In one of the 2020s’ less likely retro revivals, the Audi A2 is back.

The A2 has become a bit of cult classic, because it was such an uncompromising piece of engineering, using an aluminium spaceframe and radical aerodynamics to create an incredibly spacious and fuel-efficient small hatchback. But unlike the Mini and the Renault 5, it wasn’t all that popular when it was new and didn’t make its manufacturer any money.

Audi has come to the retro wave from a different angle, because it didn’t actually set out to create something that deliberately riffed on the past. The idea was to make an EV smaller than the Q4 E-tron and make it as aerodynamic as possible, so it would go farther with a relatively small battery – and it turned out that if you optimise a hatchback shape for aerodynamics, something A2-shaped is the logical conclusion.

A fairly short, bluff front end that flows into an monolithic body makes sense because it doesn’t force the air to change direction any more than necessary, as does a teardrop shape that’s cut off at the end for practicality. Try to maximise rear visibility and you end up with a split rear window.

No, the new A2 E-tron isn’t as radically innovative as the all-aluminium original. It can’t be, because making interesting but unprofitable cars isn’t a great business strategy. It also needs to be relatively affordable and indirectly replace the recently departed A1 and Q2. As a result, it’s based on more mass-market underpinnings, namely the familiar Volkswagen Group MEB platform, albeit the latest version thereof.

This comes with a raft of upgrades over previous cars, chief among which is that the middle battery option now uses lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) instead of nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) chemistry, so it’s happy to be charged to 100% all the time.

The other big thing is the new ‘APP350’ electric motor, which is even more efficient, thanks to thinner materials, thinner oil and a separate oil pan, so the gears don’t constantly splash through a bath of oil, causing drag.

The A2 E-tron, then, is effectively Ingolstadt’s take on the Volkswagen ID 3. Audi isn’t releasing dimensions yet, but it’s clear the A2 is a similar size to that car. Since BMW and Mercedes-Benz have yet to come up with an electric 1 Series or A-Class, that puts the A2 up against premium-ish rivals such as the Renault Megane, Volvo EX30 and Mini Countryman E, as well as its other sibling, the Cupra Born.

Under the camouflage

So it will need to feel a little bit posh inside. You can’t see much of the interior yet, but I had a decent peek under the camouflage sheets, revealing that the A2 shares a lot more with other recent Audis than with the ID 3. Think Q3 for the digital screens, steering wheel and 1980s-Citroën-style column stalk array.

Mostly that’s good news, because it all works intuitively and feels pretty solid and robust, but it’s still a far cry from the wonderfully tactile Audi interiors of old. There are very few physical controls, and the thick bezels on the screens remind me of a first-generation iPad.

On the door tops and the dash, Audi has gone big on the sort of knitted-looking fabric that we’ve also seen in recent Minis, which feels pleasant enough. It’s all very black and rather austere, which suits an Audi, I suppose, but I’m not sure it feels any more upmarket than a Megane.

The manually adjustable cloth seats are superb, though, and the driving position is spot on – not super-low, because the A2 was never like that, but hatchbacky enough.

In the rear there’s generous head room and okay knee room, albeit with quite a high floor, so the seating position isn’t very comfy.

We don’t have a boot space figure yet, but there’s no reason to believe that it would be any smaller than the Born’s 385 litres.

So how efficient is it, really?

Our first taster of the A2 came in the form of an ‘efficiency drive’ on a loop around Denmark and southern Sweden in the most efficient version of the car, with the new motor and 58kWh LFP battery (there will most likely be 52kWh and 79kWh NMC versions as well) and on sport suspension, because that lowers the car for less wind resistance.

It wasn’t the most exciting drive of my life, truth be told. There’s a reason Porsche GT3s flock to Nürburg and not Trelleborg, but it did suit the A2, because it duly returned 5.4mpkWh.

That’s not to say this was an unrealistic route: it included some motorways and A-roads. So that’s a hugely impressive result. It means you could squeeze 300 miles out of this 58kWh battery, which would be beyond any of its rivals. Even with a bit more spirited driving, I suspect an efficiency figure in the high fours should be doable.

You get all the tools you need for efficient driving. The brake and accelerator pedals are smooth and progressive, and between the steering wheel paddles and the drive selector you can have full freewheeling, one-pedal driving and everything in between. There’s something for everyone here.

On the chassis side, you do clearly notice some compromises in order to get that efficiency – at least in the spec of this test car.

When the A2 comes to the UK later this year, I’d avoid the sport suspension at all costs, because whatever efficiency benefits it brings isn’t worth suffering a bone-shaking ride.

Even on the near-perfectly kept roads of southern Sweden, the A2 was incredibly stiff. It felt well controlled and not brittle, but it got tiresome very quickly.

There was also a fair bit of road noise from the Bridgestone Turanza 6 tyres.

I’d be curious to see how those would hold up in the wet, as we’ve road tested a couple of EVs (Mercedes-Benz CLA Electric, Toyota C-HR+) with Turanza 6s that really underperformed in wet braking during the road test. The tyres on the A2 are Audi-specific, though, so might do better.

On the day, the roads were dry, and the A2 had reasonable grip and steering that was nicely measured and free from corruption, thanks to the motor being at the back.

Verdict

The purists will bemoan that the new A2 isn’t the rolling science experiment that the original was, but such a thing was never going to get the green light. The question is whether Audi has done enough to make this its own car.

It’s a bit of a shame that Audi can’t make something more bespoke, like Mercedes did with the CLA, but the A2 is more than just an ID 3 clone.

We will need to spend more time in it on more varied roads and try different versions for a full verdict but, based on this slightly limited drive, the new A2 is recognisably Audi in its style, feel and focus on aero, and its efficiency is very impressive. It stands to reason that this EV will probably be more successful than the ICE original, although I doubt it will have as loyal of a following in 20 years.

Audi A2 E-tron 58kWh

Interesting design and aerodynamics and a plusher interior combine for a promising premium take on the VW ID 3