Audi Q2 will be scrapped! BMW X2 rival to Mini Countryman SUV to be phased out as Audi pushes ahead in more upscale market

An updated version of the Q2 crossover went on sale in Australia last year.

If you want an affordable model from a premium brand, then you'd better hurry.

Because soon there will be two fewer options.

According to the German edition ReutersAudi has confirmed that it will be dropping one of its cheapest models after the current generation.

The small crossover Q2 will be discontinued and will not receive a second generation. Last year, it was confirmed that the brand, owned by the Volkswagen Group, would not be developing the third-generation A1 light hatch and that the current model would be the last.

Audi CEO Markus Duesmann made the announcement about the Q2 in an interview with the publication.

“We have decided not to produce the A1 anymore and there will be no successor model to the Q2 either. We have also made Audi a premium brand. We will limit our lineup at the bottom and expand it at the top,” he said.

Given that the second generation of the A1 only went on sale in 2019, it will still have a few years before production ends. It is not yet clear when Q2 production will end.

An Audi Australia spokesman said both models will continue to be available to Australian buyers "for several years".

This means that when the Q2 and A1 eventually disappear, Audi's most affordable model will be the A3 line of small hatchbacks and sedans.

The new generation A3 is about to go on sale in Australia starting at $46,300 excluding travel expenses for the entry class 35 TFSI Sportback.

That's nearly $3000 more than the base Q2 35 TFSI, which starts at $43,600. The refreshed Q2 version went on sale in 2021 and now has the SQ2 in the range, which uses the same 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine as the VW Golf R, and is priced at $65,300.

Last year, Audi announced that the current generation of the A1 would be the last.

The most affordable SUV in Audi's Australian lineup will be the Q3 35 TFSI, starting at $48,300.

Q2 competes with models such as BMW X2, Mini Countryman, Lexus UX and others.

Orders for the Q2 opened in late 2016 and deliveries began in early 2017. It was designed to fill a gap in the Q3, which had grown in size for the second generation.

Sales peaked at 2155 units in 2019 and dropped to 1284 units in 2021. Audi continued to dominate the premium small SUV segment last year, with combined sales reaching 2 units in the second and third quarters.

The A1 Sportback is the most affordable Audi right now at $33,200 for the 30 TFSI model, while the $40 TFSI S line is $47,200.

Audi announced the end of the A1 last year, blaming small car powertrain development costs under tough new EU emissions regulations.

Audi has previously said it will launch its latest internal combustion engine models in 2026 before switching to electric models by the early 2030s.

The A1 is based on the same principles as the Volkswagen Polo and Skoda Fabia and is a direct competitor to the Mini's three- and five-door hatchback.