Next-Gen Audi A2

It was never sold in the United States, but the Audi A2 was once a very lightweight small car sold overseas. Available from late 1999 through 2005, the A2 employed an aluminum spaceframe and managed to keep the curb weight below 2000 pounds (for certain models anyway). Now, and after much speculation, it’s coming back in 2015, and Automobile has the scoop on the upcoming car.

If the A2 is coming to the United States, it’ll do so primarily to help with CAFÉ requirements. Now scheduled to ride on Volkswagen’s MQB chassis (shared with the next Golf), the 2015 A2 will have an aluminum five-door body and keep to the lightweight mission. This time around, it won’t have the aluminum spaceframe.
Sans aluminum frame, Audi hopes they’ll sell more A2s compared to the last model. Just 175,000 total were sold in the first run, a small figure considering the European market favors small cars. Automobile says the new car will weigh less than 2400 pounds and is ready to meet the mark by using composite materials for the body panels and thinner glass. The battery, alternator, and air-conditioning compressor will be downsized to keep the weight down.
While the first A2 scored around 80 mpg on the European test cycle over 10 years ago, the new car will be under pressure to produce a similar number despite slight bodily growth. Unlike its predecessor, the impending A2 will get five seats versus four, and is planned to be wider with more interior space for the occupants. The gas and diesel engines will be small, and electric and plug-in hybrid variants are in the planner too. According to development boss Michael Dick, the A2 EV should surpass 150 miles on a charge. The plug-in version is expecting to travel 40 to 60 miles on battery alone.

New Audi A2 Launch Date

Audi has finally decided on a launch date and features for the much-expected comeback of its A2 model.
Now slated for an early 2015 release, a couple of years later than Audi’s original schedule, the A2 hatchback will use a lot of aluminium and will offer electric and plug-in hybrid variants as well. Basing the chassis on the relatively cheaper Modular Querbaukaste (MQB) material being under process for the MkVII Volkswagen Golf, the automaker hopes to address its general high cost issues this time around.
Audi is going for a range more than 150 miles for the electric version using a single-speed transmission, pushing out 75 hp to 110 hp. The plug-in hybrid will be seen with three-cylinder engines offering a choice between gasoline and diesel and paired with a dual-clutch automatic transmission. It is expected to maintain an electric range of 40 to 60 miles.

To bring things closer to the original A2 that boasted of a light 1900 pound curb weight, thanks to the advanced aluminium frame-which also skyrocketed its price value- Audi has turned to composite panels, thinner glass and some cutting down on the size of various parts like the batteries and AC compressor. Plus, the hatch will be more spacious this time around and add extra room for one more passenger to the existing capacity for four.