Sport The Audi A2 was a car that, perhaps, arrived too soon on the market and was not understood by a large part of the public. Today we reveal five curiosities of that small minivan.
At the end of the 90s, the brand with the four rings embarked on an innovative project that was far removed from the type of product it had been offering until then. It is a cliché to say that the Audi A2 It was misunderstood, a car ahead of its time, so we are going to tell you five curiosities that surely you did not know of this little minivan.
The minivan is not exactly the type of car that Audi usually produces, but in Ingolstadt they set out to create a model to attract a type of public completely foreign to the brand.
This is something that should not surprise you. In recent years, we have seen manufacturers of all kinds enter the SUV segment, the latest being Ferrari with the Purosangue. Could anyone have imagined an off-road Ferrari 10 or 15 years ago? And an Aston Martin, a Rolls-Royce…?
But Audi did not do so well with the A2, perhaps because it was a car ahead of its time. Be that as it may, here are five curiosities of the Audi A2 that you surely did not know.
Sport 5 curiosities of the Audi A2 that you surely did not know: excellent aerodynamics
One of the priorities of the German brand was maximize energy performance vehicle. To do this, he had to work on two fundamental aspects: aerodynamics and engines.
About engines, we’ll talk later. In terms of aerodynamics, the A2 was characterized by an unconventional design, but it was not accidental. It had an almost van-like look, albeit with a softer, almost coupé-like roof drop, topped by an integrated rear window spoiler.
This design allowed the A2 to be one of the lowest coefficient production cars, even today: it declared a Cx of 0.28.
Sport aluminum structure
To improve efficiency, weight is also important. Therefore, Audi decided to make a heavy use of aluminum in much of the structure and bodywork. This allowed the petrol variants to weigh less than 900kg (around 895 kg) and those with a diesel engine about 990kg.
Thanks to the use of sistema ASF (Audi Space Frame), The aluminum body of the Audi A2 is 40% lighter than a similar one made of steel. It should be noted that not many manufacturers have dared to use aluminum so much, at least in high-volume production vehicles.
Sport maximum efficiency
The second aspect in which Audi worked to achieve great energy efficiency, as we said at the beginning, was in the engines. And he did it with mechanics that offered ridiculous consumption, even today.
At this point, we must highlight the engine 1.2 TDI three-cylinder unit injector of the Volkswagen Group, which developed 61 CV and declared a consumption of only three liters per 100 kilometers.
The A2 was also available with a 75 PS 1.4-litre TSI petrol engine and another 1.4 TDI diesel with the same power. In 2003, the 1.4 TDI block with 90 hp was also offered.
Sport Practical solutions
Technical issues aside, one of the curiosities of the Audi A2 was an ingenious solution to access the engine fluid tanks without having to lift the hood.
On the front grill was a hatch that could be folded down and allowed limited access to the engine, basically, to the fluid and oil reservoirs. This was so, because the hood was not easy to open, since, instead of having a hydraulic system, it required turning two clips and removing the hood.
Sport Abundant equipment
Finally, another of the curiosities of the Audi A2 was its abundant equipment. In this sense, the A2 was a true Audi with all the letters.
The small minivan included systems such as the ESP stability control, front and side airbagsaluminum wheels, automatic climate control, front electric windows and central locking as standard.
The superior finish Style added elements such as height-adjustable front seats, remote control locking, aluminum interior inserts, leather-wrapped three-spoke sports steering wheel, as well as the gear knob, and numerous customization options.
