Audi’s futuristic concept combines the body of an SUV coupe with the practicality of a pick-up truck. The four-seater cabin then shows interesting visions of the future.
After several previews, Audi today unveiled another concept in its “sphere” series, which follows on from the two-door GT Skysphere, Grandsphere flagship sedan and Urbansphere minivan concepts. The novelty is called activesphere and interestingly combines the robustness and ground clearance of an SUV, the elegance of a coupe and the practicality of a pick-up truck.
The concept has muscular shapes, an elegant silhouette and a significant ground clearance, to which the 22-inch wheels shod with 285/55 all-terrain tires contribute. The standard ground clearance is 208 mm, but thanks to the air suspension, it can range from 168 to 248 mm. The car can therefore more easily overcome terrain and speed along highways with lower aerodynamic resistance.
From the exterior design, we can mention protective plastics around the body, modern LED lights in the front and back, cameras instead of mirrors, and the six-spoke wheels, whose movable segments can be opened or closed to ensure optimal aerodynamics and sufficient cooling, are also worth noting.
In addition to the rich glazing of the upper part of the body, the glass segments of the doors above the thresholds also attract attention. The futuristic version of the singleframe mask is also partially glazed. Perhaps the most interesting thing is the glazing above the luggage compartment, which can be moved towards the roof. The trunk can thus become a body resembling a pick-up, on which the concept should be able to transport, for example, two e-bikes.
Even before looking into the cabin, the so-called suicide rear doors, which, together with the absence of a B-pillar, are supposed to ensure comfortable entry. The cabin is equipped with four separate chairs that look very comfortable. They include armrests and headrests. The steering wheel is shaped more like a stick, the dashboard is very simple and without any screens.
As we can see in the photos, the concept includes the possibility of fully automatic driving, where the steering wheel, dashboard and pedals simply disappear and the crew in the front seats can enjoy maximum space and a great view from the car – even through a transparent mask.
The missing indicators and screens in the cabin should be replaced by the Audi dimensions “mixed reality” system, which uses a headset in the form of stylish glasses. After deploying them, the crew can still follow the road around them, but at the same time three-dimensionally rendered information and interaction elements are projected into the field of vision.
„In this way, all important operating data can be displayed – for example, driving status and navigation. And in the interior, the wearer of the glasses can see control panels and other virtual indicators that otherwise remain hidden from mere human vision in a cleanly organized, minimized design. Through the visual functions of mixed reality, even point-precise interaction with these real-life but invisible touch-sensitive zones can be controlled. The glasses display the functions and their implementation in real time in response to the touch of the hands,” describes the car manufacturer’s system.
The technical basis of the Audi activesphere concept is the modern all-electric PPE platform, developed in cooperation with Porsche, while the car itself should be 4.98 meters long, 2.07 meters wide and 1.6 meters high. The wheelbase is 2.97 meters, which is a decent promise of interior space.
The concept is equipped with a pair of electric motors with a combined output of 235 kW (442 hp) and a maximum torque of 720 Nm. Of course, all wheels are driven. The platform works with 800V architecture and the power supply is provided by a battery with a capacity of 100 kWh, stored in the floor.
The range on a single charge should be around 600 kilometers, but thanks to support for charging at a power of up to 270 kW, the concept promises to charge from 5 to 80 percent in less than 25 minutes. Of course, with a sufficiently powerful charger.