Many of the mobility plans I’ve heard expect commuters to own/have access to/use multiple forms of transportation, and perform more hand-offs than an entire Olympic relay team just to reach their destination. I just can’t see Americans going for that. Not in this lifetime, not ever.

Nope. Americans so disposed need a fuel-efficient vehicle that can trundle around town and cruise at freeway speed, carry up to four people in relative comfort and still have room to carry small items, and do it all with style. Of all the contenders I’ve seen and driven, Audi’s A2 comes the closest to fitting that description. Just don’t go to your local Audi dealer looking for one. It isn’t available here. Ours came from Germany via Audi’s U.S. press fleet, complete with a set of German license plates.

Built on an aluminum spaceframe and clothed in aluminum panels, the littlest Audi is no waif making due with hand-me-downs. Power comes from a 1.2-liter turbo-diesel driving an automated five-speed manual transmission. Heated seats, Audi’s Symphony sound system (AM/FM/CD), and aluminum interior trim round out the package. The A2 even has a three-position switch that lowers the headlights should you overload the little darling. This car is not an inexpensive toy.

Start-up is straightforward. Open the door, sit down, turn the key…and nothing. The vehicle monitor between the aluminum-rimmed gauges screams something in German, but I took French in high school. Unless it said something like “Maginot Line” or “We’re rolling into Paris,” I wouldn’t have understood. So this time I put my foot on the brake pedal and tried again. Success!

The car won’t set any speed records, though it keeps up around town, and the gearbox shifts like a bus driver going uphill; smooth but slow. Keep your momentum up and pick a hole in traffic, and the A2 will handle freeway entrances. (Notice I didn’t say “with ease.”) Put your foot down, and you’ll be cruising at 80 mph before you realize it. Hmm. City and highway capability in one mobility device? What a concept!

There’s even room in the trunk for packages, including those that will fit in the compartment below the trunk floor and above the well with the spare tire and battery. If you need more room, the rear seats fold down. (About that battery. It’s huge. When the A2 comes to a stop in Eco mode, the engine shuts off. It restarts when the brake pedal is released. The battery has to supply that power, and keep the wipers, lights, etc. running when the engine stops.)

Mileage wasn’t great, just 42 mpg in mostly highway driving. But a quick around-town run and refill showed a consumption level closer to 70 mpg in its intended use mode. The 1.2-liter may be quiet at highway speeds, but these figures suggest the little engine must be working its heart out to keep up.

During its stay at the AD&P editorial office, the A2 proved to be an extremely unsafe car – for other drivers. Countless heads spun around to get a closer look at the alien craft, and more than one car popped a curb because its driver sat transfixed as the Audi rolled by. It made me glad to see a full complement of airbags – front and side – just in case things got out of hand.

Is the A2 the answer for America? No. As-driven this particular A2 would set you back about $20,000 when all is said and done, a sizable amount for so small a car. The automated manual transmission, apparently necessary to reach 3.0 liters/100 km (about 90 mpg), would have to make way for a CVT or fully manual gearbox to lower the frustration factor. Plus, the A2 needs more poke under the hood. The diesel worked well, but another 0.3 liters would have helped tremendously.

Then again, all may not be lost. More than one person commented on how you could widen the chassis, put wheels and tires larger than 14-inches on it, and create the world’s coolest faux SUV without mortally wounding the A2’s utility or efficiency. One even suggested the roof had a Pontiac Aztek look to it, without the garbage truck overtones. Like the A2, he was sent home.