The embarrassing situation of the BBA final three without luxury MPV models may be broken by Audi.
On April 19 last week, Audi officially unveiled the Urbansphere concept, the third model in the Audisphere concept car family after last year's variable-wheelbase GT concept sports car Skysphere and luxury concept sedan Grandsphere.
The key message of Urbansphere, in addition to the fact that it will be an MPV model, another point that pleases us Chinese consumers is that it is a model jointly developed by Audi Beijing Design Studio and Ingolstadt Studio and some users, which is also the first time that Audi China is independently responsible for designing the interior, integrating more Chinese elements.
Like the previous two sphere concept cars, urbansphere is also based on the PPE platform, and will be equipped with 800V charging technology, WLTP operating range of up to 750km, and L4 level automatic driving capabilities. It is worth mentioning that the urbansphere concept car's 5510/2010/1780mm dimensions and 3400mm wheelbase also make it the largest of all Audi concept cars to date.
Although still in the state of the concept car, the design of the Urbansphere is significantly more "grounded" than the first two sphere concept cars. In particular, the shape of the headlight group has been reflected in several production models, and the large enclosed polygon grille looks very sci-fi, and it is also possible to customize the light group, including but not limited to color, lighting area and animation effects. Of course, on the taillights, there will be a similar effect. Obviously, Audi, which has the reputation of "lamp factory", has once again refreshed our understanding of it.
Viewed from the side, the front half of the Urbansphere concept car is very low and slender, like a bullet train walking on a cement road. In addition, the new car front and rear doors adopt a gate design, and the B-pillar is eliminated, and when the door is opened, there is a beam of "red carpet" light projected on the ground, and the sense of ceremony is directly full. The 24-inch oversized rim on the concept car may not be assembled on the production car, but the independent suspension of the front and rear multi-link and the air suspension should not be absent.
Inside the car, a more powerful sci-fi atmosphere greets you. A large number of wood and wool synthetic textile fabrics fill the carriages, the hugging cockpit style is very simple, and the large central control screen we are accustomed to has been replaced by the projection form, and the occupants can switch between functions such as music or navigation in the induction area. In addition, the steering wheel and accelerator brake pedal of the new car can be hidden, which is even more cool when automatic driving is fully allowed to be turned on.
In Audi's planning, Urbansphere will adopt a 2+2 four-seat design, and its meaning of creating an ultra-luxurious MPV is self-evident, and thanks to the ultra-long wheelbase of 3.4 meters, the space inside the car will not disappoint. In addition, the four seats of the new car are made of recyclable polyamide ECONYL, which can still be recycled after the car is scrapped.
In addition to our more common small table panels, headrest speakers, and mood lights, the Urbansphere's seats with leg rests can support a 60° tilt capability and can be rotated to change the orientation.
Audi believes that the space in the car of the future can not only be used for rest, but also for entertainment and work. So on the roof of the Urbansphere, there is also a giant OLED transparent screen, which can be lowered to the front of the two seats when using it for video conferencing or watching movies, and if the two passengers use different purposes, it can also be used for split-screen applications, and the practicality is quite impressive.
In terms of power, urbansphere will have two motors in front and rear, with a total output of 295kW and a maximum torque of 690N·m, and will be equipped with an electric quattro four-wheel drive system at the same time. In terms of batteries, the new car is equipped with a battery pack with a capacity of 120kWh, and the peak charging power can reach 270kW under the high-voltage charging technology of 800V, and the charging from 5%-80% of the power takes only 25 minutes, plus the endurance of 750km, the comprehensive strength of urbansphere is still very powerful.
According to Audi's official statement, the concept car of the sphere series is not finished, and all concepts will become a reality in the future. After hearing this news, are you more looking forward to the mass production of these high-concept vehicles as soon as possible? Perhaps in the near future, Audi will use these vehicles to change our travel philosophy.