I’ve always had a weird fascination with base models, especially when they come from luxury brands. While most people gravitate toward the top-spec version with every option ticked when they play with configurators, I tend to do the opposite. Show me the cheapest car in the lineup and let me see what the badge gets you before you start throwing money at it.
Audi is moving fast with its A2 E-Tron. The reborn supermini broke cover on September 2, entered series production just a few days later, and is now configurable in Germany. Pricing starts at €38,200, and while it’s technically not the cheapest car with the Four Rings money can buy, it is the most affordable EV the Ingolstadt-based automaker sells.
While all the press shots featured the compact electric hatchback decked out with plenty of options, these screenshots from the German configurator show the A2 E-Tron without a single box ticked on the options list. Although predictably less appealing than the higher-spec versions, it’s still a charming little thing. This spartan-spec build sticks to non-metallic white paint, 18-inch wheels, and LED headlights without matrix functionality.
A Sea Of Black
As you can imagine, the interior isn’t particularly the most exciting. With an almost entirely black look and cloth seats, it doesn’t exactly scream premium, let alone luxury. And like the nicer A2 E-Tron models you can build in the configurator, it’s plagued by the same massive screen bezels found in most of the company’s latest vehicles and reminiscent of early smartphones.
On the plus side, Audi does throw in dual-zone automatic climate control and ambient lighting as standard equipment. Goodies such as navigation, electrically adjustable and heated mirrors, and wireless smartphone charging also come out of the box. Still, the manually adjustable front seats immediately remind you that you didn’t spring for a nicer trim level.
Base Audi A2 E-Tron Specs
Under its simplified skin, the base A2 E-Tron gets a single electric motor sending 170 hp and 258 lb-ft (350 Nm) of torque to the rear wheels. That’s enough punch for a sprint to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 8.8 seconds, while top speed is capped at 99 mph (160 km/h). The motor draws juice from a 50-kWh lithium-ion battery, providing 262 miles (421 kilometers) of range on the WLTP cycle.
When it’s time to replenish the battery, DC fast charging peaks at 100 kW, allowing a 10–80 percent charge in 24 minutes; under ideal conditions, the car can add up to 71 miles (115 km) of WLTP range in 10 minutes.
With zero options added, this is the lightest Audi A2 E-Tron available, but it still tips the scales at a porky 4,057 pounds (1,840 kilograms).
To put the price tag in context, the €38,200 sticker makes the entry-level Audi A2 E-Tron a little over €4,000 more expensive than the Volkswagen ID.3 Neo it’s based on. But base-spec models sold by luxury brands are rare, as people tend to add at least a few extras before finishing their builds. Cars like this mostly exist in configurators, yet it’s still fascinating to see them.
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