Let’s go over to Audi’s booth at the Paris Motor Show 2012 and check out their concept car, the Crosslane Coupe. This badly named concept is a rather dramatic preview of the upcoming Q2 crossover. The car also features a very advanced hybrid drivetrain and some other nice details. If the production version is so clever, count us in.
Despite being a crossover, the Crosslane is actually a 2+2 coupe. So there’s not much space inside the car. The car measures at 4.21 meters long (13.81 ft), 1.88 meters wide (6.17 ft) and 1.51 meters high (4.95 ft). Audi’s signature grille is there, but the shape of the headlights and the pillars, they suggest a new version of the old design language.
One of the nice details we’ve been talking about is the Moveable Trunk, which forms a separate pan within the body structure; it is attached to the backs of the rear seats, which are separate from the seat cushions. The other, is removable hard top. The Crosslane has the ingredients of a very fun car. We hope the production version inherits all these features.
The Crosslane features a sophisticated hybrid powertrain with a 1.5-liter three-cylinder TFSI and two electric motors redefines the benchmark, with fuel consumption of only 1.1 liters per 100 km (213.81 US mpg) and CO2 emissions of just 26 grams per km (41.84 grams per mile).
The car weighs 1,390 kg, which means with the output of 130 kW (177 hp) at the tap, it is going to be reasonably fast. It sprints from zero to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in 8.6 seconds and has a top speed of 182 km/h (113.09 mph). Given the consumption of 1.1 liter per 100 km, which equates to 213 mpg, that is totally acceptable. In pure electric mode, the car accelerates from 0 to 100 in 9.8 seconds.
The dual-mode hybrid concept enables different operating modes. From 0 up to 55 km/h (34.18 mph), drive power is supplied solely by the EM 2, which draws the energy it needs primarily from the battery. In serial mode, the combustion engine and the alternator (EM 1) produce electrical energy to support, relieve or substitute the battery should it be discharged.
The electric mode is possible up to 130 km/h (80.78 mph). Starting at about 55 km/h (34.18 mph) the drive system allows the TFSI engine together with the alternator to couple to the drivetrain – in this hybrid mode, the drive sources combine to optimize both efficiency and performance. Above 130 km/h (80.78 mph), the three-cylinder engine becomes the main drive source but the EM 1 can support it if required.
