Audi SQ2 SUV unveiled ahead of Paris debut

Audi has revealed the SQ2 hot SUV ahead of its official debut at the Paris motor show.

The car’s turbocharged 300hp, 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine is the same as seen in the Audi S3. It is closely related to the engine in the Volkswagen Golf R and upcoming T-Roc R, as well as the Seat Leon Cupra R. On the SQ2, the engine produces the same 400Nm of torque as the Golf R. It has a claimed 0-100kph time of 4.8sec and a top speed of 250kph. Audi’s quattro four-wheel drive system and a DSG automatic gearbox are standard.

These acceleration figures put the SQ2 0.1sec ahead of the BMW X2 M35i – also to be shown in at the Paris show. The two cars share the same limited top speed; although the X2 has a 7hp and 50Nm advantage over the SQ2.

The hot rival to the Mini Countryman can be identified by the four exhaust pipes at its rear, as well as the discreet SQ2 badging and a more aggressive body kit, which includes a rear spoiler. As a whole, the car has been lowered 20mm over the standard Q2 and has 18-inch and 19-inch wheel options of offer.

Inside, the SQ2 gets a black headliner and black leather-and-Alcantara seats embossed with ‘S’ logos and extra bolstering that offers support in faster corners. The dashboard gets Audi’s Virtual Cockpit digital display as an option, but traditional analogue dials and an infotainment screen are standard fitment, as is a premium sound system.

Adaptive Cruise Control and Traffic Jam Assist are offered as standard, which means that the car can steer, brake and accelerate itself at speeds of up to 64kph – provided that the driver still has hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.

There’s no word on pricing yet. This will likely be revealed later in the year. Emissions and fuel-economy data haven’t been released, either.

With the arrival of the SQ2, the only models in Audi's range that haven’t received an S performance variant are the recently launched E-tron, A7, A8 and the new Q3. An RS Q2 is expected to join the range further into the car’s lifetime and may offer as much as 367hp from the RS3’s five-cylinder engine.