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This is the Audi Allroad Shooting Brake Concept; a Detroit-bound mash-up of just about every Audi there has ever been, and a couple there hasn't. Yet.
Audi says the two-door-concept is "sporty, compact and versatile" and "ideal for recreational sports". Translated into human-speak, this is a decent look at what we can expect from the styling of the Q1 Crossover and, to a lesser extent, the next TT.
It looks very... Audi, with its vast hexagonal grille, pointy LED headlights, and that telltale black cladding synonymous with Ingolstadt's soft-roaders. The body is mode from aluminium and carbon-fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP). More interesting is the interior, which is rather gorgeous, and very, very clever.
As on the upcoming TT, the dials and central sat nav screen have been superseded by a sole, 12.3in TFT display behind the steering wheel. The centrally mounted MMI controller lets you scroll through different modes, from one that mimics traditional dials to a vast, 3D map. The controller moves fore and aft with the drivers seat for optimum reachability.
The climate controls - which are integrated into the jet-like air-vents - extend as they sense a hand approaching.
Lurking beneath the concept's bonnet is a turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol four with 292bhp and 280lb ft of torque, driving the front wheels through a six-speed double-clutch gearbox. On the gearbox sits an additional 54bhp electric motor that adds another 199lb ft of torquey goodness.
A second, more powerful electric motor is mounted on the rear axle. As well as providing propulsive power at "low and moderate vehicle speeds" - the motor can also be operated in tandem with the engine - making the Allroad an all-wheel drive hybrid.
Thanks to an 8.8kwh battery, the Allroad has an electric-only range of 31 miles, and a maximum EV speed of 80mph. In Hybrid mode, the drivetrain shifts power around as necessary, even using the gearbox-mounted motor and engine as a generator to recharge the batteries.
Sport mode, as you'd expect, turns everything up to 11. With every one of the car's combined 408bhp, the 1600kg hatch-cum-sportscar-cum-crossover thing launches to 62mph in 4.6 seconds, and goes on to an electronically limited 155mph.
So if the production Q1 ends up looking anything like this (although we suspect it'll gain a pair of rear doors at least), might you consider it over the Range Rover Evoque?
Written By:- Tom Harrison
More of this article on the Top gear website
