I found the Audi TT Sportback Concept to be an oddly appealing mix of the TT's aesthetics with some extra sedan-y practicality. But while Audi says they're eager to expand the TT lineup beyond just coupes and roadsters, a crossover SUV is likely to come before the Sportback.
That bit of news comes from a reasonably reputable source, Audi technical chief Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg. He told CAR Magazine about Audi's plan to expand from 50 model lines and their derivatives to about 60 by the end of the decade.
How will they do that? More derivatives. That includes more TT models. And a crossover SUV version like the Audi TT Offroad Concept we saw in China earlier this year:
'No decision has been taken yet, but we will decide in the next few weeks,' he said. 'We showed a Q TT concept in Beijing - it was very emotional. From the market point of view, I would say this is the most likely version for us to do. But from a technical and industrial point of view, the TT Sportback you see here in Paris has its merits.'
The small crossover segment is one of the fastest growing ones in the industry, and that's in just about every market. If Audi's doing that with the TT expansion first, they're probably just going where the money is.
But like I said yesterday, that TT Sportback concept looks extremely production-ready. I doubt we've seen the last of it.