2018 Audi Q2 vs 2017

What's the difference?

There is no denying the Audi Q2 2018 model range is all the better for introduction of the 2.0 TFSI variant, which is the best of the bunch in this writer's humble opinion.

Just keep in mind that competition in the small SUV segment is fierce, and with a lot of options boxes to be ticked to get the ideal Q2, it may be worth looking at your options in the market, particularly if you need something practical.

Ummm, have you seen the Audi Q2? It looks pretty much unlike all of the other Audi SUVs you can buy, and you'll either be a fan of that, or you won't.

There isn't much major visual differentiation between the newly added 2.0 TFSI Quattro version and the more affordable petrol model aside from this version rolling on 18-inch wheels as opposed to the 17s of the base petrol, and the entry-level model misses out on body-colour mouldings around the wheels, side skirts and bumpers. Both the quattro models look identical to one another.

Like all Q2s (and arguably all Audis) you need to option the S-line styling package to make it look how you probably want it to. You can get 19-inch wheels if you want that extra tough appearance, plus there are optional C-pillar blade colours ('Manhattan' grey metallic, 'Titanium' grey matt, 'Ice' silver metallic, or body colour), and buyers have 12 body colours to choose from.

This was always going to be a tricky car for Audi. You can get a funky-looking small SUV from a variety of cheaper competitors or you can get a dull-looking one with heaps of interior space. They're all going for the same thing. Audi has to do all of the mini SUV things, justify charging you more than $41,000 and be true to the brand that has brought you sharply-styled interiors and exteriors for a while now. Tough ask.

Looking at the photos, you might think Audi missed. But it hasn't. When you're walking around this car you see a chunky SUV style with Audi's attention to detail. It's a really accomplished design that has a flair of its own, Audi telling us time and again about the polygonal styling influences. Look for the cool slice out of the shoulder line, the polygons in the grille, the shapes and surfacing on the bonnet.

Inside, though, is classic Audi. So classic, in fact, you've seen much of it before, in an A3. That's no criticism, obviously, because the A3 has one of the better interiors in any small car. There are some key differences - a bigger screen and, of course, the dimensions are rather loftier. Another fine interior, but if you go looking, you'll find some cheap plastics where you can see and touch them.

Well, let's put it this way - if you want the most pragmatic and thoughtful small SUV out there, you should be looking at the Mini Countryman or BMW X1, both of which offer supreme space for their size.

That isn't to say that the Q2 is impractical - it still has a 355-litre boot space in quattro models (405-litre for the FWD version), and you could fit five adults in at a squeeze, provided they aren't big boppers. If you have children, the dual ISOFIX points and three top-tether hooks will be of note, and there are rear seat air-vents in all Q2 models.

Storage is reasonably well sorted up front, with cupholders between the seats and decent door pockets, as well as a few little trinket cubbies here and there. In the back, though, there is no fold-down armrest (meaning no cupholders), but you can fit a bottle in each of the doors. Map pockets aren't standard, either.

There are plenty of tricks Audi has employed with the interior styling of the Q2 - at a glance, it looks pretty smart and funky. But there are cost-cutting measures evident, like the scratchy plastics on the doors and hard plastics down below your eye-line.

At 4.19 metres, the Q2 is hardly titchy but it is shorter than all the Japanese cars in the segment (yes, they're all cheaper, but they're still mini SUVs). There's good room front and rear and four passengers will be perfectly happy in the Q2.

The rear seat passengers won't be super-pleased with a lack of storage, cupholders (they're optional) or air vents, but we found it otherwise comfortable. The ride for back seaters differs slightly between the variants, the better deal coming in the multi-link-equipped TDI quattro.

Germany's first serious entrant in the compact SUV class comes close to best-in-class boot space - 405 litres. That said, it does come at the expense of a full-size spare (you can option one, but you lose boot space) and with the seats folded down, this increases to 1050 litres. At least, that's what you get in the 1.4. The 2.0 loses 50 litres in the process, but makes up some of the gap when you fold the seats down.

At launch there are just two specifications available - the 1.4 TFSI front-wheel drive and the 2.0 TDI quattro. A petrol quattro will join the range later in the year, with a 2.0 TFSI 140kW/320Nm power unit.

Being an Audi, there are option packages galore; six to be exact.

There is (technically) a third spec called Edition#1. This adds LED interior lighting, 40/20/40 split fold seats with centre armrest and cupholders, sport front seats, Milano leather, LED headlights and taillights, rear privacy glass and some interior bits and pieces. Around 700 will be available.

The 1.4 TFSI starts at $41,100 and is available in front-wheel drive only. Standard are 17-inch alloy wheels, cruise control, dual-zone climate control, five star Euro NCAP safety package, variable rack steering, sat nav, reversing camera, auto headlights and wipers, front and rear parking sensors, power windows and mirrors, leather (some real, some not) trim, in-car Wi-Fi hotspot with Google Earth map overlay function, remote central locking and a space saver spare.

It's a hop, step and a jump up to the 2.0 TDI as it will set you back $47,900. The TDI quattro adds sports seats, body colour skirts and lower bumpers, electric tailgate, aluminium trim pieces inside and a more sophisticated rear suspension set-up.

Both specifications come with an eight-speaker stereo run by Audi's MMI system. This includes a rotary dial control on the console and an 8.3-inch screen on the dashtop. It's an excellent system, shaded only by BMW's iDrive. And even then, only just.

You can choose from ten colours, eight of which cost extra.

Being an Audi, there are option packages galore; six to be exact.

The 'Assistance' package ($1600) adds adaptive cruise with stop-start and high-speed auto emergency braking, lane assist, blind spot detection, high beam assist, auto parking and a rollover sensor.

'Comfort' adds keyless entry and start, electric lumbar support, heated exterior mirrors with folding function, heated front seats, extra storage bits and power sockets.

'Style' brings LED headlights with washers, LED tail-lights with dynamic scrolling indicators and the chunky five spoke 18-inch alloys.

'S Line exterior' package ($2500) toughens things up with aluminium sills, S Line bumpers, rear diffuser and exterior logo.

The interior 'S Line Sport' ($1500) also brings 18-inch five spoke alloys, 10mm lower suspension, sports seats with leather and Alcantara, flat bottom steering wheel, black headlining, aluminium trim bits, stainless steel pedals, illuminated door sill trims and leather gear selector.

Finally, the 'Technik' package ($2500) adds the fully digital dashboard Audi calls Virtual Cockpit, up-spec nav and the flat-bottomed steering wheel.

A range of individual options are available, including higher powered stereos, plus colour, trim and lighting upgrades... the list goes on. You can also get coloured piping on the seats, but it's a bit much and looked like marzipan on the yellow car.

The new 2.0 TFSI turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine is considerably punchier than the existing 1.4 turbo-petrol, with 140kW of power and 320Nm of torque. That turns this litter jigger into something like a boxy hot hatch on stilts.

Audi claims a 0-100km/h sprint time of 6.5 seconds, so finally it has the performance muscle to match those chiseled exterior panels.

Unlike the other, more affordable petrol model the 2.0 TFSI has quattro AWD. The 1.4 TFSI persists with 110kW/250Nm and a sprint time of 8.5sec, while the 2.0 TDI retains its 110kW/320Nm outputs and can shuffle to highway pace in 8.1sec. All Q2 models have seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmissions.

Two engines are available, the 1.4 TFSI and the 2.0 TDI. The former is front-wheel drive only, the latter all-wheel drive, both using the same updated seven-speed dual-clutch (S-tronic as Audi calls it) gearbox to broker the connection between engine and wheels.

Both produce 110kW while the petrol makes do with 250Nm and the diesel 340Nm. The petrol dispatches the 0-100km/h sprint in 8.5 seconds, the diesel 8.1.

Later in the year, a 140kW/320Nm petrol quattro will join the other two.

Both engines feature stop-start to help cut fuel consumption and the 1.4 features cylinder-on-demand tech that you wouldn't know was there if you weren't told about it.

The 1.4 is rated to tow 1300kg of braked trailer and 650kg unbraked.

Audi claims fuel consumption for this flagship petrol model is 6.5L/100km. That makes it 1.2L/100km thirstier than the front-drive petrol, and 1.5L higher than the diesel - but you get a lot more performance from this model.

On the launch loop, which involved high-speed country roads, dirt tracks and some minor urban chicanery, we saw a figure of 7.6L/100km in the top-spec petrol - pretty respectable.

Audi claims the petrol TFSI sips premium at a rate of 5.3L/100km on the combined cycle and the diesel an even thriftier 5.0L/100km. Our launch day wasn't particularly representative of real-world driving, so we'll leave that for when we have the cars for longer.

There is no doubt in my mind that the 2.0 TFSI was the Q2 we've been waiting for. With its balance of extra grunt and better traction, it makes for a pretty involving and entertaining drive experience. You need to option drive mode selection, with five drive modes including an individual set-up, if you want to tailor the car to your desires. Adaptive dampers are available at a cost, too.

There's good response when you shove your right foot to the floor, with just a hint of turbo lag if you catch the car off-guard. Flick the shifter to the sport mode and that won't be an issue, and indeed the Q2 will eagerly hold on to gears in anticipation.

While dual-clutch transmissions are known for their low-speed foibles, this one seems to have most of those lurching movements ironed out - though it still takes a bit of getting used to, and there isn't a very nice sound from the drivetrain in most situations. A more raucous exhaust note would be welcomed.

The so-called 'progressive' steering doesn't have the best feel to it, but it is quick and accurate, which makes it feel like you're part of the action. The ride - even in our test car, clad with optional 19-inch wheels and low-profile tyres, while going without adaptive dampers - was mostly very good, particularly considering some of the surfaces we encountered (parts of the country roads in the Barrington Tops, in north-east NSW, consist more a patchwork of pothole repairs rather than an actual level surface). That said, really sharp edges can upset the front axle a touch.

The quattro AWD system comes into its own on sweeping country back roads, though, and the short gravel stint suggested there was good grip and traction on offer.

We started our launch drive in the Melbourne CBD, and the 1.4 quickly proved itself easy to drive and a very tidy handler. Vision is good, steering well-weighted and the transmission knows a giddy-up when it feels one. It's no rocketship, but 250Nm is a decent slug of torque from 1.4 litres and with seven gears and just under 1300kg to shift, the teeth grinding descriptor 'zippy' does the job.

On the freeway it's quiet and composed, the 215 tyres keeping it on the straight and narrow with the brakes dealing well with goofy texting lane-changers hoving into view and the pre-sense tech handling the outright dangerous ones.

Step into the 2.0 TDI and there's a distinct shift up in grip and capability. On the gravel the quattro is sure-footed and confidence-inspiring. That's to be expected, but on the really loose stuff, the FWD 1.4 was a little floaty and unpredictable.

It's worth pointing out that this quattro system isn't the same as others. In normal driving, only the front wheels are driven, reducing mechanical drag and therefore consumption. When it detects slip or notices you're up to some mischief with steering wheel and right foot, up to 50 percent of the torque can be sent rearward, like the Q3 (and VW Group stablemate, Golf Alltrak). No clunks or bumps, the system just releases the clutch that sends some drive to the rear wheels and you've got grip.

In the twisties, too, the 1.4 is a lot of fun but the TDI is really a league above. The extra torque is only part of the equation (there's a good deal more weight in the TDI), the quattro system another, but I reckon the multi-link rear suspension goes most of the way towards turning the Q2 into a warm SUV. I know, right?

The 1.4 goes without the more complex suspension, being fitted with torsion beam set-up, as per the A3 1.0. Most of its cheaper rivals do too, so there's no shame in that, but as with Nissan's Qashqai, you realise you're in something that knows its way around a corner and over a bump better than the torsion beam-equipped machines. It's not exactly stark, but the difference is appreciable. It seems quieter, too.

If you really are going to spend any time at all not on city streets or your standard motorway/freeway, the 2.0 TDI is the one for you.

Standard safety tech includes seven airbags (including driver's knee), AEB (up to 65km/h) with pedestrian detection, ABS, plus stability and traction controls.

The Q2 recently scored the maximum five Euro NCAP stars.

Adding the Assistance package fills out the safety features with high speed AEB, blind spot detection, forward collision warning and other bits and bobs.

Audi offers a three-year/unlimited km warranty on all of its new models, and servicing is due every 12 months/15,000km. Roadside assist is included for the length of the warranty period.

The brand has a pre-purchase service pack, which covers the first 36 months/45,000km of maintenance, which costs $1590.

The Q2 comes with Audi's standard three-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, with roadside assist for the duration.

Servicing is every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first, and you can pre-pay for the first three years/45,000km.

Called the 'Genuine Care Service Plan', it's hardly the last word in generous, but at least you know what you're up for. Bank on around $1600.