The Audi A2 is back, this is how

Created as an exercise in Audi's apprentice department, the 'new' A2 is electric and retains the shape of the original version

Photo by: Audi

By: Massimo Grassi

Oct 22, 2024 at 5:02am ET

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The Audi A2 was a losing bet for the Ingolstadt company. It was too sophisticated for its segment, that of small cars, resulting in a decidedly high price list. Result: 176,377 units produced from 1999 to 2005, the year of the definitive disappearance from the four-ring manufacturer's list.

It remains, however, a beloved model for many, including the members of the apprenticeship programme of Audi, who wanted to dedicate a concept to the Audi A2 and its first 25 years. It is called the Audi A2 e-tron, it is electric and today, perhaps, its price would not be so steep.

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The A2 e-tron is part of a string of concepts churned out by Audi's apprenticeship programme, which in recent years has given us such prototypes as the RS6 GTO and the EP4, a 240 PS NSU Prinz. You can well understand, then, how this is a mere styling exercise, an automotive amusement that does not suggest any intention of producing a new Audi A2, even if there is no shortage of rumours to that effect. In fact, there are those who talk of a return from 2027, exploiting the MEB Entry platform, which debuts in 2025 with the Volkswagen ID.2, to be followed by new small cars under the Cupra, Skoda and Seat brands. We shall see.

Audi A2 E-Tron Concept

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Audi A2 E-Tron Concept

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But back to the concept. Stylistically, it takes up the proportions of the original version, with a small MPV body, a roof that gently slopes down towards the rear, large windows and rounded lines. What has changed are the details: LED lights, illuminated logo on the boot and streamlined wheels.

We do not know if there are any mechanical highlights or not, electric powertrain conversion aside. It has to be said that the base platform of the original Audi A2 would be perfect for an electric car: laser-welded aluminium space frame, for an average weight in the range of less than a tonne, and a Cd (coefficient of drag) as a reference for the category: between 0.25 and 0.29, depending on version. In other words, it has lightness and aerodynamics which are the basic essentials for an electric car.