2008 Paris Motor Show: Audi A1 Sportback Concept

• Looks like: A demonic update to a small Audi
• Defining characteristics: Hybrid powertrain in a small, premium package
• Ridiculous features: Your smart phone can run the car’s infotainment system
• Chance of being mass-produced: There is definitely room for a new premium compact car in Europe, but could an A1 work in the states?

Last year we were impressed by the Audi A1 Project Quattro concept, but this new A1 with four doors and a hatchback looks much more production-ready. At about a foot longer than a Mini Cooper, the A1 is still 17 inches shorter than a Honda Civic sedan. That means this is a small Audi — 10 inches shorter than the dismally selling A3 hatchback.

While we think the A1 could do well as a regularly powered gasoline car getting Cooper-like mileage, Audi is squeezing a hybrid powertrain into this concept alongside a 140-hp turbo four-cylinder.

The car could run on electric power alone for 31 miles — as long as it wasn’t 31 miles of spirited driving with high-revving — and could even reach speeds up to 62 mph on electric power alone. The gasoline engine would kick in after battery power is down to 20%. The gasoline engine and electric motor can power the car separately or together, depending on which mode the driver selects.

Audi says such a system could return fuel economy in the 60 mpg range, which in our minds would make this one nifty little hybrid car. However, the battery does need to be plugged in to recharge — there’s no mention of the gas engine being capable of recharging the battery, which the Chevy Volt’s engine can do.

A small car like this would certainly be an alluring choice for hybrid shoppers. We’d also like to see a gasoline-powered version. Digging though Audi’s press release, it says the car’s mileage would be 30% worse without the electric motor, meaning about 42 mpg. That would be the best mileage of any non-hybrid currently on the market.