Audi has published a lone teaser image that previews a small crossover called Q1. Slated to slot beneath the Q3, the Q1 will join the Audi lineup in 2016 at the earliest.
“The Audi Q1 is part of our broad-based SUV strategy. It is designed on the basis of the modular transverse engine concept and will round off our Q series at the bottom end,” explained Audi chairman Rupert Stadler.
A computer-generated teaser image confirms the Q1 will boast an aggressive, squared-off design and rugged, allroad-like design cues such as brushed aluminum trim and plastic cladding on the rocker panels and the wheel arches.
Although pure speculation, the Q1 will likely borrow most of its engines from the Audi’s entry-level A1 supermini, meaning that base models will be powered by a 1.4-liter four-cylinder TSI mill that sends 90 horsepower to the front wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Buyers who prefer diesels will be able to pick a 90-horsepower 1.4-liter TDI while the range-topping offering will be a 2.0-liter four-banger that will generate 231 ponies.
Later in the production run, Audi will launch a plug-in hybrid variant of the Q1 powered by a 1.2-liter TSI rated at 110 horsepower and an electric motor that churns out 109 horsepower. The crossover is expected to return over 160 kmpg in a mixed European cycle and it will be able to travel for up to 48 KM on electricity alone.
Built in Ingolstadt, Germany, the upcoming Q1 will be previewed by a thinly-veiled concept at a major European auto show next year and go on sale in Europe and in China the first half of 2016. Audi has not detailed where the crossover will be distributed but it will likely not be added to the automaker’s catalog in the United States due to its diminutive size.
The Q1 is not the only upcoming addition to Audi’s crossover lineup. The Volkswagen-owned firm is reportedly working on a sleek BMW X6-fighter called Q8 that will slot above the Q7 when it makes its debut in 2017.