Audi Urbansphere Concept Officially Debuts, It Is the Roomiest Audi Ever

As its name implies, this is a concept vehicle, and it may not be turned into a production model. The urbansphere is an all-electric vehicle, and it has been designed to have self-driving capabilities, just like other Volkswagen Group models have recently exhibited. Yes, we are referring to the Volkswagen ID. Buzz AD, which was driven through Munich earlier this month.

Now, coming back to the urbansphere concept, it is part of Audi's Artemis project, which previously unveiled two other concept cars, the skysphere and the grandsphere. As you have probably observed by now, both names have "sphere" in them, as well as feature spelling without capital letters, just like Audi likes to refer to its quattro all-wheel-drive system.

Audi describes the urbansphere as being built on the PPE technology platform, which is shared with Porsche. That is why this model comes with an 800-volt electrical system, and it can get charged with up to 270 kW. Estimated range is up to 466 miles (750 km) according to estimates made by following the WLTP testing procedure. The latter did not happen yet, as this is a concept vehicle, not a production car.

The urbansphere has two motors that deliver a total output of 295 kW (395 horsepower) and a peak system torque of 690 Nm (508 lb.-ft.). The rear axle also has a dedicated steering system, so this is an all-wheel-drive and all-wheel steer electric vehicle. The battery pack is almost entirely flat and it sits between the axles. Its capacity is not specified entirely, but it is described as being "about 120 kilowatt hours of energy."

The front axle motor can be deactivated as required to reduce friction and improve range, as well as for allowing functions like coasting. Even Audi notes that the figures are "often not fully utilized when driving in dense urban traffic." It's still nice to have them available, though.

The decision for rear wheel steering is linked to its long wheelbase, of 3.40 meters (11 feet). The front axle has five-link independent suspension, while the rear is a multi-link axle. Both are made from aluminum, Audi notes. That does not change the fact that unsprung mass will be rather high with the implementation of 24-inch wheels, along with tires to match.

The designers initially created the Audi urbansphere for use in traffic-dense megacities in China, and the company even names the country as the place this concept was imagined for. Audi then quickly points out that the concept is suitable for any other metropolitan center in the world. After all, sitting in traffic may happen anywhere, and you do not have to be in a Chinese megacity to sit in traffic.

Since there is not much driving to do while sitting in traffic, Audi designers have imagined the urbansphere to have the largest interior space of any Audi to date. Yes, you read that right, this is the roomiest Audi ever built, but you cannot buy it yet. The idea is to showcase a few design trends from the German marque, as well as a few ideas for interior arrangements.

The Ingolstadt brand proposes a blend of technologies and digital services that will appeal to all the senses, while offering a "whole new level of experience." While that is not too much to go by, it does involve the idea of offering various services to increase the level of comfort for the occupants, as well as enhancing the interior atmosphere instead of just referring to comfort or the driving experience.