This morning, Wolfgang Egger unveiled the VW Group’s only concept for the Paris show, the Crosslane Coupe. The compact 2-door SUV concept is clearly a preview for an upcoming Q2, but, more importantly, it showcases a new design language and DRG for Audi SUVs to come.
According to Egger, the current Audi style, which has been honed for several generations of vehicles now and has become ubiquitous on the roads the world over, needed a change. That change has come in the form of a new “sculpted” approach which Egger claims is the logical next step in Audi’s design evolution. The headlamps and DRG are chiseled out of a solid form rather than being graphics laid over a smooth volume, and results in an aggressive, chunky, almost brutalist front end.
The car as a whole is an exercise in precision however. Not a single line or surface is out of place or unresolved, and the concept feels production ready. According to Egger, this DRG, with massive integrated polished grill surround, bold logo surround, and new vertical LED lamps, will become the face of Audi’s “sports SUVs”, with a different variation used for each of the A, S, and family Q lines.
On the interior, brightly colored leather and integrated structural components complete the look and also indicate a willingness by Audi to change the game, just as others finally threaten to catch up.
While we’re still digesting the new look, it’s good to see Audi moving their design forward and not resting on their laurels. It may be an angry new face for Audi, but at least it’s not a tired one.
Drew Meehan
