The bright yellow Audi TT Offroad Concept caught the attention of our intrepid band of photographers, who have in turn snapped the pictures you see here. The angular, snouty crossover coupé could lead to a Q4 that would take on the BMW X4.
Essentially Detroit's Allroad Shooting Brake concept with five doors, the Offroad Concept takes the iconic TT aesthetic – cab-forward stance, blistered wheel arches, clamshell bonnet – and applies it onto a typical SUV body type with interesting results; teetering from some angles, rough and ready in others.
The interior, on the other hand, has been lifted almost wholesale from the new TT, but with a few choice modifications. A full-width aluminium structure, encapsulating the air vents, graces the dashboard, while the steering wheel now features the start button and a new boost button.
That last button is connected to a new plug-in hybrid powertrain, which mates a 292 hp/380 Nm version of the TT's 2.0 litre TFSI engine with two motors – one (40 kW/220 Nm) next to the engine and integrated into the six-speed e-S tronic dual-clutch transmission, another (85 kW/270 Nm) powering the rear axle, providing all-wheel drive.
Total output is 408 hp and 650 Nm, but, more importantly, average fuel consumption is rated at a seriously impressive 1.9 litres per 100 km. Electric-only motivation is provided by the rear motor alone at speeds under 130 km/h, with a range of 50 km.
Two other technical innovations are in store – the Audi Wireless Charging allows the car to be charged when driven onto a plate, which feeds a 3.3 kW alternating current (Audi claims it is not harmful to people or other animals) to a coil built into the car. The system is said to be more than 90% efficient and is unhindered by weather factors such as rain, snow or ice. Also making its premiere in the Offroad Concept is the ioniser built into the air-conditioning system, which is improved from the one fitted in the current A6 and A8.
The car shown in Beijing even comes with its own über-cute 1:8-scale remote-controlled concept, which showcases what designers envision a competition-spec version of the full-sized concept to look like. A preview of a possible World Rally Championship entry? Watch out, Volkswagen!
Live pix by Kwek Chai Li
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