On September 3rd, Audi released sketches of the A2 Concept. The A2 Concept previews Audi’s competitor in the mini hatchback segment. The A2’s primary competitor would be the production version of BMW’s i3 Concept. Audi made an A2 once before, a Europe-only all-aluminum small MPV manufactured until 2005.
The A2 Concept is smaller than that vehicle, and in fact comes in shorter than Audi’s own A1. Despite this, it is said to have ample room for four passengers. Heavily stylized renders were released before, but now Audi has released some new images that give us a clearer picture of what the vehicle looks like.
There isn’t much you can do with a box shape like this one, which means the A3 Concept is pretty much devoid of style. Despite a usual affinity for Audi’s design, we’d have to say BMW’s i3 is a clear winner in the looks department. At this point though, it is all conjecture as production models of these cars haven’t arrived.
Both the Audi A2 Concept and the BMW i3 Concept are clearly in concept form at this stage. The A2 Concept features things like laser headlights and an autonomous driving mode, which aren’t likely to show up on the production car.
The A2 is electric drive, with an 85 kilowatt electric motor powering the front wheels. Charging the car’s battery pack for four hours (under 240 volt power) will yield a range of 125 miles.
The A2 Concept comes in at just 2,535 pounds to thanks to the use of aluminum and carbon fiber. Clearly Audi’s weight-saving expertise comes into play here. That is an impressive figure. The battery pack and electric components are built into a skateboard-like platform, which enables for a flat floor and an ample amount of interior space.
Despite a low curb weight, 60 mph arrives in 9 seconds – the A2 won’t be winning any drag races. Welcome to the brave new world of “premium” mini cars.
