We Love Cars July

q2
Review
audi
that was parked outside the cafe where
the media briefing was being held.
Already Audi owners, they were keen
to hear more about it and were even
keen to buy it from us.
Unfortunately for them we had a drive
programme to undertake, including
negotiating the capital’s tightly packed,
narrow road to Mt Victoria, then the
busy streets to Parliament for some
photo opportunities.
I was impressed with the handling
of the Q2 in those narrow roads to Mt
Victoria, and the low-end torque that
helped me nip up the hill when our
side was clear.
Next it was on to the motorway to
Martinborough, with the Q2’s biggest
challenge the Rimutaka Range that
had been pelted with rain during the
weekend, causing slips on the side of
the decline.
On the passing lane, we pushed the
transmission into sport mode to extend
the torque line — though the lack of
steering wheel-mounted paddles meant
we couldn’t easily use the manual option
if we wanted a quick gear change.
Instead you had to flick the shift
across to the left and then flick it up or
down to move gears.
On the roads around Featherson and
Martinborough, the Q2 didn’t have many
challenging surfaces to negotiate.
But my co-driver, Audi ambassador
and Huffer co-founder Steve Dunstan,
and I did take it for an off-road trek to
a gravel and stone road by a river for
a photo op.
An Audi A3 owner was also at the
river bank with her two dogs and, like
the Wellington couple, was intrigued
by the compact crossover, proving
the point that this will be a trendsetter.
For more automotive news and
reviews, visit www.driven.co.nz
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