Awesome duo for the future

If you want to grab a glimpse of the future, you could try gazing into a crystal ball in the hope of discerning the shape of things to come. Or, for a more realistic insight into the future of the automobile, try looking at concept cars and showcars. Audi endeavors to visualize the shape of things to come in the near and distant future with its concept cars. The Audi A6 Avant e-tron concept¹ includes plenty of details that will soon find their way into series production. And the Audi grandsphere concept¹ is an astonishing demonstration of what the more distant future might bring.

Both vehicles – the Audi A6 Avant e-tron concept² and the Audi grandsphere concept²– clearly have Audi DNA. And that DNA dictates how an Audi looks, how it drives, how it feels. All these attributes are shaped by such things as the high-quality feel of the interior, the distinctive handling that comes from the longitudinal and transverse dynamics, and the steering qualities that make an Audi so distinctive. Audi DNA also defines the driving feel in the automated models of the future. This makes “Vorsprung durch Technik” perceptible on every drive.

The very first glimpse of the Audi A6 Avant e-tron concept ¹ awakens a sense of yearning. Yearning for the future to begin right now – for this elegant form of mobility to become a reality. But customers will need to wait a little longer for the series-production version of this Avant to reach dealers.

The Audi A6 Avant e-tron concept¹ uses projectors to actively communicate with its surroundings and the driver.

Aesthetics combined with safety: The Audi A6 Avant e-tron concept¹ uses LED projections on the ground to greet its passengers. These projections are more than just eye-catchers – they also function as communication elements. Symbols cast onto the road surface can warn cyclists of a car door being opened, for example. The same technology is used to project the turn indicators dynamically onto the road surface as well. 

It is all about seeing and being seen: Next-generation digital matrix LED headlights can increase safety by means of projections – lane and orientation light – onto the road in front of the vehicle. In addition, the front headlights illuminate the road clearly and brightly. Intelligent lighting control reacts automatically to traffic situations, the weather and the surroundings.

Slim headlights, a closed Singleframe grille: This Avant ² is recognizable in a flash as an electrically powered Audi.

The hallmark of every Avant model built by Audi: sporty character emanating from design features that catch the eye and hold your attention.

The Audi A6 Avant e-tron concept¹ is a very special Avant. Approach it from the side and you will notice one design feature above all: The profile along the vehicle’s underbody is reminiscent of an aircraft’s wing. This wing shape will become a typical feature on Audi series-production models with electric drive. The latest-generation digital OLED elements that make a three-dimensional light strip at the rear possible are also among the special design features.

With its elegant lines, the Audi A6 Avant e-tron concept¹ adds a new chapter to the Audi Avant success story.

Whether viewed from the front, back, side or from above, there is no doubting Audi’s prowess in creating highly emotional automobiles with remarkable styling. The roof of the Audi A6 Avant e-tron concept¹ appears to be floating. That is partly down to the roof spoiler that runs along the glass roof from the A-pillar up to the slanting C-pillar. Among its many other features, it produces very good aerodynamics – the showcar has an excellent drag coefficient. That aerodynamics are part of the key to understanding how the Audi A6 Avant e-tron concept² achieves a range of up to 700 kilometers (WLTP).¹ It does so with a high-performance battery that is also very quick to recharge: It takes just 10 minutes to “fill up” enough energy for around 300 kilometers.¹

The Audi grandsphere concept ¹ embodies what Audi plans to achieve in the full-size category over the coming years. The vehicle will become a platform for experiences, embedded in a holistic digital ecosystem. This concept car excites people as soon as they approach it. As the doors swing open automatically – the rear doors are rear-hinged, the front doors have their hinges at the front – you see before you a vast expanse of space because the Audi grandsphere concept ¹ does not have a B-pillar. This not only simplifies getting into and out of the car, it also demonstrates first-class comfort in a revolutionarily redesigned interior that becomes an experiential space during the automated drive – just as self-driving Audi models might offer in the future.

PPE – three letters that denote not just Premium Platform Electric, but the very future of electric mobility.

The front end of the Audi grandsphere concept¹ reinterprets the brand’s typical Singleframe radiator grille: Flowing lines form a hexagon. The technical basis is the Premium Platform Electric (PPE). The core element of PPE is the high-performance battery between the axles. In conjunction with 800-volt charging technology, it enables charging times that are more like a classic refueling stop for a car with combustion engine.¹

Together with a range in excess of 750 kilometers (WLTP)¹, that makes the Audi grandsphere concept² unquestionably fit for long-distance driving. The concept car has separate electric motors mounted on the front and rear axles that use electronic coordination to deliver quattro drive on demand and execute a perfect balance between driving dynamics and energy efficiency.

The Audi grandsphere concept ¹illustrates the brand’s ambition to define the future shape of premium mobility.

Unlike many electric cars, the Audi grandsphere concept¹ does not look futuristic at all, but rather emphasizes traditional beauty ideals – both outside and in. Particularly its automated driving (level 4) can now bring all passengers a new dimension of freedom.

In the Audi grandsphere concept,² automated driving creates an innovative sphere of experience.

Climb into the Audi grandsphere concept¹ for the first time and you will initially be surprised by the biggest innovation: not a single dial, no flat screens, no touchscreens. Instead of the familiar cockpit, the Audi grandsphere concept¹ presents a calm expanse featuring natural materials of the highest quality. Wood, wool and textile fabric predominate. A place to feel at ease, where relaxation is possible without the glow of displays.

No instruments, screens or displays? So how do drivers get information if they want to take control of the Audi grandsphere concept¹ themselves? There are displays – in the form of projections onto the wood surfaces beneath the windshield. These can be controlled by eye tracking and gestures and enable travel time to be used productively – for video conferences, for example. The steering wheel and pedals are concealed while the Audi grandsphere concept¹ is in automated mode and only emerge when the driver chooses to take over – or has to because the conditions do not permit driving in the automated modes.