Audi is showing a design study for a small hatchback at the Tokyo Motor Show. The good news is that it’s a hybrid, and a plug-in hybrid at that. The bad news is that it’s called the metroproject quattro. Hopefully Audi will lose the Metro association if they launch this car in the UK.

An electric motor drives the rear wheels, which reduces fuel consumption and emissions by around 15 per cent. Audi says that the capacity of its lithium-ion batteries makes a range of up to 62 miles possible without petrol engine intervention. The company also says that the car will do 57.6mpg and emit 112g/km CO2, but an electric range of 62 miles doesn’t seem to stack up with these relatively average figures (bearing in mind that the Polo BlueMotion, from the same parent company, can do over 70mpg, and that can’t travel any distance on electric power).

Audi says the metroproject quattro could provide clues to the look and packaging of a future Audi sub-compact production car.

Power for the study is provided by a modified version of the 1.4-litre Turbo FSI petrol engine recently adopted by the A3, combined with a lithium-ion battery-powered electric motor mounted behind the rear seats. The petrol engine’s increased 150PS output, up from 125PS in the A3, is delivered at 5,500rpm, and its 40Nm higher torque output of 240Nm peaks from just 1,600rpm. The electric motor adds 41PS and an extra 200Nm of torque, and when engine and motor work in unison the metroproject quattro is able to accelerate from rest to 62mph in 7.8 seconds. Delivered via the widely acclaimed S tronic dual-clutch transmission, 124mph is possible.

The metroproject quattro is able to derive its power solely from its petrol engine, purely from its electric motor or through a combination of the two, their interplay controlled by the on-board management system.

If the driver opts for electric operation alone - a particular advantage for urban driving and shorter distances – the metroproject quattro is able to cover up to 62 miles at speeds of up to 62mph, silently and completely cleanly, before its lithium-ion batteries need to be ‘refuelled’ by a power socket. Energy released during braking is transformed back into electrical energy rather than being released as heat and wasted, helping to conserve resources even more effectively.

While only the petrol engine is running, the metroproject quattro sends drive through its front wheels, and while powered by the electric motor on the back axle alone it is effectively rear-wheel-driven. When the two operate simultaneously, the compact Audi is able to offer all the advantages in composure and control that four-wheel-drive brings.

The concept has electromechanical speed-sensitive power steering with a low energy draw and Audi magnetic ride adaptive damping technology, which has won plenty of praise already in the TT and R8 sports cars.

The metroproject quattro also features Audi drive select system, introduced recently in the all new A4 Saloon, which enables the driver to fine-tune suspension, steering and transmission characteristics to suit his or her preferences.

The highlight of the cabin is the new, removable hand-held Audi mobile device, which not only offers mobile telephony, GPS navigation and audio and video playback, but also serves as the control unit for numerous vehicle systems, which can be set and adjusted from outside the car. The driver can, for example, enter destinations into the satellite navigation unit, programme the audio system or switch on the heating from the comfort of an armchair at home before setting off.