Audi Nanuk Quattro concept revealed at Frankfurt show

This is the Audi Nanuk Quattro concept, a diesel-powered crossover show car that the company has unveiled on the eve of the Frankfurt motor show.

The Nanuk Quattro is powered by a twin-turbocharged 5.0-litre V10 diesel engine, which sits just ahead of the rear axle. Despite the car weighing nearly two tonnes, the 537bhp and 737lb ft of torque available give it a 0-62mph time of just 3.8 seconds and a top speed of 190mph.

All that power is delivered through Audi's seven-speed twin-clutch S tronic automatic gearbox. Audi claims the Nanuk's average fuel consumption is 36.2mpg, and it emits just over 200g/km of CO2, which is about on par with the new Range Rover Sport SDV6.

The concept is fitted with adaptive air suspension that has three settings - there's a 70mm range between the lowest and highest ride heights. The system also uses the sat-nav to select the optimum level. The Nanuk has a four-wheel-steering set-up, like that already seen on the latest Porsche 911 Turbo.

It was designed by a team from Audi, in collaboration with stylists at Giugiaro. It's no coincidence that the Nanuk resembles the Lamborghini-based Parcour show car - produced by the same studio - that was revealed earlier this year in Geneva.

The front of the car features a familiar hexagonal grille, almost identical to that seen on the Audi Sport Quattro concept, which will partner it on the Frankfurt motor show stand. Like that concept, the Nanuk makes use of lightweight body panels reinforced with carbonfibre.

In the cabin, there's no cluster of instrument dials for the driver. Instead, a backlit screen can be customised to show any vehicle information that the driver needs. Cameras replace the door and rear-view mirrors, with display screens located on the A pillars and in the headliner above the centre console.

For now, the Nanuk Quattro is just a concept, but Audi's assertion that it 'opens a new chapter in the Audi design language' may mean it hints at the styling of future models, including the next-generation R8 supercar.