TOP OF THE MORNING
With super style and terrific tech, Audi’s Q2 SUV makes sure drivers have a perfect start to their day
Late spring and the sun was rising over Glasgow.
I had been up at ghastly o’clock for the first time in months. I even beat the birds. But now, as the day slipped in, I was driving into and across the city in the Audi Q2, a compact SUV with plenty of performance.
The mist was rising eerily from the fields as I powered along the motorway, heading south, and then the city came into view. The pink morning sun lit it up splendidly. Its towers and spires gl ittered and windows in the high bui ldings sparkled. Glasgow’s beaut i ful sandstone architecture burned in the soft early light.
All was well with the world – and with this lovely car I was driving, one of the few on the road at this unearthly hour, just me and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds on the radio.
There is something quite magical about a drive like this when the world around you seems so at peace and the car you are driving matches the moment. You feel you could drive on forever.
The Q2 slips along silently and efficiently. It may have been a latecomer to the Audi SUV stable but it is now the bestseller – and it’s easy to see why.
It sits neatly on the road with a smallish footprint for such a capable car. There is lots of chrome front and rear in this S Line trim, which sports the signature Q2 silver blade insert on the side and the whole lot sits on rather fetching 19in matt titanium alloys.
It has a neat and elegant look with Audi’s expected stylish finish.
Inside, the Q2 is a delight – very driver focused with plenty of soft touch areas.
There are S – for S Line – design cues on the sills and the black Alcantara leather seats have grey stitching with further S logos.
A brushed matt aluminium finish sweeps across the dash, which houses the 8.3in colour infotainment screen. Easy to access via a rotary dial at your fingertips, it offers DAB, FM and a variety of radio stations plus sat nav, online weather, traffic information and smartphone connectivity. You can also customise the instrument binnacle behind the leather-clad steering wheel so sat nav information is in front of you.
The S Line I was driving featured a rear-view camera and parking sensors, an excellent system for car parks and great for drivers who cringe at reversing.
The interior is spacious and, in this particular car, the feeling was enhanced by a panoramic roof – an option at £810 – which added to the airiness.
Boot space comes in at 405 litres but jumps to 1050 with the back seats down. The rear hatch can be opened automatically from the key fob, a very handy piece of kit for people regularly lugging shopping or sports gear around.
Indeed, there is very little Audi has not thought of in this car.
Unsurprisingly, the Q2 is a great little mover whether it is in normal mode or sport, which really ramps up the power, and there are piles of safety features and driver aids available.
It responds incredibly well to all you ask of it whether it be motorway or hairpin driving and it is particularly soothing in the early morning when you just want to get in and get going.