Audi has confirmed it will end production of the A1 hatch and Q2 small SUV in 2026 as it gears up to launch an entry-level electric vehicle (EV) that will help fill the void.
Autocar reports word from Audi CEO Gernot Döllner that the two vehicles will exit production next year. It was also confirmed there will be no direct successor to the A1.
Audi had confirmed back in 2021 the A1 and Q2 wouldn’t be directly replaced at the end of their lifecycles.
While the new EV won’t be a direct successor to either the A1 or Q2, it’ll still be positioned as what Audi calls an A-segment vehicle. That should see it serve as an electric alternative to the A3 hatch and sedan and Q3 crossover.
The British outlet also reports the new EV will enter production in 2026 at Audi’s facility at Ingolstadt, Germany, and be the brand’s entry-level small EV under the Q4 e-tron.
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Q2
Technical specifications are not yet known, though it’s expected Audi’s new EV will use a version of the Volkswagen Group’s MEB electric architecture that underpins the Q4 e-tron and Chinese-market Q5 e-tron, as well as other EVs from Volkswagen, Skoda, and Cupra.
Volkswagen’s new SSP platform won’t be ready for production until at least 2028 (despite previously being slated for a 2026 debut), meaning the upcoming Audi EV will likely miss out.
Speaking to Autocar, Mr Döllner said Audi planned to continue to capitalise on the VW Group’s shared operations in developing new entry models.
“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.”
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Audi A1
Audi’s new small EV is expected to hold a more premium position than some of the models with which it will share its platform, with design and material choices to point to higher-end Audi vehicles in keeping with the brand’s recent premium push.
Autocar also reports it’s possible Audi could revive the dormant A2 nameplate, last used on a clever compact people mover that exited production in 2005.
With a price expected to fall towards the high £30,000s (A$61,576), Autocar expects the new model to be similar to the Skoda Elroq in size and shape.
For context, the Elroq starts at £31,500 (A$64,679) in the United Kingdom; while the Skoda’s Australian launch is imminent, pricing is not yet known.
The A1 launched in 2010 as both a three-door and five-door hatchback, available with a range of petrol and diesel engines and front- or all-wheel drive. There was also a one-off A1 e-tron built for use as Germany’s Olympic team car in 2012.
It entered its second generation in 2018 as a five-door hatchback, and shared a platform with other VW Group cars like the Volkswagen Polo and SEAT Ibiza. The current model costs either $39,200 or $50,800 before on-road costs depending on the variant.
The Q2, meanwhile, has only been produced in a single generation, which entered production in 2016. It too has petrol and diesel options, not to mention many shared parts with cars like the Volkswagen Golf, Cupra Formentor, and Skoda Karoq.
It also gained a sportier SQ2 version in 2019. Current Australian prices range from $49,400 to $70,800 before on-road costs.
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