The soft-roader was initially called Q1 because the Q2 nameplate, Audi’s first choice, was owned by Alfa Romeo for years. Website Indian Autos Blog reports that Audi and Alfa have settled on a compromise, and the crossover will launch with a Q2 emblem on the hatch after all.
Positioned a notch below the Q3, the Q2 will share its modular MQB platform with the A3, the Euro-spec Volkswagen Passat, and the seventh-gen Golf. An official teaser sketch (pictured) hints that it will borrow styling cues such as angular headlights and a hexagonal grille framed by a thick strip of chrome trim from other Audi crossovers such as the aforementioned Q3 and the Q7.
Power will come from three- and four-cylinder gasoline- and diesel-burning turbocharged engines sourced from the Volkswagen parts bin. Front-wheel drive will come standard, and Audi’s quattro all-wheel drive system will likely be available at an extra cost on select models. It is too early to tell if a sport-focused SQ2 will see the light that awaits at the end of a production line.
Stay tuned, additional details about the 2016 Audi Q2 will emerge in the weeks leading up to its global debut at next year’s edition of the Geneva Motor Show. The crossover will go on sale across the Old Continent shortly after its introduction, but Audi is not currently planning on selling it on this side of the pond due to its relatively small size.
What’s next?
Alfa Romeo also owns the rights to the Q4 moniker, which is coveted by Audi for use on another crossover.While the Fiat-owned firm appears to have given up its claim on the Q2 emblem, only time will tell if Alfa Romeo has allowed Audi to use Q4.
