Audi A1 And Q2 Production Ends

Pour one out for Audi’s cheapest models, as the A1 and Q2 are officially no more. The double demise doesn’t come as a surprise, considering plans to axe these entry-level models were announced years ago. Back in July 2021, the German luxury brand revealed it would discontinue the supermini after the current generation ran its course. In February 2022, it said the same thing about the subcompact crossover.

Now, Audi is calling time on both. Production of the A1 is coming to an end at the company’s factory in Martorell, Spain. The small hatchback has been in production since 2010, with precisely 1,389,658 units delivered to customers. While the first generation was also offered with three doors, its successor came exclusively in a more practical five-door body style.

Based on the Volkswagen Polo, the Audi A1 spawned multiple performance-flavored derivatives over the years, but never an RS1. The closest it came was the S1 hot hatch and the uber-rare A1 Quattro. There was even a crossover-esque version called the Citycarver/Allstreet, featuring a slightly lifted suspension and plastic body cladding.

As for the Q2, it has been in production at the Ingolstadt plant in Germany since 2016, making it the company’s oldest model in the lineup. Essentially a seventh-generation VW Golf crossover with Four Rings, Audi sold 887,231 units over a decade. Now, it’s making room on the assembly line for the return of the A2. This time around, it will be a fully electric model twinned with the recently launched VW ID.3 Neo.

A far more exciting EV is also on the way. Audi is reiterating that a production version of the Concept C will enter production next year. The sports car with a targa roof will be assembled at Böllinger Höfe from 2027. The German site is famously known for building the R8, but the upcoming sports car won’t be a direct successor. It won’t have a V10 or any other type of combustion engine. Instead, the two-seater will be exclusively electric, sharing its platform with Porsche’s forthcoming 718 Boxster and Cayman EVs.

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Source: Audi

Motor1’s Take: Audi is reshuffling its lineup to become more competitive as it continues to struggle in a challenging market. Killing off the A1 and Q2 follows the demise of several coupes and convertibles: the A5, TT, and R8. Additionally, the A8 flagship is not long for this world, though a successor is expected near the end of the decade.

But Audi’s lineup isn’t shrinking. Not only are the A2 and Concept C coming soon, but so is a three-row full-size SUV. The first-ever Q9 will be a belated answer to the Mercedes GLS and BMW X7. An off-roader is also under consideration, while over in China, there is now a separate AUDI brand focused on tech-heavy EVs.

Will these efforts pay off? That’s anyone’s guess, but it’s reasonable to assume that, at the very least, the Q9 will be good for business.