Audi design experts based out of Ingolstadt and Beijing have a treat for customers in China—the Audi urbansphere concept. The luxurious Audi van concept was developed keeping Chinese customers’ needs in mind—space, comfort, and digitization. The electric minivan is the third concept in the sphere trifecta after the Audi skysphere (unveiled at the Monterey Car Week) and Audi grandshpere (premiered at the IAA 2021).
Here’s everything we know about the Audi urbansphere concept in April 2022:
Audi van concept Design
The Audi urbansphere concept is the largest Audi ever. It’s longer than the long-wheelbase Audi A8 L. Images: Audi.
The Audi urbansphere design was born in Audi’s design studios in Beijing and Ingolstadt. Its proportions are deceptive, and it appears regular van-sized in the press images. But the urbansphere concept is longer than the Audi A8 L. The luxury electric van concept measures 217.9 inches long (5.51 meters), nearly 10 inches longer than the A8 L. With a generous surface area to play with, Audi designers have taken many liberties.
Upfront, there’s a fresh interpretation of Audi’s signature singleframe grille, which now gets an octagonal shape. There’s a barrage of LEDs integrated within the grille. A 3D digital light structure is arranged in ‘dynamically condensed pixel areas.’ The matrix LED headlamps are positioned above the grille and appear incredibly sleek. The glass area is impressive; the windshield seamlessly flows into the rear, reminiscent of fighter jets.
The Audi electric MPV runs on massive 24-inch aero-optimized wheels and doesn’t get conventional mirrors. Instead, it has slender panels protruding from the A-pillar with cameras. The doors are counter-hinged (front and rear), and there’s no B-pillar. There’s excellent harmony between the front and back as the rear also gets digital surfaces with 3D pixel lights. The roofline gently drops into the highly raked rear windscreen while the massive 4-part diffuser makes the Audi electric MPV appear sporty—not a word associated with vans, but Audi has done the trick.
Interior & Features
If features like swiveling seats, a transparent entertainment screen, and retractable steering make it to production, they will revolutionize the automotive space. Images: Audi
The interior appears to have acres of room with a wheelbase of 133.8 inches (3.4 meters). The swiveling rear seats can be tilted up to 60 degrees to a point where rear passengers can face each other. They also get leg rests. There’s a massive vertically-pivoting roof-mounted transparent movie screen for the rear passengers—similar to what we saw on the new 7th generation BMW 7 Series and i7 recently, but unique in form factor.
That’s not the only screen in the cabin. The front seat backrests get ‘privacy screens,’ similar to what we see on passenger airlines. Another party trick of the Audi urbansphere concept is the retractable steering and pedals. The concept is capable of Level 4 autonomous driving, so the steering can be tucked away behind the dashboard while the pedals hide behind the footwell. What’s more, Audi has included VR glasses in the armrests.
Instead of an infotainment screen and digital cluster, there are visual projections on the wooden surfaces under the windshield. Users can control menus with a rotating ring on the door trims (MMI touchless response). What’s more, there’s generous use of sustainable materials in the cabin. No chemicals were used for the interiors, the seats are made from Econyl (recycled polyamide), and the armrests are made using bamboo viscose fabric.
Audi urbansphere specifications
The Audi urbansphere concept measures 217.9 inches long (5.51 meters), 79.1 inches wide (2.01 meters), and 70 inches (1.78 meters) tall. It has a 133.8-inch long wheelbase. The concept is built on Audi’s Premium Platform Electric, co-developed with Porsche and the VW Group. The platform will also be used by the upcoming Electric Porsche Macan and the Audi Q6 e-tron.
In terms of powertrain, the Audi urbansphere concept comes with a dual-motor AWD set-up with 295 kW (401 hp) and 508 lb-ft. The PPE allows 800-volt charging, so the electric van’s 120+ kWh battery can be charged from 5-80% in under 25 minutes. Audi says the estimated WLTP range will be 466 miles. The vehicle also gets rear-axle steering for improved maneuverability and adaptive air suspension.
Level 4 Autonomous Driving
The Audi electric van is capable of Level 4 Autonomous Driving. The vehicle can self-drive with minimal human intervention, unlike Level 3, where the driver should be ready to take over should the need arise. Audi is presently working with CARIAD, VW Group’s software arm, to introduce the technology in the second half of this decade.
The steering and the pedals can be hidden when the vehicle is in self-drive mode. Image: Audi
Audi electric MPV Release Date
Audi has not mentioned official production plans for the electric van. Suppose Audi’s internal market analysts and top bosses give a green signal for this project. In that case, it may arrive in China mid-decade to take on products including the Zeekr 002 and the Voyah Dreamer. Not all the gizmos mentioned above would make it to production. However, Audi will try to flex its muscles with certain high-tech features to maintain its brand image.
Keyword: Electric Audi van/Urbansphere: Everything we know as of April 2022