Good things in small packages

Audi’s Q2 was one of the first premium compact SUVs on the market.

It sits below the Q3, Q5 and the gigantic, seven-seat Q7 in Audi’s evergrowing range.

Although it’s about the same size as the Nissan Juke or Volkswagen T-Roc, its price is comparable with the much larger Nissan X-Trail or Volkswagen Tiguan.

Even a basic Q2 will set you back more than £21,000 and top whack is £38,000. Then there’s the options list, which is extensive to say the least. My 2.0 automatic diesel Quattro S Line model had a base price of £30,745 but tipped the scales at just over £40,000 once a plethora of additions was totted up.

Size isn’t everything, however. In recent years there’s been a trend of buyers wanting a car that’s of premium quality but compact enough to zip around town.

It may be a step down in size but the Q2 doesn’t feel any less classy than the rest of Audi’s SUV range.

The interior looks great and is user friendly in a way that more mainstream manufacturers have never been able to match. The simple rotary dial and shortcut buttons easily trounce touchscreen systems, making it a cinch to skim through the screen’s menus.

There’s a surprising amount of internal space, too. I took three large adults from Dundee to Stirling and no one complained about feeling cramped. As long as you don’t have a tall passenger behind a tall driver, you can easily fit four adults. At 405 litres, the boot’s big, too – that’s 50 litres more than a Nissan Juke can muster.

Buyers can pick from 1.0 and 1.4-litre petrol engines or 1.6 and 2.0-litre TDIs. Most Q2s are front-wheel drive but Audi’s Quattro system is standard on the 2.0 diesel, as is a seven-speed S Tronic gear box.

On the road there’s a clear difference between this and SUVs by manufacturers like Nissan, Seat and Ford. Ride quality, while firm, is tremendously smooth. Refinement is excellent, too, with road and tyre noise kept out of the cabin.

It sits lower than the Q3 or Q5 and this improves handling, lending the Q2 an almost go-kart feel. On a trip out to Auchterhouse, with plenty of snow still on the ground, I was appreciative of the four-wheel drive as well.

The Q2 is expensive – though there are some good finance deals out there – but you get what you pay for. Few cars this small feel as good as the Q2 does.

It may be a step down in size but the Q2 doesn’t feel any less classy than the rest of Audi’s SUV range