Updated 2020 Audi SQ2 now available to order

• Larger infotainment screen, more safety tech and styling tweaks
• Same 296bhp engine and quattro four-wheel drive as outgoing model
• On sale now with starting price of £38,700

The facelifted Audi SQ2 has been revealed with a range of styling tweaks and updated technology. It retains the same 296bhp engine as the outgoing model and is on sale now with a starting price of £38,700. First customer cars are slated for delivery early next year.

The SQ2 is the flagship of the Q2 range and a direct rival to other high-performance SUV models including the VW T-Roc R, Cupra Ateca and Ford Puma ST.

2020 Audi SQ2: design

As with other fast ‘S’ Audi models, the SQ2 has some subtle styling changes compared with the standard Q2. Changes at the front include a pair of LED headlights, a restyled grille and a different bumper design with widened air intakes. At the rear of the car, redesigned LED tail lights, a new rear diffuser and four exhaust pipe finishers help mark it out from the rest of the range.

Interior and technology

The interior of the Audi SQ2 gets a number of sporty upgrades with front sports seats, a flat-bottomed steering wheel and a mix of leather and Alcantara upholstery.

Audi’s Virtual Cockpit is now standard, along with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. The central infotainment screen is now slightly larger at 8.3-inches in size, and is controlled with a rotary dial mounted on the centre console, similar to the setup in the new A3 hatchback.

The updated model also gets more safety technology as standard, including blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic assist. Audi’s adaptive cruise control system also features; it’s capable of controlling acceleration, braking and steering at motorway speeds.

Trim levels

The SQ2 range consists of the standard model plus a Black Edition and a Vorsprung version. The base model gets leather and Alcantara-trimmed sports seats and 18-inch alloy wheels. Upgrading to the SQ2 Black Edition adds larger, 19-inch alloy wheels and a gloss black finish to the front grille and mirror caps. The exhaust tips also get a black chrome finish, along with a matte black finish for the front bumper inserts and rear diffuser.

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The flagship Vorsprung model features Matrix LED headlights, a model-specific alloy wheel design, Audi’s scrolling indicators and a panoramic glass sunroof. Interior upgrades include heated Nappa leather trim, a premium Bang & Olufsen stereo system and wireless smartphone charging.

Engine and performance

As with the pre-facelift model, the revised SQ2 features a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine producing 296bhp. According to Audi, the SQ2 manages 0-62mph in 4.9 seconds and goes on to an electronically limited top speed of 155mph. The car has huge 340mm brake discs at the front (310mm at the back), so should make easy work of reining all that power in.

Audi's quattro four-wheel-drive system is standard, as is a seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch automatic gearbox, which now benefits from a lighter clutch and a longer seventh gear to improve fuel economy. According to Audi, the SQ2 now manages up to 34mpg under the WLTP cycle, with CO2 emissions of 188g/km.

Read our review of the Cupra Ateca and the latest news about the Volkswagen T-Roc R, which will be two of the SQ2’s biggest rivals.