the great outdoors, whether it’s bought by those outdoorsy folk is another matter.
On the road
Equipped with the 148bhp 1.5-litre petrol and seven-speed auto (S tronic), the Black Edition was so much fun as I was driving along winding county roads in Wales - too much in truth. I ended up switching on the limiter to make sure I didn’t trigger any of the average speed cameras.
The stiff suspension means that it corners really well, just avoid any potholes, especially if you have low profiles, they don’t like those. Amusingly, it handled the twists and turns of the EVO Triangle in Wales so well that I thought it had Audi’s Quattro AWD system fitted - it hadn’t, the 235/40 R19 were just very grippy. Also, progressive steering and Audi Drive Select as standard contributed to the fun.
Despite the sporty set-up, around town it wasn’t that bad, though it can be a little thumpy on some surfaces. Going for a lower spec model with a more sensible wheel / tyre combo will undoubtably smooth things out.
If speed is your thing, then it’ll get you from 0-62mph in 8.6 seconds and carry on until you reach 132mph. If economy is your thing, then, throughout the week of hooning around, I got an average of 44mpg, which I was quite pleased with.
Off road
Nah, not with that wheel and tyre combo married with front wheel drive! However, I did spend a day exploring the dirt roads around Lyn Brenig where it was sure footed.
Interior
Being the baby of the Q range it could be argued that the interior isn’t as luxurious as its larger siblings, but that’s fine as it’s designed for a different market and therefore very functional.
Up front you are confronted with a simple, non-fussy dash layout that I personally liked. That said it has a fixed infotainment screen that usually annoys me, but this didn’t - maybe I’m just getting used to them. I was surprised to find actual proper dials for the heater controls, they made me smile, so Audi gets 10/10 for that.
Using the rotary dial on the centre console you can choose between Efficiency, Comfort, Auto, Dynamic and Individual - I used comfort for the majority of the week. I wouldn’t say that switching to Dynamic made it into a rocket ship, but it was fun.
Jump in the back and rear passengers will find comfy seats with adequate leg room, especially for those of us with long legs. However, they will most likely be disappointed to find no central arm rest, nor any USB sockets, at least not in the one I had.
In the boot you’ll find plenty of space - 405 litres with the seats up, 1,050 litres with the seats down. As you can see, with the seats down I packed it with my Ecoflow Glacier fridge freezer, numerous duffle bags, camera bags, fire pits and a solar panel, and there was space for lots more.
Engine ’n’ transmission
There are two petrol options available, the 30 TFSI is a 1.0-litre turbocharged 3cyl engine, producing 108bhp, and the 35 TFSI, a 1.5-litre turbocharged 4cyl motor produces 148bhp. The 30 only comes with a six-speed manual, while the 35 gets that option plus a seven-speed S-tronic auto.
Conclusion
I really quite enjoyed my week with the Q2, not only was it the perfect size for Muddy Madam and I, it was nippy and frugal to boot, so if you are an active couple and don’t require AWD, then I think it’s worth a look.
The Q2 range starts with the Sport at a fiver over £28,000 all the way up to this, the Black Edition 35 TFSI at £35,515 - though with extras it cam to a smidge over £38,000.
more at » https://www.audi.co.uk/uk/web/en/models/q2/q2.html
