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Even though the Beijing Auto Show has been postponed due to rising cases of the coronavirus, Audi is still revealing its new concept that was supposed to appear in China. Urbansphere follows the stunning Skysphere and Grandsphere from last year and serves as a window into the company’s design language. While the previous concept took the form of a two-seat roadster and a swoopy sedan, the new showcar appears to have a minivan-esque shape.
Four Rings has been tight-lipped about the Urbansphere, but we know it’s tailored to “meet the needs of customers in China’s major cities.” Interestingly, the Ingolstadt-based brand said it had designed the concept car from the inside out as the company’s first car to “reflect the desires and experiences of Chinese customers.” It will have the most spacious cabin of any Audi model to date, outperforming the three-row Q6, the upscale VW Atlas for the most populous country in the world.
Not that we’re surprised, but Audi mentions the Urbansphere has been envisioned with a fully autonomous driving mode. Without the steering wheel and pedals getting in the way, the interior is made to be very spacious. From what we’ve seen in the teaser images so far, the showcar will have a suicide door providing access to a lounge-like cabin with plenty of legroom.
Like the Skysphere and Grandsphere concepts, the new Urbansphere is more than just a luxury concept as design cues will be adopted by production cars in the following years. Contained strictly with an electric drivetrain, the third “ball” concept will have a completely flat floor, short overhangs, and a long wheelbase.
An adjacent teaser reveals a screen mounted on the front seat backs, a rising center console for rear passengers, and a wraparound screen/projector that doubles as a digital instrument and infotainment cluster. Audi has developed the Urbansphere as a four-seater concept with individual rear seats and some of the most advanced ambient lighting we’ve seen.
It remains to be seen whether the company will refer to its shiny new concept as a minivan or the marketing team has come up with a different term. It’s worth noting that the carrier family is still a popular body style in China, as are luxury minivans like the Buick GL8 and Lexus LM. It will be interesting to know if Audi has any plans to join the premium MPV game.
The live broadcast starts at 11:00 GMT.
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