Audi has confirmed it will launch a Q2 compact SUV aimed at going head-to-head with the next-generation Mini Countryman.
Unveiled as the Crosslane Coupé at the Paris Motor Show, the concept is 250mm long, 1900mm wide and 1500mm high: it also has a 2550mm wheelbase.
Those dimensions make it slightly longer, wider and taller than a three-door Audi A3. However, it is shorter and lower-riding than a Q3, the current entry-level Audi SUV.
Audi chose to fit the concept with a 116bhp, 184lb/ft electric motor and battery pack: the result is an electric-only range of around 80 miles.
Thankfully, a three-cylinder, 130bhp 1.5-litre engine powers the electric motor when the battery pack runs dry: however, direct drive from the engine alone is not possible.
Audi has suggested the new Q2 — which will be based on the new Volkswagen Group MQB platform — will enter production in 2015, and will sit immediately below the Q3 in Audi’s line-up.
When it does enter production, expect the Q2 to be fitted with a more conventional five-door layout, four-seat cabin and a higher roofline to increase practicality.
And in addition to a choice of front-wheel drive or four-wheel drive, the Q2 will be offered with a choice of four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines.
About Jim McGill
Jim McGill is an award-winning motoring and motorsport journalist with more than 25 years' industry experience. He contributes to a number of newspapers and magazines, including The Times, Telegraph, Daily Mail, Scotsman, Sunday Herald and AA Magazine.
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