Audi SQ2 review

Easy to drive, and easy to use. You get the feeling Audi has positioned the SQ2 very, very carefully indeed. The seats could, probably should, have larger side bolsters, but I suspect that would have jarred with the ergonomic experts trying to make it as easy as possible to get in and out. Feedback from customer clinics suggested people liked the higher view out that a crossover offers, but also liked to feel snug and secure in the car. A contradiction, but not an insurmountable one. So the sides are high, you feel enclosed, but the views front and rear are good. The driving position is decent. But not racy despite the perforated leather steering wheel and red trim accents.

The quality is top notch, the overall ambience (probably with one eye on a potential coupe customer making the leap), has much in common with the TT. The layout is clean, well organised, attractively structured and built around the class-leading Virtual Cockpit dash – provided you spec it. As ever with Audi, pay attention to the options. This one was clad in £8,495 of options that included heated seats, lumbar support, rear-view camera, auto-dimming rear-view mirror and a 40:20:40 split rear bench. None of that comes as standard.

But it’s all logical. Even if you’re new to Audi, you’ll be comfortable, sat nav programmed, tunes managed and heat where you want, in a matter of minutes. There’s a lot to be said for that, but bear in mind that some rivals, notably the Mercedes-AMG A35, have interiors that make the SQ2s feel half a generation behind. But then the standard Q2 on which this is based has already been out for three years.

Further back there’s reasonable space for adults or child seats in the back (although rear door access is a bit tight) while the 355-litre boot is accommodating enough – but in essence no bigger than you’ll find in any Golf or Focus-sized hatchback. The sole packaging advantage of the crossover is that you can sit occupants a little more upright to maximise foot and headspace. It’s 100mm shorter than an S3, but probably marginally better for carrying people.