Audi greenlights new Q1 entry-level SUV

Audi has confirmed long-running rumors it will add a new entry-level SUV to its lineup called the Q1.

Previewed as a concept called Crosslane Coupe at the 2012 Paris Motor Show, the new price-leading SUV is planned to slot into the German automaker's lineup beneath the existing Q3. The price is expected to rival that of the Mini Countryman.

Commenting on the Audi management board's decision to add the Q1 to its existing SUV line, Audi chairman Rupert Stadler said, “The Q1 is part of our broad-based SUV strategy and a key component of our growth strategy. It is designed on the modular transverse engine concept.”

Audi has already confirmed plans to extend its lineup from an existing 49 models to more than 60 by 2020. Audi wants to hit more than two million sales a year worldwide by the end of the decade.

Set for introduction to selected markets in 2016, the Q1 is planned to be produced at Audi's main manufacturing site in Ingolstadt, Germany.

By Greg Kable