Audi admits there’s a risk of cannibalising its range when the new Q2 goes on sale in July, but is confident the car can make a positive impact in its new segment.
Read our 2016 Audi Q2 1.4 TFSI 150 S tronic review here
The Q2 will arrive in the niche premium compact crossover market and, with no direct rivals, will face competition from small SUVs and even some A-segment models, which could take sales from cars like the Audi A3 and Audi A1 hatchbacks.
“There’s always going to be some crossover,” Chris Batty, UK product manager for the Q2 said. “But we expect the majority of buyers to be new to Audi.”
Audi’s new compact crossover is shorter but wider and taller than the A3 Sportback and is seen as a key car in bringing new buyers to the brand, but its early success could be limited by the production capacity in Ingolstadt.
“We are really optimistic about how well this will sell, if anything it could be constrained by how fast we can build it,” Batty said. “That could be what limits it going above any of the other Q models initially.”
Audi hopes the new, younger buyers who come to the brand with the Q2 will then go on to stay within the Audi range in future. Encouragingly for the manufacturer, 40% of people who have registered their interest in the car so far currently don’t own an Audi.
The car will be available in three trims when it goes on sale in July, with the top end Sport and S Line models in front-wheel drive variants expected to be the biggest sellers.
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