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According to a media report, Audi will be discontinuing the entry-level model in its 'Q' range, the Q2, altogether. The Audi Q2 and A1 premium hatchback will be globally discontinued from the brand's lineup.
Reports suggest that the reason for the discontinuation of the two models is Audi's plan to reposition itself as a premium brand and concentrate on high-end models going forward. Having said that, the Q2 and A1 will not be discontinued immediately. The German carmaker will continue to sell the current generations of both models, but they will not get a new-generation update.
The Audi A1 made its debut in 2010 and is currently in its second generation. The Q2, on the other hand, was introduced globally in 2016 and received a mid-life facelift in September 2020. The Audi Q2 is also sold in the Indian market with a price tag of Rs 34.99 lakh (ex-showroom).
Source:
Handelsblatt.com Link to Team-BHP news
Q2 seems to be a hot hatch in disguise, sadly thought issues like poor rear seat angle and cost cutting and pricing have taken the shine from this car!
VW/Skoda equivalent of this car, with the same 2L petrol would have been even better, with acceptable price tag ofcourse.
Everytime I come across Q2, I mistake it to be a bloated Polo. I don't know why and how it qualified for their Q series. I'd say in a way, good riddance. No idea if it actually sold well though.
Well according to me this decision is actually very smart as the Q2 was an unnecessary attempt at entry level luxury market that also was overpriced for what it offered and also this car was a sales dud internationally too.
Not an SUV, Not a hatchback and not a Pseudo SUV also. Not sure what Audi was thinking to achieve with Q2. Pricing out of reach for middle class buyers who aspire to move to the luxury brand. It had failure written all over it. Q2 might confuse some prospective buyers of Q3. Good decision and good riddance.
Quote:
Originally Posted by RahulNagaraj
(Post 5255107)
Reports suggest that the reason for the discontinuation of the two models is Audi's plan to reposition itself as a premium brand and concentrate on high-end models going forward.
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In other words, Audi doesn't have the slightest clue on how to price these models, when other brands with lesser chutzpah are making far better cars.
Good riddance. I have not seen one single Q2 on road, except the same demo one, from the nearest dealership, in NCR...but then it had to live through the pandemic. It was one vehicle with a severe identity crisis with no clear USP. IMHO, It's not an "arrival" statement, not a SUV, not a "hanky panky" car :D , not a butch; so what is it? Nothing against any Q2 owner, please :) . Just a lame offering by Audi!
If I am looking to upgrade to luxury segment, I wouldn't even look at Q2. BMW 2 series also in the same basket.
It will be an utter embarrassment. Its "wannabe, only for the rings" written all over it.
I would be better off plonking those millions in able cars like Kodiaq, Superb or even Compass.
Its a good riddance and kudos to Audi for realizing it. Hope, Audi brings the Q3 to the Indian market soon.
BMW should follow Audi's footsteps and discontinue the suspicious 2 series.
Seriously, good riddance! The Q2 is such a sad car at its exorbitant price. Audi India must've been smoking some serious stuff to price the car like this (courtesy Carwale). In my books, this is a 25-lakh model at best:
BHPian
nitrogary summed up the cons really well
in his thread:
Quote:
Likes
Build quality is decent
Lovely sharp styling
Excellent ergonomics
4 wheel drive quattro in all variants
Cozy interiors - all 3 cars which we saw were with black interiors. Don't know if there is a beige option
Refined drivability
Dislikes
The car is priced two times of what it should have been - the Q2 thread I posted is full of everyone getting annoyed at the pricing
Suspension which feels that I am riding my Aprilia SR150
The car does a poor job of isolating the NVH. Outside noise is heard and the horn is unbelievably loud inside. Audi have gone overboard in stripping this car off sound insulations and dampeners to meet some sort of specification
Rear seats are too upright and have very less space
Older generation styling. Everything reminds you of the 2017-18 Q3 etc.
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I remember my dad seeing this car on the road once and telling me that for 25-30 lakhs it’d be a nice entry point to Audi as a brand. The shock on his face when i told him that this was a 45 lakh+ car was one to see and just like that in a flash, the car was out of consideration forever.
I think it is a good idea for Audi to get rid of their models that fall below the A3/Q3 category. The group anyway has VW and Škoda to play in those segments. Such models were diluting the Audi brand to an extent, making it seem less premium.
In the Indian context, the Q2 is definitely overpriced, but then the discounts being offered were also significant. However, I hardly ever saw one on the road. In the entry level luxury car segment, image matters. Usually, people buying these cars are graduating from a non-premium brand, so if the car gets called “Choti Audi” (small Audi) in their social circles, the snob value tends to go down.
The best use case for this car would have been an affluent household that already has a few large cars in their garage and needs a premium city runabout.
It's like Apple who launched iPhone SE for Rs. 42,500 initially in 2020! Who does that? Just because such brands want people to get access, they release an inferior product at high price which doesn't make any sense for sensible people. Better to get rid of such products.
It's a good decision, given Q2 was exorbitantly priced. Brand positioning wise too, it will be better for them considering VW and Skoda are pricing few cars north of 40L.
Some future prospective buyers might turn lucky with heavy discounts to clear off stocks. 190BHP in a small car might appeal to few
I always looked at the Q2 as a jacked up 4 door Polo GTI rather than the vanilla Polo and was actually excited for it once upon a time. The Q2 was never a chauffeur driven car to begin with and the only reason to buy the Q2 was if someone from a nuclear family, wanted the lethal 2.0 TFSI engine in a light 1.4 ton car coupled with Audi’s legendary Quattro system and 7 speed DSG gearbox. Thanks to its AWD, it went 0-100 in 6.5 seconds which was Octavia VRS 230 territory and also had a higher ground clearance making it a strong Soft-roader (if not a hardcore Off-roader).
https://youtu.be/UilmpoK5Ej4
However despite it all, the price was still not justified and it could have probably found a lot of takers had it topped out at 35L (alas the CBU route proved otherwise). Would still be willing to consider it in the pre-owned market someday as my second car for the weekends if spares don’t prove to be a problem that is :unhappy.
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