Audi Cross Cabriolet quattro

It's called having a bet each way, when a company aims to establish a new market niche by taking aspects of one type of vehicle and melding them with elements from another type… Like an open-top sportscar with crossover-style SUV capability, for example.

That's the intent of Audi's latest concept, the Cross Cabriolet quattro. Making its debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show today, the Audi design study is finished in a spectacular metallic colour named "Copper Sunset".

Even without the strident colour, showgoers are bound to be drawn to the car's unusual blend of convertible body style (the folding fabric roof, which insulates the cabin from noise and heat, can retract in 17sec) and the electrically adjustable ride height -- the sort of feature found in offroad wagons.

With this system, the vehicle's ground clearance can be raised 40mm, although at speeds above 80km/h, the Cross Cabriolet quattro settles back down to the low ride setting.

Powering the Cross Cabriolet quattro is a 3.0-litre turbodiesel V6 mounted longitudinally in the A4/A5-based platform. The engine, which develops around 176kW and 500Nm of torque, drives through a quattro constant all-wheel-drive system for optimum traction and roadholding.

Audi claims a 7.2sec time for 0-100km/h and a top speed of 240km/h.

Despite the car's performance figures, fuel consumption is said to be as low as 7.3lt/100km and Audi expects the engine to meet and exceed the upcoming Euro 6 emissions standard when that standard is implemented.

The Cross Cabriolet quattro may be a pointer to Audi's expected X3/GLK/Tiguan competitor, the Q5 -- though don't expect the compact premium SUV to be quite as radical as this offroad coupe. The underpinnings, however, are likely to be very close to what we see when the Audi offroader does make its debut -- probably at the Geneva show in March 2008.

Audi has specified the company's version of 'Magnetic Ride Control' for the Cross Cabriolet quattro. The company describes the suspension damping system as an "electromagnetically energised proportional-action valve [that] regulates the flow of hydraulic fluid between the inner and outer damper tubes."

Being based on the A4, the concept's external dimensions are similar: 4.62m long, 1.91m wide, 1.63m high and the wheelbase measures 2.81m long. By specifying the concept with a 'double-skin' floorpan, Audi's engineers says they have ensured that the Cross Cabriolet quattro suffers little of the body weakness or weight penalty that goes with open-top cars.

Standard 21-inch wheels are fitted with 265/35 tyres and sit somewhat incongruously with the integrated running boards and underbody protection. Ceramic brake discs measure 380mm at the front and 356mm at the rear.

The Cross Cabriolet quattro integrates some of the style and functionality pioneered in Citroen's C3 Pluriel. One example being the tailgate, which while operating in a manner different from the Citroen's, is intended to provide an optimised load aperture, just as the Citroen's does. The Audi's tailgate lifts up on gas struts, lifting the glass rear window with it, to provide an opening of 1.16m wide.

Inside, the Cross Cabriolet quattro is trimmed in 'White Stone' leather and all four seats feature 'airscarf' vents in the headrests to offset the turbulence around the passenger's neck with the roof lowered.

Audi has drawn upon Google Earth to provide data for the sophisticated satellite navigation system, which allows the driver to point-and-click a destination, graphically.

Bang & Olufsen's audio system is also linked to the Internet and music can be downloaded from an accessible site. Sound in an open-top car with the roof lowered is a constant problem, so Audi has addressed this by providing an intercom system for each of the four seats in the car. The intercom system will relay voice input through the audio system, filtering out background noise.

The Audi Cross Cabriolet quattro looks close to production-ready, but whether as noted above, it’s more likely to be a teaser for Q5, than a production reality.

One thing that looks like it's a strong chance for introduction to Audi manufacturing is the 'AdBlue' solution, a chemical named carbamide injected ahead of the 'DeNOx' catalytic converter and reducing oxides of nitrogen by up to 90 per cent. The AdBlue reservoir can be replenished during scheduled servicing and the vehicle uses such a small amount during operation, that the reservoir will not empty prior to the next service.

AdBlue is biodegradable and converts to ammonia in the heat of the exhaust, splitting nitrous oxides into separate nitrogen and water molecules. The treatment is a significant factor in Audi's diesel engines even exceeding California's draconian emissions control legislation and will be introduced to mainstream production from 2010.

To comment on this article click here