The Audi A2 is back. More than two decades after the name disappeared from showrooms, Audi has revived it for a new all-electric hatchback that will cost from £32,200 in the UK and offer as much as 401 miles of range.
And that £32,200 starting price could become even more interesting. The new A2 e-tron comes in comfortably beneath the price limit for the UK government’s Electric Car Grant, so if Audi gets it approved for the scheme buyers could get at least £1,500 off, potentially bringing the entry price down to £30,700. It isn’t eligible yet – Audi will have to go through the government’s approval process first – but it means the cheapest electric Audi could become cheaper still.
UK order books open in October, with the first cars arriving at Audi Centres early in 2027. Full UK specifications and prices for the rest of the range will be confirmed closer to orders opening, but Audi has already revealed there’ll be three battery sizes, four power outputs and claimed ranges stretching from 262 to 401 miles.
open image in galleryIt also makes the A2 a very different proposition to the electric Audis we’ve become used to. Rather than simply chasing more power or bigger batteries, Audi says it has concentrated on getting as much as possible from every bit of energy. In its most economical form, the new A2 uses a claimed 12.8kWh for every 62 miles, which works out at around 4.9 miles/kWh and makes it the most efficient production Audi yet.
There are 52kWh, 61kWh and 84kWh batteries, with power starting at 168bhp and stepping up through 187bhp and 228bhp to a 322bhp range-topper, while all versions are rear-wheel drive. The entry car manages a claimed maximum of 262 miles, the 187bhp model stretches that to 320 miles, while the longest-legged A2 is the 228bhp car with the 84kWh battery, which claims 401 miles. Choosing the quicker 322bhp version with the same battery drops that slightly to 391 miles.
Audi has put plenty of effort into making the A2 slip through the air, too. Its drag coefficient of 0.24 is the best of any compact Audi, helped by a largely enclosed underside, an air intake at the front that stays shut when it isn’t needed, specially designed wheels and plenty of less obvious aerodynamic tweaks, for example around the wheelarches.
Even the door handles have had the efficiency treatment. They sit neatly against the body and work electrically, opening with a gentle pull and locking with a touch. Audi has thought about what happens if the electrics stop working, though, with a separate energy store in each door, so they can still be opened even if the rest of the car loses power.
Charging performance depends on which battery is fitted. The smaller cars can take up to 100 or 105kW, while the 84kWh versions raise that to 183kW. Audi says a 10 to 80 per cent rapid charge takes between 24 and 29 minutes depending on the model. There are also four levels of regenerative braking, including a one-pedal mode that can bring the car right down to a complete stop.
The battery can do more than simply power the car. Vehicle-to-Load technology allows the A2 to supply electricity to outside equipment, whether that’s an e-bike, laptop or camping kit, either from a socket in the boot or through an adapter that fits to the charging port. Vehicle-to-Home technology can also turn the car into a storage battery for a house when it’s connected to a suitable DC wallbox, although whether that particular feature will be available in Britain remains to be seen.
open image in galleryDespite the A2’s compact dimensions, Audi is promising plenty of room inside. A 2770mm wheelbase helps maximise passenger space, while there’s a 396-litre boot that grows to 1,336 litres with the back seats folded. The two most powerful versions also get an extra 13-litre storage area under the bonnet.
There are a few more unusual ideas in the cabin. Audi is using an accessory mounting system from a company called Fidlock, which combines magnets with a mechanical fastening system to let owners click things such as cupholders and charging cable bags into mounting points around the car. There are three points in the centre console as standard, with another three available in the boot, and more compatible Fidlock accessories are expected to arrive after launch too.
Moving the gear selector up onto the steering column has freed up more room between the front seats, where there’s a cooled, MagSafe compatible wireless charging tray capable of holding two phones and charging both at up to 25W. Audi has even thought about drinks storage, with space for 1.25-litre bottles in the front doors and bottles of up to 1.5 litres in the centre console.
open image in galleryAn 11.9-inch digital driver display sits alongside a curved 12.8-inch central touchscreen as standard, with an augmented-reality head-up display among the options. Audi’s voice assistant uses AI, while the built-in e-tron route planner can work out where charging stops are needed, prepare the battery before arriving at a rapid charger and suggest alternative routes or speeds if they could reduce the number of stops.
Those who struggle to leave work behind can even bring Microsoft Outlook and Teams along for the ride. Audi Connected Work lets users listen to calendar entries, dictate emails and join Teams calls using voice control, although it’ll be an optional extra. There are three audio systems as well, topped by a 14-speaker, 660W Sonos set-up.
The standard equipment list includes adaptive cruise control, a reversing camera, parking sensors, side assist, rear cross-traffic assist, emergency braking and technology that can help steer around an obstacle. Spend more and the A2 gets surround-view cameras, automatic parking and a system that learns up to five regular parking manoeuvres and then repeats them for you. It can also remember around 50 metres of a route into a confined space and reverse itself back out again – handy if you need to yield to an oncoming vehicle on a narrow lane.
open image in galleryPerformance ranges from perfectly sensible to pretty lively. The 168bhp version gets from 0-62mph in 8.8 seconds, followed by 7.9 seconds for the 187bhp car and 7.0 seconds for the 228bhp version. The 322bhp A2 cuts that to 5.7 seconds and increases the top speed from 99mph to 124mph. Depending on the model there’ll also be a choice of comfort or sports suspension, with adjustable dampers available on some versions.
Audi says more than 300 components in the A2 use recycled steel, aluminium or plastics, with more than 100 containing material recovered after previous use. The new car will be built at the company’s Ingolstadt factory alongside the petrol and diesel A3, using more than 1,200 pieces of existing manufacturing equipment and around 250 robots that had already been working on other Audis.
Audi CEO Gernot Döllner said: “Our customers want electric mobility that impresses in everyday life. The A2 e-tron is our promise to deliver exactly that — efficient, compact, and thoughtfully designed down to the last detail. We’re making entry into the electric Audi world easier and more relevant than ever.”
The original A2 may have been ahead of its time in many respects, but this new version is very much of the moment. This time the A2 is being used to bring Audi’s electric range down to a much more accessible price, but with a fair amount of the spirit of the original.