Audi A2 review

Not really sporty. But also not bad at all. The car we’ve driven the most is the 228bhp S Line, which pumps out 258lb ft, hits 62mph from rest in seven seconds dead and manages 99mph top end. Plenty for most people.

And it feels remarkably composed. The steering – uncorrupted by the need to motivate and steer – is nicely sorted, precise and capable, with a taxi-type turning circle. Play with the (optional) adjustable damper and throttle position/weight settings (Balanced, Dynamic, Comfort, Range, Individual), and there’s mildly different character options, but the basic car is largely neutral with a slight whiff of rear-wheel drive. Though we’ll have to drive the car with the passive dampers to make a judgement on that.

But there’s grip on offer, excellent weight distribution and great balance. Body control is tidy, grip is consistent and strong, in context. Not a car that makes you swoon, but equally something that works on lots of different levels; if the car is solid and predictable, you can play with it a bit without making scary faces.

There’s also the fact that the A2 was launched on some of Spain’s best-surfaced roads, and a proper test on the UK’s heartland of dystopian B-roads might throw up some different opinions. But for now, there’s an impressive, rounded performance.

And what about the most powerful one?

A brief go in the 322bhp version found that to be more than capable of 0-62mph in 5.7 seconds, but it feels essentially like a smooth power upgrade than a completely different car. More power and torque, yes, but not night and day in terms of the driving experience.

The rest is also as it should be: toddling through urban environments, the four-setting brake regen works perfectly, adjusted via paddles behind the steering wheel. Yes, there’s a half inch of brake vagueness on the pedal itself as it works through regen to friction, but that helps for soft-stopping in town, and you soon get used to it on a twisty road. It’s a really calm and sorted little hatch.

What are the rest of the specs? Does the A2 charge like it should?

Prepare for a little onslaught of numbers to answer that question. Just remember, you asked for this. Right: the base car gets 168bhp/258lb ft with the 50kWh battery, a 261-mile range and a 0-62mph time of 8.8 seconds. That’ll charge at 100kW DC for 10-80 per cent in 24mins, which is the fastest charger but obviously also the smallest battery.

The 188bhp/258lb ft car with the 58kWh battery gets 316-mile range, 7.9s to 62mph and charges at 105kW DC in 26mins, which is respectable.

Both of the cars with the bigger NMC battery get 183kW of DC charging on that 79kWh set of cells, and both go from 10-80 per cent in 29 minutes, with the 228bhp car pushing the same 258lb ft and a 0-62mph time of seven seconds flat – that’s the one with the 397-mile range.

The 322bhp/402lb ft version manages 386 miles of range and 0-62mph in just 5.7s. Phew.

And while that’s all very nice, the charging is generally on par with most modern EVs; the 30-minute mark seemingly what most are aiming for. But it’s not as good as a lot of the South Korean stuff, or indeed the average Tesla. All cars get vehicle-to-load and vehicle-to-home capability – the latter only if you’ve got the appropriate connections and home setup.