2020 Audi SQ2 delayed

Despite Australian's love for all things performance, the Audi SQ2 is no certainty of coming down under, thanks to the company's well-documented dramas with a backlog of emissions testing.

Audi is very keen to get the SQ2 on the ground here, but it admits that a backlog of emissions and efficiency testing work caused by the switch to a test protocol that more closely aligns with the real world – known as the WLTP standard – means that the SQ2 has been pushed back in the queue a bit.

An Audi spokesperson confirmed to WhichCar that the SQ2, previously set for a 2019 debut, may now not touch down in Australia until next year.

This puts Audi behind the curve against cars like the Mercedes-Benz GLA45 AMG and BMW’s incoming X2 M35i, along with Jaguar’s 221kW E-Pace R-Dynamic, which are currently on sale.

Revealed late last year and just launched in overseas markets, the SQ2 is based, of course, on the three-year-old Q2 small SUV, and it joins the RSQ3, SQ5 and the hulking SQ7 in Audi’s go-fast SUV lineup.

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It takes the engine and all-wheel-drivetrain from the S3 hatch, which translates to 220kW of power (in European tune) and 400Nm of torque, matched to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission that sends power to all four wheels.

In fact, Audi claims that up to 100 percent of the 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine’s output can be directed as required to the rear wheels, via a multi-mode drive selector button. It can rip to 100km/h from rest in just 4.8 seconds.

The SQ2 rides on a unique suspension setup that drops the ride height 20mm over the regular Q2 and it wears 18-inch rims as standard, with larger 19-inch rims available via the options sheet. The brakes, too, are larger, with 340mm rotors up front clamped by larger sliding-piston calipers in black. Want red brake calipers? They're a cost option overseas.

Exterior modifications are surprisingly limited, with a new front bumper with larger grille aperture and wide lower splitter offset by quad exhausts and a larger rear spoiler.

Inside, the interior of the SQ2 is definitely a step forward over the standard Q2, with leather/Alcantara trimmed sports seats a standard addition. There’s also a range of packs that will add things like diamond-stitched Nappa leather trim and anodised red rings for the dash vents. There’s also a sports-spec flat-bottomed steering wheel equipped with shift paddles.

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Spec-wise, expect the SQ2 to carry Audi’s MMI multimedia system, run through an 8.3-inch screen, and featuring Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, a wifi hotspot and satellite navigation.

It’ll come fully equipped with driver safety aids, too, like pedestrian-detecting AEB, lane departure control, park assist, adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assistance and more.

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