Audi Crosslane Coupe previewed

Audi will confirm its intention to launch a Q2 compact SUV with a new concept called Crosslane Coupé at the Paris motor show. Company sources have confirmed that the Crosslane Coupé concept is a two-door SUV with 2+2 seating and a range-extender electric drivetrain.

The concept is 4250mm long, 1900mm wide and 1500mm high, with a 2550mm wheelbase. This makes it slightly longer, wider and taller than a three-door Audi A3, but shorter and lower riding than a Q3, the current entry-level Audi SUV. Its styling is previewed here in an Autocar rendering, which is based on earlier information from design sources. The Wolfgang Egger-penned Crosslane Coupé has a low, wide stance and a 3D grille design that’s said to feature the future styling direction for Audi’s Q models.

The concept is powered by a 116bhp, 25.4kgm electric motor and battery pack, for an all-electric range of around 128km. A three-cylinder, 1.5-litre engine with 130bhp powers the electric motor when the battery pack runs dry, but direct drive from the engine alone is not possible. The Q2 is expected to make production in 2015 as a direct rival to the next-generation Mini Countryman. The new SUV will sit below the Q3 in Audi’s line-up.

Changes to the final car over the Crosslane Coupé are expected to include a more conventional five-door layout, four-seat cabin and a higher roofline to increase practicality. The basic exterior design theme, though, should remain. A final decision on the direction the Q2 takes is due to be ratified by Audi bosses later this year.

It will be based on the new Volkswagen Group MQB platform, versatile underpinnings that will also feature on the second-generation Q3 in 2017. The Q2 could share its exact platform dimensions with the Audi A2 high-riding hatchback and second-generation Skoda Yeti to help increase economies of scale. Four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines will be offered in the Q2’s line-up, with a choice of front-wheel drive or four-wheel drive.