Audi renders crossover concept for Detroit, is it the Q1?

Fri, 06 Dec 2013

Judging by the direction Audi is taking with recent concept vehicles, the forthcoming Audi Q1 crossover – confirmed for production in 2016 – should be an exciting little crossover. Last year, the automaker revealed the Crosslane Coupe Concept, and now it has announced it will reveal a new CUV concept at the Detroit Auto Show next month.

Teased in a trio of sketches, Audi says this unnamed concept is designed with a shooting brake style, which to us it makes it look like a combination of an Audi Allroad and a three-door A3. Little information is available on this concept, but it is about seven inches shorter than the Q3 and Audi notes that it will possess "design elements that are typical of e-tron models," which suggests some sort of powertrain electrification. There's still about a month before the Detroit show kicks off, but until then you can check out the sketches and press release (posted below) that Audi has provided.

The new Audi show car – a compact sports car in a new look

-Crossover for all roads and tracks, for everyday driving and recreational use
-Pioneering design, with precise lines and taut surfaces
-Audi to present the two-door car at the NAIAS in Detroit

Sporty, compact and versatile: With these attributes, the new Audi show car is making its debut in January 2014 at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. The two-door model with its high ground clearance is a crossover – a car for all roads and tracks, for everyday driving and sporty recreational use.

The show car is a systematic development of the Audi design language. It combines a host of visual elements from future sports car models with the Audi-typical allroad concept and independent "Shooting Brake" body form.

Measuring 4.20 meters (13.78 feet) in length, the Audi has a powerful road stance. Precise and clearly drawn lines as well as geometric surfaces are combined to create a sculptured, clear design form. It is almost as if the outer skin of the two-door car has been modeled from a solid piece, from the Singleframe grille and striking side tornado line to the taut, coupé-like rear. The overhangs are short; the roof line is low and it ends in a strong C pillar. The pronounced horizontal body line and the large 19-inch wheels emphasize the impression of concentrated energy.

The show car is a compelling blend of form and function. The characteristic allroad design features reduce the volume and underscore its offroad character. The aluminum underbody guard at front and rear emphasizes the width and protects the car off road.

Design elements that are typical of e-tron models, such as the ribs in the Singleframe grille and in the side air inlets, fit in harmoniously with the overall design concept. The dual headlights and the honeycomb-structured Singleframe grille indicate the further development of the quattro design language which Audi already presented with its Sport quattro concept show car in September of this year at the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt.

By Jeffrey N. Ross