Audi SQ2 breaks cover with obvious styling and 296bhp

-    The potent Q2 will be unveiled publicly at the 2018 Paris Motor Show.

-    0-100kmph in 4.8seconds owing to the 296bhp 2.0-litre TFSI, ride height lowered by 20mm.

-    It rivals the BMW X2 M35i and GLA 45, and will be followed by an even crazier RSQ2 soon.

We already brought to you how the SQ2 will look like in our exclusive digital rendering back in April 2017. And the real deal doesn’t look much different compared to our rendering. But the most exciting news is how much power the potent compact SUV produces. Under the hood of the SQ2, the 2.0-litre turbocharged TFSI motor rings out 296bhp and 400Nm.

The motor is borrowed from the S3 and enables the Baby Q to do a time of 4.8 seconds for the 0-100kmph sprint. Typical to German rules, the top speed is electronically limited to 155mph (250kmph). Wearing a Quattro badge means the power is sent to all four wheels channelled through a seven-speed dual-clutch S-Tronic transmission. The four-pot TFSI motor weighs just 150kg and has revised intake/exhaust camshafts amongst many advanced technologies. The ride height of the SUV has been reduced by 20mm with the S-spec sports suspension. 

Appearance wise, the SQ2 carries typical Audi Sports styling. The octagonal cascading grille gets vertical louvres flanked by distinct Q2 headlights. The front bumpers get black treatment in terms of air vents and extended splitter. At the rear, the quad exhaust setup is integrated with the diffusers. The ORVM gets an aluminium-finish while the body paint options available are Vegas yellow, Ara blue, Daytona grey, floret silver, glacier white, coral orange, mythos black, quantum grey and tango red. The SQ2 sits on 18-inch wheels as standard with 10 design choices, which can be upgraded to 19-inches. The cabin is typical to Audi with all the features expected from a sport SUV. A bigger set of brakes (340mm at front and 310mm at the rear) takes care of the stopping responsibilities, while the sonorous exhaust makes sure the SQ2 sounds as good as its elder siblings.

The SQ2 will make its public debut at the 2018 Paris Motor Show. More images will be revealed then. Stay tuned to CarWale for a detailed coverage from the Paris stage.