Audi electric hatchback reminds of A2 

The A1 supermini and Q2 small crossover will make way for a new electric hatchback, simplifying the range.

It will be the smallest car Audi offers and an electric replacement for the A3 hatchback and Q3 crossover.

Now testing on road for the first time, it resembles a cross between a compacted Q4 E-tron and A2 of 1999-2005. It may even take on the A2 name, given it replaces no other vehicle. And possibly it will take e-tron as a suffix.

No technical details are available as yet but the new EV will sit on the Volkswagen Group’s updated MEB+ platform, used also by Q4 E-tron and updated ID.3. Therefore, expect battery sizes of 58kWh to 79kWh, and range of up to 576km. If a dual-motor variant is offered, power of around 250kW is likely. Other variants will have a single rear-mounted motor.

Chief of Audi, Gernot Dollner, said this will be the smallest Audi for the time being. Smaller vehicles within the wider group include ID Polo, ID Cross, Cupra Raval and Skoda Epiq.

These first images of the upcoming EV reveal a Golf-sized shape that’s not dissimilar to that of the Cupra Born or VW ID.3. However, the new Audi EV will have a sleeker, less upright form. But there are definite hints of the lightweight Audi A2 first introduced in the early 2000s. 

There’s the cab-forward silhouette, with a steeply angled windscreen and short bonnet, all aiding aerodynamics. But the new Audi’s roofline arcs more aggressively at the rear to create a tail that looks similar to the A2’s. 

The newcomer may even share the A2’s two-piece glass design for the tailgate, hinged up on the roof to create a larger opening. Other similar cues include the round flared wheel arches and the small wing attached to the bootlid. Expect thin upper DRLs with smaller main beams below. 

The newcomer will debut in late 2026 or early 2027. Being an all-electric entry point, there will likely be no combustion-engined successor to the A3.