Audi unveils 'urbansphere' concept luxury MPV

Audi recently unveiled a concept luxury MPV dubbed the" urbansphere." According to the German automaker, the urbansphere — which is the third concept car under the “sphere” moniker — has been systematically designed from the inside out and was created for use in traffic of Chinese megacities. Both Audi’s Ingolstadt and Beijing design teams were involved in the development of the urbansphere.

Outside, the Audi urbansphere concept boasts a grand, and undoubtedly self-assured, look. It measures 5,500mm long, 1,780mm tall, and a little over 2,000mm wide. Its large dimensions are further highlighted by its 24-inch wheels.

At the front end is a large modern grille accentuated by thin lights at the top-most corner of each side. The rear reflects the design cues at the fore with a large dynamic lighting setup.

The breadth of the vehicle is experienced as soon as its passengers enter the cabin. This gives way to the swiveling seats, with the second row being able to tilt as much as 60 degrees accompanied by leg rests that extend with it.

Each of the four seats in the luxury MPV features a sound zone with speakers in the headrest area. The headrests also hide a privacy screen for when passengers require some level of seclusion, and individual monitors to keep the occupants engaged and entertained.

The urbansphere also has a “cinema screen” that pivots vertically from the roof area into the zone between the rows of seats. Per Audi, the large-format OLED screen can be used not only for entertainment purposes, like watching videos during short and long trips, but also for video conferences — allowing its would-be owners (should the urbansphere be developed to the point of production) to attend to business matters while inside the vehicle.

Other notable interior features of the urbansphere include the stress detection system, a program that uses facial scans and voice analysis to determine how passengers are feeling and offers each of them individual ways to relax, and the VR glasses found on the left and right doors.

As a vehicle designed for the future, the urbansphere will be powered by two electric motors capable of delivering around 396 horses and a maximum torque of 690Nm. The concept vehicle is also equipped with Audi’s quattro permanent four-wheel-drive system.

The motors work in conjunction with a high-performance battery that holds more than 120kWh and can be charged from five to 80 percent in just 25 minutes. Audi adds that plugging the urbansphere for just 10 minutes gives the luxury MPV an estimated driving range of about 300 kilometers.

The Audi urbansphere is thought of as a third living space and acts as a lounge on wheels and mobile office. Furthermore, Level 4 automated driving technology can transform its interior without a steering wheel, pedals, or displays into a mobile interactive space that opens up to the offerings of a comprehensive digital ecosystem.

Should the urbansphere reach production status, we’re guessing that it will first be launched in the Chinese market.

Photos from Audi

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