When you want one vehicle that can pretty much do anything, you might want to check out the Audi Activesphere Concept. This is the Swiss Army knife of crossovers. The Activesphere is a luxury sports coupe, capable off-road beast, and weekend getaway vehicle rolled into one impressive package.
This is a four-door crossover but take a closer look and you will see the doors open with stylish flair. That’s because they swing open in opposite directions similar to saloon doors. Back in the day, this style was referred to as rear suicide doors.
A lot of innovative technology is working behind the scenes of the Activesphere. For example, Audi designed the wheels with moveable segments that open for more ventilation when off-roading but they close for on-road driving to optimize aerodynamic performance.
You will not find traditional side-view mirrors on the front doors of the Activesphere. Instead, there are aerodynamically-tuned side-rear-view cameras in place of traditional mirrors.
Audi even designed the body of this crossover EV to feature a lot of glass. That includes small glass windows on the sides of the lower door area so you can see the surface below when off-roading. There is also see-through glass in the frunk area enabling you to have a clear view of the road ahead.
For the active lifestyle enthusiast, you already know there is an entire world out there waiting for you to explore. From loading your camping gear to bringing your e-bikes to your favorite bike path, simply press a button on the Activesphere to reveal an open cargo bed in the rear of the vehicle.
That’s right, the Activesphere can even be your pickup truck. This active back cargo bed feature allows you to load your favorite recreational gear for everything from weekend sports events to hiking or exploring the wilderness at the touch of a button. Thanks to legendary Quattro all-wheel-drive and plenty of ground clearance, off-roading is no problem for the Activesphere Concept.
In standard operating mode, you have 208 millimeters of ground clearance but you can raise or lower that by up to 40 millimeters each way. That gives you a ground clearance range of approximately 6.6 inches all the way up to 9.7 inches. The Activesphere crossover features an approach angle of 18.9 degrees and a departure angle of 28.1 degrees.
Although the capability and functionality of the Activesphere will remind many four rings enthusiasts of allroad models in the past, Audi calls this redefined variant an active sportback. That’s because this is the first time an Audi features the design and equipment of an allroad in a sportback hatchback.
One of the most groundbreaking features of the Audi Activesphere Concept is the interface. Audi combines physical reality with virtual reality through a system called Audi Dimensions. There are different reality headsets for the driver and passengers which create an augmented reality by combining elements of the physical and digital world.
From fully autonomous driving to taking the helm of the Activesphere through the lens of augmented reality, Audi is paving the way for a new future of driving. In autonomous mode, the steering wheel, pedals, and dashboard completely disappear. Don’t worry, they swivel into position whenever you are ready to take control again.
With 325 kW and 720 Newton meters of torque pumping from the electric motors of the Activesphere, why wouldn’t you want to take control from time to time? That translates to about 435 horsepower and 530 pound-feet of torque.
Audi is making it clear, their PPE or premium platform electric engineering will be at the forefront of their innovation in the years to come. The Activesphere Concept is one way the German automaker is showing the world what the PPE will be capable of down the line.
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