THE newest version of Audi's little A2 model transforms it from a city runabout into a long-distance family car.
By slotting a larger, 1.6-litre petrol engine beneath the bonnet, this version of the A2 gets much more pulling power, which results in decent performance even when fully laden.
It is a very sophisticated engine with petrol direct injection, which basically means there is more power than you would expect for its cubic capacity.
By way of comparison, the Audi A2 FSi 1.6 produces 110bhp, whilst a 1.6-litre Ford Focus Zetec manages just 99bhp. It means that the lightweight aluminium-bodied Audi A2 has a fair turn of speed, but maintains impressive economy in the process. It can nip smartly to 60mph in less than ten seconds, and has a top speed of 125mph.
You may not feel inclined to choose such a car to treat it as a sports model, but at least you know that it will cruise effortlessly at motorway speeds, with plenty of power for safe overtaking when needed.
This new 1.6-litre version tops a line-up that now includes 1.4-litre petrol and diesel models, with prices ranging from £13,145 to £14,625.
The A2 achieves a remarkable amount of interior space despite its exterior shortness, thanks to a format that is generally recognised as being a mobile monument to perfect packaging.
The idea is to demonstrate that a car no longer needs to be big to be stylish, sophisticated, solid and safe. Modern engineering techniques mean that it is now possible to downsize those virtues, and to package them within something no bigger than the old Mini.
Being made from aluminium, the A2 is light enough to survive on small engines, whilst offering an excellent combination of fun and frugality. You get as many safety and security features as those of any large car, and the equipment lists are just as long.
Using the accepted yardstick of size to determine a car's sector in the market, the A2 seems costly. With the single exception of the Mercedes A-class, however, no other micro model manages to achieve the same standards of quality and refinement.
In the case of the Audi, there are just four rather than five seats, which makes it pretty unique. The rear roof-line is able to be sloped because the floor of the car is lower at the back than the front. This means that even tall rear passengers can sit upright without rubbing their head on the roof lining, and there is adequate leg room too. The seats are designed for just two people to sit abreast, rather than three, so they have more individual shape and offer better support.
The rear luggage space is larger than the average of cars in two classes above, and the rear seats can be folded completely flat to create even more.
For those who simply must have a car with five seats, the A2 comes with an optional rear bench to replace the individual seats, but that compromises its versatility enormously. It has been designed for four, and is best suited to that layout, with two individual seats in the back.
The quality of the fixtures and fittings is the same as that of a £50,000 flagship Audi A8, and in this latest form it becomes more fun to drive too.
Its closest rival is the baby Mercedes A-class, which costs £14,175 in 100bhp 1.6-litre guise, with Ford's new, slightly larger Fusion undercutting them both at £11,495 in 100bhp 1.6-litre form.
There is a subtle difference, which gives the Audi at least one part of the sector all to itself. It is a better quality product than the Ford, but is matched by the Merc.
However, the A-class has an arguably older profile, whilst the A2 is seen as something of a style icon among younger buyers. It is among well-heeled trendy young things that the Audi hopes to find most of its admirers, especially in this more powerful form.