By: IOL Motoring Staff
Detroit Motor Show - Like most concept cars, Audi's new Allroad Shooting Brake concept is billed as an automotive crystal ball. But let's strip away some of the vagueness here. In fact, we'll go out on a limb here to suggest that it basically shows the front and rear-end designs of the imminent new TT, grafted onto a shooting brake body and raised off the ground with some SUV pretensions.
Another day, another new niche.
Not to worry, it's all but a given that the new TT will have a conventional coupé silhouette like the current model. Most of its engines should also follow the conventional turbocharged petrol and diesel route, although the concept also provides a glimpse at a possible hybrid version.
NEW KIND OF QUATTRO
The drivetrain ushers in a new type of Quattro system, which Audi dubs 'e-tron quattro'. Driving the front wheels is a 2-litre TFSI turbopetrol engine mated to a 40kW electric motor and six-speed e-S tronic gearbox. A second, 85kW electric motor sits on the rear axle to provide Quattro all-wheel drive when needed.
When they're all working together, the drivetrain provides total system outputs of 300kW and 650Nm, enough to get the concept from 0-100km/h in 4.6 seconds.
Yet change over to an ecological mindset and the show car can travel up to 50km on electric power alone if you've charged the plug-in battery.
FLASHY DASH
Audi recently revealed the dashboard of the new TT and it looks almost identical to that in the Allroad Shooting Brake concept. It has various aeronautical themes in that it was designed to resemble the wing of an aircraft when viewed from above and the circular air nozzles were inspired by jet engines.
The driver faces a 12.3-inch TFT screen that replaces the traditional driving instruments and which can operate in various modes. In infotainment mode, for instance, there's a large navigation map and small speedo and rev counter, while the latter takes prominence in Sport mode.
The cabin also hosts a new MMI interface system with a menu structure based on that of a smart phone.