Audi urbansphere concept - Exterior Design

OverView

Since the Audi urbansphere concept¹ was designed with a special focus on mobility in China’s megacities, the concept car is the result of close cooperation between the Four Rings’ design studios in Beijing and at the company’s headquarters in Ingolstadt. This was the first time Audi embarked on a co-creation process in which prospective customers in China made suggestions based on their own desires and experiences as part of the vehicle development process. The fruits of these inspiring contributions can be seen especially in the interior. Considering that personal space will be at a premium in tomorrow’s metropolitan areas, the Audi urbansphere concept¹ takes the form of a lounge on wheels – a quiet, private space and mobile office with extensive high-tech amenities. During the hours spent negotiating traffic, the vehicle will serve as a mobile venue for immersive experiences, rounding out home and workplace as an additional living space.

Designed from the inside out

That’s why the Audi urbansphere concept¹ was deliberately designed with the interior as the starting point. The passenger experience, their requirements of a vehicle interior, are at the core of every aesthetic and technological detail. Ultimately, even the “sphere” component in the series designation is pioneering, heralding a new vehicle family that gives passengers an ample, comfortable inner space where they can immerse themselves in whole new experiences on the move. Their wishes shape this space, its architecture and all the integrated functions.

The traditional design process has been turned on its head. Right from the start, the interior was the centre of attention. Everything – from equipment packages to the exterior silhouette and proportions – takes its cue from the inner heart of the Audi urbansphere concept² and is melded together with technology to form a total artwork. Thanks to its SAE level four² automated driving capabilities, the Audi urbansphere concept¹ takes the task of operating the vehicle out of the driver’s hands whenever they like. What’s more, all of the vehicle’s occupants enjoy new freedoms and can choose to tailor any of a wide range of options – be it communications, relaxation, work or quiet me-time – to their needs. That means the Audi urbansphere concept¹ is no longer simply a car but an “experience device”.

Since the front and rear doors of the Audi urbansphere concept open in opposite directions and there is no B-pillar, passengers entering the vehicle are given an expansive welcome into the full sweep of the interior. Thanks to a 3.40-metre wheelbase and a vehicle width of 2.01metres, the car boasts a sizeable footprint. Ample glass surfaces enhance the airy, spacious feeling. At the moment occupants embark, the Red Carpet Light projected onto the ground next to the car already sets the scene for a special experience on board.

Inside, four individual seats in two rows offer luxurious, first-class comfort. They turn outward to greet the occupants as they enter. Passengers conversing in the interior can swivel their seats to face each other². Notably the rear seats are generously proportioned and feature a wide range of adjustment options. In Relax and Entertain modes, choosing to recline the backrest by up to 60 degrees simultaneously raises the leg rests. With their integrated armrests, the side bolsters hug the body securely. For even greater privacy, each seat’s head area can be screened off from the neighbour’s view with a blind mounted behind the headrest. What’s more, each seat has its own sound zone with speakers in the headrest area. On top of that, individual monitors are integrated into the front seat backrests.

A special feature is the transparent OLED screen that can be released vertically from the roof area into the space between the front and rear seat rows, letting occupants share use of the infotainment system. In this position, the screen stretches across the full width of the interior, allowing occupants in the rear seats to either participate jointly in a video conference, enjoy a movie together or use it separately in split-screen mode. When the Cinema Screen is not in use, its transparent design ensures an unobstructed view through to the front.

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