I wouldn’t blame you for being of two minds about this, after all, minivans are still reasonably popular in certain parts of the world, especially in the United States where you can choose between at least three well-established models in the Chrysler Pacifica, Toyota Sienna and the Honda Odyssey.
One could then pontificate about the possibility of adding a premium model in there, perhaps one of German origins. Makes sense, right? Wrong! (Schwarzenegger's voice).
Let’s look at the Pacifica, since it’s the best-selling minivan in its class. This is a $37,000 vehicle (starting price), and for that type of money, you’re getting a lot of “car” in return, especially if you desperately crave having that much room and practicality.
Now imagine something with an Audi badge, like a production version of the recently unveiled urbansphere concept, which by the way was also fully electric. A brand-new premium EV minivan would probably set you back close to double what you’d pay for a Pacifica, turning a once practical choice into one that makes very little sense – especially with all these seven-seater SUVs available out there.
Still, looking at this rendering by Kolesa, we can’t say we’d blame Audi if they ever decided to turn the urbansphere concept into something that’s ready for production. They have everything they need, from the sharp design language to the PPE architecture, which Audi shares with Porsche.
The concept is said to feature an 800-volt system that can be charged with up to 270 kW for an estimated range of about 466 miles (750 km), as per WLTP estimates. Meanwhile, power is produced by two electric motors combining for a total of 295 kW (395 horsepower), to go with a peak torque figure of 508 lb-ft (690 Nm).
It would make for a great soccer mom car, but again, at what cost?
Let’s look at the Pacifica, since it’s the best-selling minivan in its class. This is a $37,000 vehicle (starting price), and for that type of money, you’re getting a lot of “car” in return, especially if you desperately crave having that much room and practicality.
Now imagine something with an Audi badge, like a production version of the recently unveiled urbansphere concept, which by the way was also fully electric. A brand-new premium EV minivan would probably set you back close to double what you’d pay for a Pacifica, turning a once practical choice into one that makes very little sense – especially with all these seven-seater SUVs available out there.
Still, looking at this rendering by Kolesa, we can’t say we’d blame Audi if they ever decided to turn the urbansphere concept into something that’s ready for production. They have everything they need, from the sharp design language to the PPE architecture, which Audi shares with Porsche.
The concept is said to feature an 800-volt system that can be charged with up to 270 kW for an estimated range of about 466 miles (750 km), as per WLTP estimates. Meanwhile, power is produced by two electric motors combining for a total of 295 kW (395 horsepower), to go with a peak torque figure of 508 lb-ft (690 Nm).
It would make for a great soccer mom car, but again, at what cost?