Audi A2 - fascinating technology and a new form of agility. World's first volume-production aluminium car
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The future has begun: Audi is introducing the series-production version of the first high-volume passenger car with an all-aluminium body. Only a few months before its market launch is scheduled, the Audi A2 can be seen at the 2000 Geneva Motor Show.
The A2 ingeniously and systematically exploits Audi's wealth of experience in pioneering lightweight construction. Thanks to the use of the Audi Space Frame (ASF), the A2's aluminium body is over 40 percent lighter than if it were made from steel using conventional techniques. Its tare weight is only 895 kg - some 150 kg lower than what vehicles of this size usually weigh. The A2's fuel consumption is consequently below that of other cars of a comparable performance. And its low weight makes it particularly agile.
With its striking shape, the A2 reinforces Audi's claim to set new standards in automotive design. The car's progressive outlines convey the utterly distinctive character of a concept that again underlines Audi's capabilities as a pioneer of new technology.
Despite its overall length of only 3.82 m, the A2 is not to be regarded as a "small car": it is a fully-fledged automobile with a remarkably spacious and comfortable interior. With a width of only 1.67 m and a height of 1.55 m, and above all thanks to the brilliant use of interior space, occupants of the A2 will find it surprisingly roomy inside. The "Space Floor Concept", with the rear footwells lower than those in the front, creates significantly more space for rear passengers and allows them to assume an anatomically correct seated position that is almost without equal.
The interior is also remarkable for its versatility. The rear seats of this four-seater car can be folded down either individually or together. They can even be removed entirely, for easy transportation of bulky items such as bicycles.
Two engine versions of the A2, each with a displacement of 1.4 litres, will be available initially. The A2 with high-torque three-cylinder TDI engine, an output of 55 kW (75 bhp) and pump-injector fuel injection, needs only 4.3 litres of diesel fuel per 100 kilometres (overall consumption according to 93/116/EC), accelerates from 0 to 100 in 12.3 seconds and reaches a top speed of 173 km/h.
The A2 with four-cylinder spark-ignition engine, which also develops 55 kW (75 bhp), produces similar performance data and requires on average only 6.0 litres of fuel per 100 km (according to 93/116 EC); it is classified as a low-pollution car according to EU4 legislation.
Both versions have a 5-speed manual gearbox.
The A2's progressive design resolves two apparent contradictions: lightness and strength. Whereas the gently ribbed roof and generously-sized rear window are indicative of lightness and subtlety, the sturdy, high-shouldered body creates an impression of considerable substance, implying security and protection.
The clear-cut lines, with accentuated panel gaps and geometrical wheel arches, communicate a distinctive formal idiom. The Audi A2's front end is particularly striking. Its key features are the bumpers, which lie virtually flush with the body itself, and the eye-catching design of the headlights.
The outstanding drag coefficient of cD = 0.28 makes the Audi A2 the best in its category.
The Audi A2 also sets a new standard when it comes to ease of servicing. It is the world's first production car to have a "service module". On the Audi A2, a hinged flap takes the place of the conventional radiator grille; the oil dipstick and filler caps for engine oil and windscreen washer fluid are readily accessible behind this flap, for maximum convenience. In other words, the engine hood itself generally only needs to be opened in the workshop, and relatively infrequently in all normal circumstances, because Audi's extended service intervals - up to 2 years or 30,000 km (50,000 km for the 1.4 TDI), whichever is the sooner - also apply to the A2.
The A2's suspension combines ultra-modern electronic components, such as ABS anti-lock braking as standard, EBD electronic braking-force distribution and the ESP electronic stability program, with the proven technology of McPherson spring-strut suspension at the front and a torsion-crank rear axle.
As on the Audi A8, the ASF structure constitutes an ideal basis for high passive safety, with the Audi Space Frame made from high-strength aluminium profiles surrounding the occupants like a protective cage. Driver's, front passenger's and side airbags are fitted as standard, and Audi's advanced SIDEGUARD safety system is available as an optional extra. This is a curtain-type airbag for the neck and chest regions, which drops down to cover the side windows and the A and B-posts almost completely, as additional protection for the occupants in various sideswipe and angled collisions.
The A2 is a common-sense car that is never dull; its fuel consumption is low, but it is still fun to drive; its exterior dimensions are compact, yet it is exceptionally spacious inside.
Thanks to its advanced design, fascinating technology and unconventional features, the Audi A2 creates an entirely new premium class within the compact car segment - a car designed for the 21st century.
