Audi TT Offroad concept debuts as a 124-mpg hybrid with wireless charging

The TT – Audi's diminutive sports car. Since production began in 1998, the two-door coupe has aged with the pugnacity of a grizzled New Yorker, but kept its small proportions. And why would it change, as the arrival of the '09 TT RS proved, adding some grit makes for a rather captivating dish. And so you'll excuse me for being puzzled by the Audi TT Offroad concept. The "off-road" part, specifically.

The TT, a singular model in the truest sense of the word (if you can count both coupe and roadster as one), verges on plurality. The TT will, it seems, spawn offspring – ones that are bigger, fatter and run off electricity.

The TT Offroad combines two electric power units with a 292-hp turbocharged four-cylinder combustion engine. A separating clutch links the lump to a 40kW electric motor, with a dual clutch transmission routing power to the front wheels. The second electric motor, sat on the rear axle independent of the other two, adds a further 199 lb.-ft. of torque to the tally. All told, the TT Offroad delivers 479 lb.-ft., along with a horsepower rating of 408.

While the electric oomph helps propel the small SUV to 62 mph in 5.2 seconds, it can travel 31 miles on all-electric power. Its fuel efficiency ranks at 124 mpg, and has a range of 546.8 miles – around 446.8 miles further than the average bladder.

To charge the 12 kWh lithium ion battery, located on the front axle to deliver a 54:46 weight distribution, you can plug the car into a traditional power source or drive it onto an innovative "plate" for wireless charging. In the curious case of the plate, an alternating magnetic field induces a 3.3 kW current across the "air gap." After inverting the current, it gets fed into the electrical system. And it won't zap you, Audi promises. The charging time rivals that of a regular plug, only it sounds about 186 times more complicated. (Side note: Did you know the all-new Toyota Camry will arrive with wireless phone charging?).