The new Audi A2 has been cut from production plans, according to a report by a British motoring outlet.
Autocar magazine, citing Audi sources, says a production version of the 2011 Audi A2 Concept (pictured) has been shelved, with the move possibly a reaction to the lacklustre consumer reaction to new electric cars.
The successor to the original A2 sold between 1999 and 2005 was planned to be a battery electric vehicle that would have become a direct rival in 2013 to the BMW i3. A range-extender system employing a petrol engine to charge the battery on the go was expected to be an option, as with the i3.
The A2 concept had confirmed Audi’s plans to build a successor to the original A2, again using aluminium. The A2 is now considered a car ahead of its time, but its costly aluminium construction made it a loss-maker for the brand and it was axed after six years.
The 3.8-metre Audi A2 concept was actually shorter than Audi’s smallest car, the A1, with taller proportions intended as a visual nod to the original model.
