We’ve known for some time that the Audi A1 and Q2 were not long for this world, with ever-tightening emissions regulations for petrol and diesel engines and a desire to increase profits with larger models being blamed for their impending demise. But a date for their execution has finally been set.
Production of Ingolstadt’s smallest, most affordable models will end next year with no successors planned, according to CEO Gernot Döllner. In an interview with Autocar, the executive said Audi “will end production of the A1 and Q2” in 2026, “and there definitely will be no successor for the A1.”
In their place, however, will be a new entry-level electric vehicle, sitting below the Q4 e-tron. “We will have models in the lower A-segment and we will also see the car that will enter production next year in Ingolstadt, which will be our entry BEV in the A-segment,” he said.
Before you imagine a tiny Audi city car to rival the Perodua Axia and Ativa, Döllner likely used the A-segment term in the Chinese-market context, where it denotes cars that are C-segment or smaller. A car in the lower reaches of the A-segment would therefore ply in exactly the same space as the A1 and Q2, possibly also encroaching into the A3‘s territory.
The new model is expected to share components and its platform with other Volkswagen Group cars, and while Döllner told the publication it was still too early to provide specifics, the car will likely utilise the existing MEB architecture shared with the Q4 e-tron and VW’s ID. lineup, among others.
“A really positive part of our strategy is that in the A-segment, we rely on Volkswagen Group synergies. We use platforms shared with other brands and [integrate] Audi differentiation in terms of Quattro and power and technology,” he said. “That strategy is very healthy and we will move on with that. That will also be our strategy in the battery-electric age.”
Rumours hint of the car being a hatchback-SUV crossover not unlike the Škoda Elroq in terms of size and shape, with Döllner previously referring to the new small Audi as a “wondeful, unique, independent concept.” It is also expected to use a new name to set itself apart from the A1 and Q2, leading to the possibility of the A2 moniker being resurrected. Döllner declined to comment on naming plans for future models but did say it was “thinkable” that Audi could reuse historic nameplates.
The original A2 debuted back in 1999 as a radical MPV-esque hatchback, with a TT-inspired design language and a revolutionary lightweight construction. Don’t expect the new model to be quite so ground-breaking, however, given the pressure for new Audi models to turn a profit. It will obviously occupy a higher market position compared to the rest of its VW siblings, offering greater technology and higher-quality interior materials.
“I believe that Audi is the right brand to show premium from the A- to the D-segment,” Döllner said. “There are not many brands in the world, but I think Audi can have a true premium offer in the A-segment. We will come up with highly emotional and attractive models also in the lower segments.”
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