This futuristic 2000s hatchback could be making a return in electric form

Audi’s latest electric car will be a small, entry-level model – and it’s nearly ready for sale, as we’ve spotted it testing on public roads.

The new car will replace the oldest models in Audi’s range – the A1 hatchback and the Q2 small SUV – with a single, electric-powered model. But despite its forward-thinking powertrain, it’s clear that Audi’s taken some inspiration from the past with the design of its new baby EV…

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With its stubby bonnet, smoothly sloping roofline and rear-mounted spoiler, the new electric car has more than a passing resemblance to the Audi A2, launched in the year 2000. This too was a very forward-thinking car, combining a radical aluminium space-frame construction with super-efficient engines to make a car that was very lightweight, extremely efficient and much more practical than other hatchbacks of its size.

Unfortunately it was also very expensive to produce, with Audi reportedly losing money on each one sold, and some of its quirkier features – such as the bonnet which had to be removed entirely, or the noisy three-cylinder diesel options – didn’t sit too well with Audi’s premium-leaning buyers.

The new A2-influenced EV, expected to be called the A3 e-tron, will sit on the Volkswagen Group’s MEB platform – the same chassis, batteries and motors that underpin other cars such as the Volkswagen ID3, Cupra Born and Skoda Elroq. That suggests it could be rear-wheel drive, unlike the front-drive A2, and have power outputs up to 326hp with a range of around 360 miles.

To differentiate it from its sibling cars, though, it’s possible that the new car could have a quattro all-wheel drive model, while it will also feature a more premium interior and higher price tag than those models.

Despite being an ‘entry-level’ EV, a price tag of around £40,000 is likely – quite a bit pricier than the A1 or Q2.

In size and poshness, the new A3 e-tron will be a strong alternative to cars like the Volvo EX30 and BMW iX1. It will also have to fend off strong competition from cheaper Chinese brands, which offer loads of standard equipment for a bargain price tag – so Audi will be counting on the clout of the four-ringed badge to keep customers out of a Leapmotor C10 or Geely EX5.

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