Audi to discontinue Q2 and A1 hatch; will focus on high-end cars

The Audi chief explained that there would be no more variants for the Q2, and the A1 too would be discontinued. This decision was taken to make Audi a more premium brand. The automakers will now expand the top ranges while limiting the bottom variants.

The Audi A1 was first launched in 2010, and since then, the compact hatchback has received only one generation upgrade. The second-generation junior Audi came out in mid-2018, where they upgraded the three-door option to a five-door one.

Audi previously revealed that their reason for discontinuing the A1 was new emission regulations. They explained that it would be costly to make an internal combustion engine for a small car like A1 in the future. Again, these cars had smaller profit margins, too, and Audi wants to focus on the more enormous profits from the high-end Audi models.

On the other hand, there was the Audi Q2. The smallest Audi SUV, the compact crossover, was first launched in March 2016. It received a mid-life facelift in September 2020, which has continued to date. The Q2 is considered a raised supermini and is based on the VW Group’s MQB Platform. Its sibling, the Q3, is considered the rival for Mercedes-Benz GLA and the BMW X1.

There was another SQ2 performance variant that goes from 0-100 Km/h under five seconds. The tiny Q vehicle was meant mainly for Europe. However, the Q2 L, a long-wheelbase variant, is available in China. There was also an electric e-Tron variant of the said vehicle with a 265km range and a powerful 38kWh battery.

The Audi Q2 and A1 are still available in the Singapore market for the time being.

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