Audi unveils Crosslane Coupe 27 | 09 | 2012

AUDI HAS CONFIRMED it will launch a Q2 compact SUV aimed at going head-to-head with the next-generation Mini Countryman (see more official photos of the new Audi Crosslane Coupe).

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.

Audi reveals 296bhp S3

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.

Roadtest: 2012 Audi A3 2.0TDI

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Jim McGill