Audi is reviving one of its most innovative cars ever
► Audi A2 nameplate to return► Set to replace ageing A1 and Q2► Sleek EV to arrive in late 2026
The Audi A2 nameplate will make a return later in 2026 on the German firm’s entry-level and smallest electric car to date.
Though we already knew the car was coming as it’s been spied testing on multiple occasions, this is the first time its name has been confirmed. Earlier intel from Audi insiders pointed towards it being called the E3, and the A3 e-tron name had also been mooted, but we now know it will be called the A2 e-tron.
Audi’s smallest EV will be its first electric hatch, slotting beneath the Q4 e-tron in its BEV line-up, though likely offering a similar footprint to the popular A3 Sportback. Audi is sticking to the e-tron name, despite previously hinting that it might drop it for new EVs.
Confirmed during Audi’s 2026 annual media conference, it will use the MEB+ platform underpinning the updated Volkswagen ID.3 and facelifted Cupra Born, with the single teaser image and spy shots already showing a similar profile to those two cars.
That said, its rear window split by an aerodynamic spoiler is very similar to the original, and highly innovative Audi A2 sold between 2000 and 2005. One of the most advanced compact cars of the 21st century, and well ahead of its time, the A2 was known for its low weight and impressive fuel efficiency thanks to being produced from aluminium and also its aerodynamic shape.
Audi says ‘its name is a deliberate nod to the Audi A2, which pioneered efficiency and urban mobility over 25 years ago. The new A2 e-tron carries this mission forward into the electric age.’
The firm says it’s looking to appeal to a ‘broad international customer base’ with the new car and is looking to open the brand up to more customers, having not yet had a more affordable EV in its line-up.
The A2 e-tron is expected to replace two of Audi’s ageing compact models, the A1 supermini and Q2 crossover. Production of the new A2 at Audi’s home of Ingolstadt will likely fill the gap left by the Q2, which will cease production in April 2026.
Audi CEO Gernot Dollner said: ‘The A2 e-tron is crucial for our brand and also for our German home. With the production of an additional fully electric model family in Ingolstadt, we are securing jobs and delivering electric mobility ‘made in Germany’.”
Audi is also expanding its line-up in 2026 with a flagship new SUV called the Q9, designed to sit above the Q7 in its range and serve as a BMW X7 rival, as it bookends its line-up.
Audi says the A2 e-tron will be revealed in Autumn 2026, with first deliveries likely in early 2027. We’ll update this story as we know more.
