SA Road Tests

Welcome

This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. I drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under real-world South African conditions. Many of the vehicles driven are world cars as well, so what you read here possibly applies to the models you get where you live.

My most recent drive is on the home page. Archived reviews and opinion pieces are in the active list down the left side. Hover your cursor over a heading or manufacturer's name and search through the drop-down menu that appears.

Editor's note: SA Roadtests accepts multi-day vehicle loans from manufacturers in order to provide editorial reviews. All vehicle reviews are conducted on our turf and on our terms.

For out-of-province vehicle launch features however, travel costs are covered by the manufacturer concerned. This is common in the motor industry, as it's more economical to ship journalists to cars than to ship cars to journalists.

Judgments and opinions expressed on this site are our own. We do not accept paid editorial content or ads of any kind.


One car, many faces: 2021 Audi Q2, 35 TFSI Advanced

Sporty packages

Pics by Motorpress
Posted: October 23, 2021

The numbers
Base price: R567 500
Engine: 1395 cc, DOHC, 16-valve, inline four-cylinder turbocharged
Power: 110 kW between 4600 and 6000 rpm
Torque: 250 Nm between 1500 and 3500 rpm
0-100 km/h: 8.8 seconds
Top speed: 213 km/h
Real life fuel consumption: About 6.9 l/100 km
Tank: 50 litres
Luggage: 405 to 1050 litres
Ground clearance: About 150 mm
Turning circle: 11.1 metres
Standard tyre size (Advanced): 215/55R17
Spare: Spacesaver
Warranty and maintenance: Five year, 100 000 km Audi Freeway plan

When we last drove an Audi Q2, in 2017, buyers had a choice of four one-litre cars, two 1400 cc Sport versions in manual or automatic and a 2.0-litre quattro Sport in diesel. That 2017 drive was in a 1400 Sport S-tronic, so this year’s car is basically similar.

What did change was its outside appearance; subtly reshaped headlights that are now LED across the range, remodelled side “air intakes” that don’t, and a new lower bumper. The rear end sports extensively reshaped tailgate, indicators and diffuser. Its body is now 17 mm longer but no other dimensions, luggage volume or apparent interior space, changed.

The inside remains mostly as before but with slightly reshaped air vents and selector lever. LED taillights are fitted only to Advanced and S-Line models. One other thing: The S-Tronic gearbox now has eight speeds.

Which brings us to what’s available; one basic model, 35 TFSI, in three configurations.  These are 35 TFSI, 35 TFSI Advanced and 35 TFSI S-Line with price steps of R22 000 and R14 000.

The “basic” car offers 16” alloy wheels; tyre pressure monitoring; cruise control; ESC stabilisation control with integrated “off-road” mode; powered, folding and heated wing mirrors; rear parking aid; LED headlamps with washers; plain DRLs and rear fog lights; standard Audi sound system with Bluetooth; driver information system with colour display; ISOFix anchors with top tethers; six airbags and fabric seats.

Advanced level increases wheel size to 17”, upgrades tail lights to LED and adds sports seats in a higher grade of cloth.

S-Line provides 18” wheels, adds S-Line bumpers with LED rear lamps, sports seats in “Index” fabric and sport suspension lowered by 10 mm.

Comfort, Technology, Black Styling and S-Line Interior packages add various nice-to-haves and some really-should-haves - considering the cars’ prices - like reversing camera with parking aids and adaptive cruise control with pre-sense.

A wide selection of options enables further personalisation. For example, the Drive Select dynamic handling system enables drivers to configure drive, steering assistance, and other functions via five modes: auto, efficiency, comfort, dynamic, and individual.

Driving and living with it: Although the little 1400 motor puts out “only” 110 kW it feels like much more. The car happily points, squirts and howls and is more fun than a treeful of monkeys. We loved it. And the eight-speed DSG is one of the world’s better ‘boxes. We couldn’t fault it.

The loading deck is at 74 cm with two lights, a pair of bag hooks and four tie-rings. Seatbacks are split 40:60 and fold almost flat. Tools and a Spacesaver are stored under the baseboard although the space looks deep enough to hold a full-width wheel.

Rear seat passengers have decent headroom but knee space is tight and getting out again can be a chore. Although three head restraints and full belts are fitted, the central tunnel is quite high and there’s really only space for two adults. A second, centrally mounted courtesy lamp makes it easier to strap any baby seat occupants in after dark.

The office features an electric parking brake, two cup holders, a regular USB socket, medium sized cubby and door bins, lit visor mirrors, accessible HVAC controls, virtual instruments with two viewing choices and, apparently, a phone charging pad. It’s hard to be sure because the options list doesn’t make this clear and it’s usually extra on Audis. The ignition key is, surprisingly these days, almost boringly conventional although a comfort key, meaning keyless entry and start, forms part of an antitheft alarm system with towing protection at R6 700.

This particular combination (Advanced) is priced just above half-a-million Rand and offers a sporty little package that, with certain reservations, appears quite competitive.

Test unit from Audi SA press fleet


What We Do

This is a one-man show, which means that every car reviewed is given my personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.

Every test car goes through real world driving; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads or goat tracks as well. As a result, my test cars do occasionally get dirty. It's all part of the reviewing process.

I do my best to include relevant information like real life fuel economy or a close mathematical calculation, boot size or luggage space, whether the space is both usable and accessible, whether life-sized people can use the back seat (where that applies), basic specs of the vehicle and performance figures if they are published. In the case of clearly identified launch reports, fuel figures are of necessity the laboratory numbers provided with the release material.

If ever I place an article that doesn't cover most things, it's probably because I have dealt with a very similar vehicle already, so you will be able to find what you want in another report under the same manufacturer's heading in the menu on the left.

Hope you like what you see, because there are no commercial interests at work here. There are no advertisers and no “editorial policy” rules. I add bylines to acknowledge sponsored launch functions and the manufacturers or dealerships that provide the test vehicles.  And, as quite a few readers have found, I answer every serious enquiry from my home email address, with my phone numbers attached, so you can see I do actually exist.

Comments or questions?
Want to ask a question, comment or just tell me you completely disagree with what I say? If you want advice or have a genuine concern, I will be happy to hear from you. All I ask is that you write something in the subject line so I know which vehicle you're talking about.