Audi Q1 Spied First Time in Production Body

KUALA LUMPUR: The smallest crossover, Q1 by the German auto manufacturer, Audi spied in firmly wrapped camouflage. This is the very first time when the car brand has revealed the physical evidence for its upcoming crossover since the release of its first official sketch. It was confirmed after the sketch that the Germans are working on to launch a small crossover, named Q1 which would make its appearance in 2016.

The spy shots leave a number of clues, which shows that the upcoming SUV would be Audi Q1. It is similar to Q3 in terms of design while the overall looks are same as that of Q5. It can be considered as the smaller version of Q3. Other than this, a new 3D grille and LED headlights on the front under the black and white wrap indicates at an inspiration from Audi Q7.

It is likely to get some parts of Audi A1 and to be based on the Volkswagen's MQB platform, which is also shared by the upcoming next-gen VW Tiguan.

Audi CEO, Rupert Stadler said that the new SUV is aimed to attract many new customers. This SUV would appeal to young male buyers on the contrary to A1, whose 70 to 80% of sales account to women.

A new plant is currently under development stage for the production of this SUV, which would join the family of Q7, Q5, and Q3 after its launch in 2016. It is believed that once this crossover makes its appearance, it could help the SUV sales to account for around 50% of overall sales of the company.

Under the flesh, it is expected to inherit specifications from the Audi A1. Also, the petrol trim for this SUV could be adhered with a 1.0L 3 cylinders from Volkswagen. While, the diesel trims might include 1.4L TDI and a 1.6L TDI. A 6-speed manual transmission would be a standard while the new VW's 10-speed DSG is also likely to make its appearance as an automatic mode.