Thanks to Bhpian Happysmiles, he and I were able to go for the Audi Q2 unveiling event. They offered us a longish test drive and I thought it may be interesting to write about it and share with you all.
I tried to search an ownership / official review. But couldn't find it. Hence thought I'll pen my thoughts on the Q2. There is a thread about the Q2 here >
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...er-2020-a.html (Rumour: Audi Q2 India launch in September 2020) 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.
Full disclaimer:
1. On a personal note - I am utterly spoiled by the GLC that we have so it was difficult to find the Q2 very impressive. My likes should be treated as real praise and dislikes may not be as bad as I make it sound.
2. We have no affiliation with Audi / VW other than owning a couple of cars. We registered for the unveiling event and this is an experience which I am putting together.
3. I am going to look at this car as a 25-30 lac car and not a 50 lac car.
Unveiling
The head of the dealership, Mr. Paresh Deshmane welcomed us for the launch. We were offered juice, coffee and refreshments.
Happysmiles and our ride group buddy Vinay unveiling the car. Its a pretty car. The display cars were premium plus 1 spec and the test drive car (red color) was the top spec (technology IIRC)
The other silver car.
Interiors
You are welcomed with this view. New car smell is lovely, typical VAG. Everything is well put together and has good tactile feedback.
Driver's seat area
Closer look at the steering wheel. This is the top spec test drive car.
Center console. In general, this is a very driver centric car. I can't see how anyone would get this as a chauffeur driven car. All the controls are oriented towards the driver seat.
A close look at the gear shifter.
Armrest, with what I think is a wireless charging pad. Cool.
Front seats, passenger side view
Passenger dashboard, you are treated to the quattro badging. All variants come with the quattro.
Rear seats are cramped and upright. Black interiors make things look smaller and it gets hotter faster (thanks to the sunroof)
Slightly complex AC vents - if they break, its a pain to fix them.
The outer ring opens or closes the vent. It's not so intuitive.
Open.
Engine
All Q2s come with the 2.0 turbo petrol engine. No diesels from Audi. That sucks. It makes decent power though.
Its kinda refreshing to see a slightly un-cramped engine bay. Diesel engines are fitted much more tightly.
NVH and build quality
I am going to say that this might be the 2nd weakest chink in the Q2 armor. I am told the car is a CBU. Even in that, it feels slightly hollow and I did not feel cocooned in the car.
Less sound insulation / damping under the hood. Plus side is that you can hear the sweet TFSI engine rasping on quite a few occasions.
Same is the case of the pedals. Most of the wiring etc is exposed.
Rear wheel well also is missing damping and cladding material which again is important for damping.
Car comes with 17 inch wheels. Ride is firm on these and you do feel a lot of road surface from the seat.
Rear door trim
We loved how this mirror curls up and folds itself in
Rear boot
Space is decent at the back. Nothing to complain, but nothing to feel wowed by it.
Under the boot, you have a spare tire. There is a sub-woofer connected on the spare wheel cover. Its a risky area if you are expecting customers to unplug this every time the spare wheel is used.
This T.125/70 R19 is almost the same size as my BMW R1200GS front wheel - 120/70 R19
Drivability
There are various ride modes which you can select which briefly are - eco, comfort, auto, sport, extra sporty (I forgot Audi's names) but they are to this effect. I loved the Auto mode. Its perfect for city and highway combined driving.
The engine is responsive and gets aggressive when you get into sportier modes. It will be a hoot to drive on the open roads and in the twisties. However, the car is clearly not at home on horrid Pune roads and we felt most bumps and rough surfaces.
I did not get to try the quattro extensively.
In conclusion
As most people already know, this will be a hard sell for the prices that have been declared. Audi would do well with the car if they reduced the prices. It is not the brand which it used to be in India any more and if they want customers to be associated long term - to catch them early, the pricing has to be right for what is being offered in the vehicle.