Among the more intriguing of major debuts at the Paris Motor Show this year was the Crosslane Coupe concept from Audi. Previewing the design direction to be taken by Audi's next generation of crossovers, the Crosslane Coupe encompasses an array of interesting features.
For one, the Crosslane has an adaptable body-style. It's a coupe, it's a convertible and it's a 2+2, all bundled into one. An adaptable luggage compartment can be shifted rearwards to uncover a pair of extra seats, and the roof panel can be removed to open up the cabin and cover the cargo bay.
The Crosslane Coupe is also powered by an innovative hybrid powertrain that combines a microscopic 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine with a pair of electricmotors to deliver 176 horsepower, an 8.6-second 0-62 time and a 53-mile range on pure electric mode.
The concept is also built on a lightweight platform made of aluminum, carbon fiber and fiberglass polymers to keep its weight down to little over 3,000 lbs – a veritable featherweight when it comes to crossovers.
Although many of the features packaged into the Crosslane concept won't make it as a whole into production, the show car does preview styling language to be adopted by the next stage in the evolution of Audi's Q series crossover SUVs. Expect, then, that the replacements for the Q7, Q5 and Q3 will look something like the Crosslane Coupe concept, while a two-door Q2 crossover is tipped to be in the pipeline to more directly translate the Crosslane's design into a vehicle you'll be able to buy.
