Audi A2 resurrected as brand’s most efficient EV

Audi has resuscitated one of the more intriguing nameplates in its back catalogue, pulling the covers off the new A2 e-tron and putting efficiency – rather than outright grunt or battery size – front and centre.

More than two decades after the quirky original bowed out, the badge returns on a compact electric hatch built for Europe.

While the styling nods to the aluminium-bodied first-generation car, the recipe has changed dramatically, with the newcomer riding on the Volkswagen Group’s MEB electric platform and sharing its DNA with the VW ID.3 and Cupra Born.

Audi’s pitch is simple – squeeze more kilometres from every kilowatt-hour. In its thriftiest guise the A2 e-tron sips just 12.8kWh/100km (which is very efficient) while the longest-legged version travels up to 646km between charges.

Audi reckons those figures make it the most energy-efficient production car in its history.

Rather than chasing those numbers with an ever-bigger battery, Audi’s engineers have gone hunting for wasted energy. A slippery 0.24 drag coefficient – the best in Audi’s compact class – is helped along by an enclosed underbody, active cooling shutters, aero wheels and neat ‘gap reducers’ tucked into the wheel arches.

Even the door handles get in on the act, with slim wing-shaped electronic units replacing conventional pull-type items.

Buyers get a choice of four powertrains, ranging from 125kW/350Nm up to a flagship 240kW/545Nm, paired with 52, 61 or 84kWh batteries.

All variants drive the rear wheels, and the quickest cracks 0-100km/h in a claimed 5.7 seconds. Bidirectional (V2L) charging is offered too, letting the A2 power external devices or, in select markets, feed energy back into the home.

Inside, Audi has resisted the urge to go all-touchscreen. There’s an 11.9-inch driver display and a 12.8-inch curved central screen, plus a new magnetic Fidlock system that clicks cupholders, cable bags and other odds and ends into place. Xiaomi has a similar system the accessories are very popular in China.

A 1.6-square-metre panoramic glass roof is optional, and despite a compact footprint of around 4.3m there’s a 396-litre boot plus a handy 13L frunk under the bonnet.

The A2 name carries weight. When the original launched in 1999 it was remarkably forward-thinking, using lightweight aluminium and slippery aerodynamics to chase efficiency long before EVs were a thing.

A cult following wasn’t enough to offset its high build costs, though, and it quietly disappeared in 2005.

This time Audi reckons it has the timing right, and it has moved quickly – the A2 e-tron reached production readiness around 21 months faster than comparable predecessors. Almost China speed.

It’s built at Audi’s home plant in Ingolstadt using existing robots and tooling to keep costs down.

More than 300 components use recycled materials, including steel, aluminium and plastics.

European order books open on September 10, with the first deliveries due in December 2026 and German pricing starting from 38,200 euros (about $A68,000 before local taxes and on-road costs).

As for local buyers, Audi Australia says the A2 e-tron is under evaluation for our market and would look to offer it here if there’s enough customer demand to justify the business case – so keen locals should register their interest and watch this space.

Join the conversation at our Facebook page
Or email us at editor@carsales.com.au