2014 Beijing: Audi TT offroad Concept Imagines A TT SUV

Not one to let its German rivals get away with a compact SUV sporting a four-door coupe-like body, Audi has unveiled the 2014 Audi TT offroad Concept last night, at the Volkswagen Group Night which was held on the eve of the 2014 Beijing Motor Show.

Bearing a close resemblance to the new third-generation 2014 Audi TT, the TT offroad looks like the standard production coupe that is seated on stilts and sporting an additional pair of doors. Measuring in at 4.39-metres in length, 1.85-metres in width, and 1.53-metres in height, this concept coupe is closer in dimensions to the Q3, while being a mere 8cm shorter and 2cm wider. Though having said that Audi’s Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg describes the TT offroad as merely “a glimpse of how we might imagine a new model in a future TT family”.  

Plug-In Hybrid Underneath

Power for the TT offroad comes from a plug-in hybrid system which delivers 408PS and 650Nm of torque. Up front there is a 292PS/380Nm 2.0TFSI engine that uses both direct and port injection to improve efficiency. The transverse mounted engine is linked to a 40kW/220Nm electric motor integrated into the concept car’s six-speed e-S tronic dual-clutch transmission. Mounted to the rear axle is second, more powerful 85kW/270Nm electric motor which is independent of the front drive unit and powers the rear wheels, making this concept car a four-wheel drive in essence. 0 to 100km/h is dealt with in 5.2 seconds, while being capable of achieving a fuel consumption figure of 1.9L/100km.

Seated in front of the rear axles for a balanced 54:46 front-rear weight distribution is a liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery pack. The eight module battery pack boasts a charge capacity of 12kWh and enough juice to propel the TT offroad on an all-electric range of 50km with a top zero emissions speed of 130km/h. The batteries could be charged up by either a wall box charging station, or through Audi’s Wireless Charging technology. Audi boasts that the inductive charging feature has more than 90 per cent efficiency and isn’t affected by weather.

Built On MQB and Made of Aluminium

Audi says the TT offroad is based on the Volkswagen Group’s flexible MQB platform, while its body is based on the company’s Audi Space Frame principle and uses a hybrid of both steel and aluminium components. Like the TT the concept car’s suspension system also uses aluminium components to reduce weight.

Near Production Features Fitted

Raised body and chunky tyres aside, the TT offroad also debuts two Audi driver assistance systems that are almost ready for production. The first is an online traffic light information system, which hooks the concept car’s onboard computers up to a central traffic computer system managing traffic light systems, via cellular networks. From there the information system would show the drivers what speed to drive at in order to reach the next traffic light while it is green along with the time remaining when waiting for the traffic light to turn green.

The other driver assistance system is an “intersection assistant” which uses radar sensors and wide-angle cameras to detect if a vehicle approaching from the car’s side is on a collision course. If the system determines that there is a chance of impact, the system would show graduated warnings in the cockpit to help the driver avoid side-impact collisions.

A Little Bit of TT - A Little Bit of Q  

Like its exterior, the cockpit design is also inspired by the TT coupe with the iconic triple centre air-conditioner vents arrangement and the 12.3-inch TFT instrument display. However as a nod to Audi’s “Q” family of SUVs, the TT offroad also features a robustly designed tunnel support and functional cup holders in front of the shift lever. The centre tunnel console extends all the way to the back seats where the TT offroad boasts rear seats which are spacious enough to accommodate two adults comfortably and can be folded electrically to form a nearly flat cargo floor.