Audi A2 returns as an electric hatch of R$ 226.000 with up to 646 km of autonomy

Audi has confirmed the return of the A2 as its entry-level electric. Presented in Paris this Monday (7), the compact hatch has rear-wheel drive, the Volkswagen Group’s MEB+ platform — the same as the Volkswagen ID.3 —, drag coefficient of 0.24 and a range of up to 646 km in the WLTP cycle. Orders open on September 10, starting at 38,200 euros in Germany, about R$ 226 thousand, with first deliveries in December.

Its central argument is consumption: in the 190 hp version with an efficiency package, the A2 e-tron registers 12.8 kWh/100 km, the lowest rate ever obtained by a series Audi, according to the manufacturer. To get there, the brand closed almost the entire floor, adopted a front air intake that remains closed at highway speed and installed clearance reducers in the wheel arches, which narrow the gap between tire and fender. The door handles are electric and keep their own energy reserve, to open the doors even in the event of a breakdown.

Launched in 1999 and produced in Neckarsulm until 2005, the original A2 was the first premium compact with an entirely aluminum body, the Audi Space Frame structure, and was born from the Volkswagen Group’s “three-liter car” project. In 2001, the 1.2 TDI version, with 61 hp, 855 kg and an aerodynamic coefficient of 0.25, became the first homologated four-door car with more than 33.3 km/l. Expensive to manufacture and controversial design, the A2 totaled 176,377 units, lower than expected, and only became a cult object years later.

Four powers and three batteries

There are four power levels, from 170 hp and 35.7 kgfm to 326 hp and 55.6 kgfm, with 52, 61 or 84 kWh batteries. The two smaller ones use lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cells glued directly to the housing. The 84 kWh is nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) and accepts recharging of up to 183 kW, going from 10% to 80% in 29 minutes. The permanent magnet synchronous motors use silicon carbide semiconductors and housings with low-friction bearings.

The battery also works as a power source: the V2L powers external equipment through a socket in the trunk, and the V2H allows you to use the car as a home battery in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Space and reuse

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With a length of 4.32 m and a wheelbase of 2.77 m, the hatch has a trunk of 396 to 1,336 liters and a front compartment of 13 liters in the most powerful versions. The dashboard is covered by Softwrap, a soft fabric surface, and the optional sunroof has 1.6 m² of glass. Audi claims to be the first premium brand to offer the Fidlock magnetic system as standard, which attaches cup holders and bags with a click. Depending on the configuration, there are more than 300 components made of recycled material, 100 of them with post-consumer raw material.

Produced in Ingolstadt on the same body line as the A3, the A2 e-tron was developed 21 months faster than comparable predecessors and reuses about 250 robots from other models.