Audi Q2 review

There are similar frustrations with the interior of the Q2 as there are with the rest of the car. Everything works as it should and it’s laid out with the usual Audi aplomb, but the standard of the materials isn’t as good as elsewhere in the Audi range. This is as much an entry-level car as the A1 is, but even the A3 hatchback is a demonstrable step up in terms of both design and quality.

In truth, the Q2 shows the age of its design inside – the infotainment screen, for instance, harks back to the days when carmakers were just discovering them. There’s no touch control, and it stays proud of the dashboard like it’s been glued on top, it doesn’t disappear into the dash like in some other Audis.

Anything that works nicely? 

Once you accept the Q2's entry SUV status (and assuming you're happy to spend £30k on that) it's predictably well screwed together. The Virtual Cockpit (aka digital dials) is present and correct too, the nav and media systems work beautifully (and sync neatly to your smartphone) and you can have some welcome splashes of colour inside to keep things light and cheery.

What about practicality? 

This feels like a young-couple-with-a-little-one car more than a full-on family car, but if that’s you, there’s more than enough space for kiddie seats in the back and assorted paraphernalia in the boot. Just don’t expect to be fitting proper adults in the rear seats for long distances, or ferrying the family pet away for the holidays.

You get 405 litres of space in the boot with the seats up, 1,050 litres with the seats down. That’s against 335/1,090 and 380/1,200 in the A1 and A3 respectively. So if you regularly need to fill the entire back of the car you’ll be wanting that bastion of go-anywhere practicality, the hatchback. Or a bigger SUV like everyone else.