Audi developing a sub-A1 urban car - Report

May be previewed by a concept at the Paris Motor Show.

As per a report from Autocar, Audi is working on a sub-Audi A1 successor to the Audi A2 that was axed in 2005. While a 2019 launch timeline is speculated, the production version may be previewed by a concept as early as the Paris Motor Show.

The new city car's length will under 4.0 metres and it will be positioned below the Audi A1, as per the report. The length will be more than 400 mm shorter than the A1 which measures 3,973 mm in length. According to insiders, the company is thinking about offering this car with petrol engine and electric powertrain.

The standard variant may be offered with a new 1.0-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine, while the all-electric variant's electric motor and lithium-ion battery pack setup may be similar to that of the VW e-up!. Front-wheel drive layout will be standard across the range, as the NSF platform and its successor have not been engineered to be compatible with four-wheel drive, reportedly.

The report says that the Audi A2 successor is currently under development at the company's chief R&D centre in Ingolstadt in Germany. Underpinning the city car, is a modified version of the Volkswagen Group's front-wheel-drive NSF (New Small Family) platform that is currently used by the German auto giant's three A-segment triplets VW up!, Skoda Citigo and Seat Mii. This platform is already battery-compatible, as proved by the VW e-up!.

Also Read: Audi Q2, second-gen Audi Q5 debuts confirmed for 2016 - IAB Report

The Audi A2 successor may be launched as 3- and 5-door hatchback. An adventure-styled all-road variant with higher ground clearance and extra cladding is also under discussion, reportedly. With European markets as the main target, the A2 successor will be pitted against the likes of BMW i3, Nissan Leaf and Renault Zoe electric cars.

[Source: Autocar]