New Audi A2 due in 2012

The new Audi A2 is 5 years late. Some people would say better late than never. As someone who has owned an A2 since 2000, I am beginning to think better never than late. The current A2 was okay more than brilliant, but now has become dated and technologically redundant. A new one building on the same clever fundamentals could be sensational. But a clone-based copy of the Polo platform that lacks the same degree of innovation can only be perceived as a triumph of style over substance. The original A2 was released before completing Audi's usual testing and development cycle, so experienced numerous problems that were only corrected some years after production first commenced and include: 1. Appalling ride and handling 2. Dangerous front blind spot 3. Very narrow boot 4. Extremely small petrol tank 5. Small prangs needing significant and expensive repairs 6. Faulty electrical system on early models never fully corrected The A2 was a knee-jerk reaction to the Mercedes-Benz A-Class. Yet despite the indecent haste with which it was developed, it was in many ways a better car than the A-Class - which is a bit like saying that in the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is king. Even so, primarily conceived as a city car, the A2 remains a surprisingly good car for longer journeys and, despite its many faults, it was truly innovative and stylish. It contrasted perfectly with the Audi TT to cement Audi's reputation as an innovative manufacturer of unique cars. As many industry observers have noted, the A2 was a premium mini long before the premium mini segment was invented. Unfortunately, very few people were prepared to pay the premium then asked. It also appeared when demand for high-performance sports cars was growing dramatically. Slowly, however, the A2 made a case for itself. Then the Mini came along. Then the new A-Class and then the Fiat 500. Just as these new cars justified the A2's premium niche, providing perfect justification for Audi to replace the A2 with something new and better, it pulled the plug. With petrol prices soaring to an all-time high, economy cars became a necessity, but Audi halted production. Talk about bad timing and poor product planning. Now it looks as if history is about to repeat itself. By the time the new A2 arrives, we'll have an A1 five-door model, and the new A3 five-door Sportback should have been launched too. I want to love the new A2, sadly, i think it is going to be a dog.