Audi has confirmed
a host of new vehicles that will arrive later this year and in 2019. Among them
is the highly anticipated e-Tron GT, a proper Tesla Model S rival, as well as
the range-topping member of the Q2 family, the SQ2. Prototypes of what was
believed to be the Audi SQ2 have been spotted testing since mid-2016, but the performance crossover
is almost ready for its big debut.
The automaker hasn’t announced when it will be
unveiled or what will power it, but we could be looking at the same engine as
the S3. The turbocharged 2.0-liter lump delivers 310 horses to the wheels via a
seven-speed dual-clutch transmission in the S3. In addition to the potent mill,
the 2019 Audi SQ2 will also benefit from a host of visual updates. It will get
different suspension tweaks too, along with other work carried beneath the
body.
Audi is also replacing the A1 Sportback, which is
being produced in Belgium pretty much unchanged since 2010, with a new
generation. The supermini likely uses the same platform as the latest
Volkswagen Polo, and will be followed by a hot S1 version.
For the Chinese market, Audi will offer long
wheelbase versions of the Q2 and Q5. Referred to as ‘urban’ variants, these
will be offered exclusively in the People’s Republic. Among the 20 models that
will be launched in 2018 and 2019 is the plug-in hybrid version of the new A8.
The flagship saloon will also get a 12-cylinder model, but nothing else is
known about it at this point.
