Audi Activesphere Concept Offers Pickup Bed, VR, Quattro - Autoweek

• Audi officially reveals its newest summation to the Sphere conception conveyance lineup, known arsenic the Activesphere, with a pickup furniture and lounge seating for four.
• Built connected the Premium Platform Electric architecture, the battery-electric luxury coupe boasts 435 hp, 372 miles of range, and an progressive aerial suspension with 9.76 inches of crushed clearance.
• Beyond its off-road capabilities, the Activesphere features a superimposed mixed world satellite inside, accessible by an Audi-specific headset, and Level 4 autonomous driving modes.

Audi seems to beryllium connected a rotation with striking designs and enthusiast engagement lately, arsenic the marque launches its newest conception car—the Audi Activesphere. Gone are the days of emblematic sedan shapes and bulbous crossovers, successful theory, arsenic Audi calls the Activesphere a crossover and a luxury coupe. And you can't hide its retractable pickup motortruck bed, either.

If you deliberation that sounds bizarre, you'd beryllium right. Of course, this exemplary is simply a certifiable concept vehicle, but its unorthodox styling and futuristic mixed-reality features marque the exemplary a spectacle worthy pondering.

The automaker emphasized during the property briefing that determination is nary committedness to putting this exemplary into production, but it's typical of an all-new lineup toward which Audi is working. In fact, it's the 4th exemplary successful the Audi sphere lineup, pursuing the Grandsphere, Urbansphere, and Skysphere, but it's by acold the astir adventurous—just arsenic Audi intended.

With nary accumulation plans, the entity is the bounds successful presumption of features, and the Activesphere doesn't disappoint. For starters, the sportback rear of the Activesphere turns into an unfastened cargo furniture astatine the interaction of a button—with the capableness for carrying instrumentality for your hobby of choice.

From e-bikes to h2o and wintertime sports cogwheel arsenic good arsenic play clubs, the alleged "ActiveBack" furniture is augmented by a skis rack integrated into the halfway of the extortion structure. This retractable abstraction is made imaginable acknowledgment to the transparent rear model slides and the motorized bulkhead down the rider area.

The Activesphere's quality to beryllium a utilitarian conveyance is paired with the close mechanical setup, featuring a acceptable of 22-inch wheels and knobby, off-road circumstantial 285/55 tires. With up to 9.76 inches of crushed clearance from the progressive aerial suspension arsenic good arsenic an attack space of 18.9 degrees and a departure space of 28.1 degrees, the exemplary is acceptable to fulfill its Quattro heritage.

And if you bash take to instrumentality the Activesphere offroad, its abundance of electrical torque should beryllium a large help. Built connected Audi's Premium Platform Electric (PPE) architecture and powered by a 100-kWh artillery module, Audi says the exemplary tin nutrient astir 435 hp and 531 lb-ft of torque from its 2 electrical motors. Each axle is equipped with an electrical motor.

To support the power flowing, each models based connected the PPE level volition person an 800-volt charging system, with charging speeds arsenic precocious arsenic 270 kW. Audi says 10 minutes of charging astatine this complaint volition output 186 miles of range, portion 25 minutes volition boost the authorities of complaint from 5% to 80%. In total, the Activesphere conception is acceptable to person 372 miles of range.

Despite its off-road chops and athletics coupe plan heritage, Audi wants consumers to person the prime not to drive, oregon to thrust with dense assistance. With a Level 4 autonomous chauffeuring system—capable lone connected suitable terrain—the conception allows occupants to beryllium back, relax, and bask the ride, arsenic the steering instrumentality and pedals fold into the interior compartments.

Don't worry, the steering instrumentality and pedals tin beryllium folded retired of the soundbar-style dash astatine a moment's notice, though Audi did not accidental if this diagnostic could beryllium utilized portion successful motion. Because Audi claims this volition beryllium a Level 4 system, it technically won't request operator involution anyways, but Audi expects the transition from driving to self-driving should beryllium gradual.

To that effect, Audi is introducing Audi Dimensions, a mixed-reality system accessed done proprietary high-tech headsets and past projected wrong the cabin. Occupants volition presumption the existent satellite astir them successful summation to a acceptable of superimposed thrust functions, navigation, and adjacent traffic information information, with each occupant capable to customize however they spot this mixed reality.

Driving presumption and pursuing oregon braking distances arsenic good arsenic interior power panels, specified arsenic audio and clime control, are shown successful a tidy, minimalist plan that remains hidden from the unaided eye, but is capable to beryllium manipulated by those utilizing the headsets.

Even if each occupants chose not to deterioration the headset, the Activesphere remains driveable and the interior functions are designed with casual enactment successful mind. Audi says the Sphere vignette is recovered passim the concept, particularly inside.

Using the wide, termination doors to ascent into 1 of the 4 lounge seats, passengers volition find themselves sitting astatine the aforesaid level arsenic the high, full-length halfway console, which serves arsenic the interior layout's crown jewel, with heating and cooling capableness arsenic good arsenic country for assorted bottles and adjacent the proprietary headsets.

Despite the monolithic fender flares, 5.25-foot raised suspension, and maximalist solid exterior, the Activesphere conception is akin successful size to an Audi A6 e-tron, the company's upcoming midsize EV sedan offering. And portion galore of the features are lofty successful discourse with existent technology, particularly autonomous driving capabilities, the existent drivetrain is connected par with existent EV trends and its dimensions aren't that ridiculous.

Beyond this concept, the PPE chassis itself is acceptable to articulation the Audi fleet, apt done the A6 e-tron, by the extremity of this year. And portion Audi touts the mixed world and autonomous driving possibilities of the Activesphere concept, it's apt that consumers would beryllium conscionable arsenic excited by the lifted, Quattro-based fastback coupe design—especially erstwhile it tin transportation 2 e-bikes and 4 passengers up and down the upland with powerfulness to spare.

Would you similar to spot Audi's Activesphere—or astatine slightest definite elements of it—go into production? Please remark below.