Audi SQ2 performance crossover gets the green light

AUDI has confirmed it’s working on a performance version of its Q2 crossover, and it is likely to make its way Down Under.

One of Ingolstadt’s worst-kept secrets, the SQ2 was confirmed at the company’s annual press conference this week, and is slated to for a late 2018 debut.

Not much else has been revealed, but with all Audi Q2 powertrains so-far taken from the A3, it’s likely to share the S3’s 213kW/380Nm 2.0-litre turbo four. While it won’t be an all-out RS model, the extra 63kW and 60Nm will provide significant shove above the already punchy Q2 2.0 TFSI quattro Sport.

Spy pics have given a glimpse of the beefed-up looks that are likely to go with the extra grunt, including broader front air intakes and quad exhaust pipes, and large brake discs behind blackened rims wrapped in low-profile rubber.

Audi Australia isn’t yet in a position to confirm if the SQ2 will grace our roads, but a spokesman told Wheels that it’s always keen on performance models, which have proven successful here – from the S1 right up to the R8.

With Q2 prices roughly in line with the A3 Sedan here, expect the SQ2 to arrive with a price tag of around $63,000 before options, making it a relatively affordable base model in Audi’s performance SUV range alongside the SQ5 and SQ7, which cost $99,611 and $153,327 respectively.

Main rivals will include the more powerful, but significantly pricier Mercedes-AMG GLA 45, and the Jaguar E-Pace HSE.