New Audi A2 Electric Now On Sale, €6,000 More Than Cupra Born With Shared Battery and Motors

It has been 26 years since Audi began selling the Audi A2, a model ahead of its time, yet also too costly for the market. Today, Audi revives the A2 in a 100% electric version. Audi leans into nostalgia and offers a contemporary reinterpretation of the original A2's design, built on the Volkswagen Group's MEB platform, with the aim of not repeating the mistakes of the past. Audi A2: from a tech showcase to a nostalgic model In 1999, Audi took a chance on something the market never fully accepted. The Audi A2 was a compact urban MPV, a rarity in its segment and a showcase of technology ahead of its time. It was, for instance, a utilitarian car made almost entirely from aluminum, just like the first Audi A8. High manufacturing costs, expensive repairs, mechanics accessible only at dealerships, and a price tag high for the time. In 2000 it cost about 17,700 euros (equivalent to 32,000 euros in 2026). The A2 was between 6,000 and 7,000 euros (12,000 euros in 2026) more expensive than a SEAT Ibiza with the same 1.4-liter, 75 HP engine. The project was too costly for Audi and, in 2005, after only 176,000 units sold in five years, it was cancelled. Twenty-six years later, Audi revives the name in a radically different context—the electric car world—where lightness no longer depends on the aluminum of the chassis and body, but on the battery. And Audi has chosen a high-capacity battery (up to 82 kWh gross), and therefore heavy. The new Audi A2 e-tron draws on the design of its predecessor, most evident in the rear section and the profile (short overhangs, a sloping roof, and a rear window split by a spoiler). At 4.32 m long, 1.79 m wide and 1.55 m tall, its dimensions are nearly identical to those of the Volkswagen ID.3 Neo and the Cupra Born, its platform cousins. The aero work translates into a drag coefficient of Cx 0.24, the best figure in Audi's entire compact range. That figure is not accidental. A louver located behind the front bumper opens and closes according to the needs of cooling the battery or managing airflow. Side intakes direct air toward the wheel arches, equipped with patented deflectors to limit turbulence. Even the door handles, shaped like fins and integrated into the pillars, contribute to the effort, a solution already seen in the Mustang Mach-E and the BMW iX5. The interior is radically different from that of its platform-mates. A fabric band runs from the dashboard to the rear doors, without fully masking the omnipresence of plastic, even in the S line finish. The curved display pairs an 11.9-inch instrument cluster with a 12.8-inch central touchscreen oriented toward the driver. In the central console appears the most striking detail: a magnetic mounting system named Fidlock, with three points on the console and three more in the boot, which unmistakably recalls Dacia's YouClip. Audi has patented it on its own. The 2.77 m wheelbase, identical to that of the Volkswagen ID.3 Neo, will offer good space in the rear seats, although the battery housed under the floor significantly raises knee height, a flaw common to the entire MEB platform. The boot holds 396 liters, eleven more than the Volkswagen's, expandable to 1,336 liters with the rear seat folded. The higher-powered versions add a 13-liter front trunk, ideal for storing the charging cable. The Audi A2 remains expensive, but not as much as the original Mechanically, the A2 e-tron mirrors the Volkswagen ID.3 Neo's specification point for point. Permanent-magnet synchronous motors in four power levels, LFP (lithium iron phosphate) batteries of 50 and 58 kWh for the 170 and 190 HP versions, and a 79 kWh NMC (nickel manganese cobalt) battery shared by the 231 and 326 HP variants. The WLTP range runs from 423 to 649 km, depending on versions, with a marginal gain of 6 to 19 km over the ID.3. Fast charging sits at 100-105 kW for the LFP versions and rises to 183 kW with the NMC batteries, enabling a 10 to 80% charge in 24 to 29 minutes. With the standard 11 kW AC charger, eight and a half hours are needed for a full charge of the 79 kWh battery. Made in Germany, the entry price is 37,760 euros, before subsidies, that is 6,390 euros more than the equivalent ID.3 Neo. The 190 HP version starts at 41,560 euros, the 231 HP and 79 kWh version, which will surely be the best-seller, from 47,360 euros (about 5,000 euros more than the equivalent CUPRA Born), and the range-topping 326 HP variant starts at 56,640 euros (7,000 euros more than the 326 HP Born VZ). Figures worth noting alongside the €17,690 price of the gasoline A2 at its 2000 launch (equivalent to €32,000 in 2026, when an Ibiza with the same engine cost around €20,000), which makes this model the brand's most expensive entry model ever, now that the A1 and Q2 have left the lineup. In any case, it is not a model intended to compete with Chinese offerings like the MG 4 or BYD Dolphin, but rather to be an alternative to the Volvo EX30 and smart #1 (though these are cheaper and offer more powerful drivetrains than the A2), with a more premium tilt than an MG or a BYD. The new Audi A2 e-tron is already on sale with the first deliveries scheduled for December this year. Find your ideal electric car If you've considered buying an electric car, this will be of interest. We've created the personalized electric car recommender, where in addition to seeing models that match your needs you'll also get answers to the questions that matter most, such as price, range, or nearby charging points. Looking for your next electric car and feeling overwhelmed by so many choices? It's normal. More than 45,000 readers have already tried it. And you? Advice offered by the brand