Audi outlines ambitions for next generation of design

Audi's design team has opened up about the German marque's future in an ever-changing world as the company transitions towards electric vehicles, moving away from its aesthetic norms.

Three of Audi's key designers spoke to media at a tech talk on Friday off the back of its three 'Sphere' concept vehicles being released earlier last week, teasing the future direction of the brand's EV models.

In the presentation, the new Grand Sphere was shown off in greater depth ahead of its official debut at the IAA Munich Motor Show this September, giving a deeper look at the future flagship vehicle for Audi.

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Grand Sphere's driver's seat can recline fully when the vehicle is being self-driven

Due to its short front and rear overhangs, space inside the cabin has been increased from existing Audi luxury models such as the A8, with head of interior design, Norbert Weber, saying the revised interior will redefine perceptions of luxury.

With reduced exterior dimensions, Weber and his team were able to utilise the extra freedom to create a more balanced interior which gives back to the first row occupants, allowing them to share in the same experience as those in the second row.

As a level four autonomous vehicle, it can either be operated by the driver or the car itself, with the front seats featuring the ability to recline while the car is self-driving.

Weber said the driver's seat needed to have the ability to be a relaxation space while not in control, but still provide support when it is being operated.

He added that a focus still remains on making sure it meets safety standards regardless of position, with a greater level of importance being placed on voice recognition tech to provide the driver with some level of control.

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Functional controls can retract when the vehicle is in self-driving mode

Audi's head of exterior design, Philipp Römers, said the relocation of the vehicle's power source from the front in a traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) car to under the floor in an EV gives more freedom of design, allowing the wheels to be placed closer to the edges while also minimising front and rear overhangs.

This greater flexibility for exterior design meant Römers and his team could shape a vehicle to not only look more appealing but also provide a better drag coefficient, a hallmark of Audi's models over the years can now have a major bearing on an EV's driving range.

When questioned by WhichCar about why the Grand Sphere and Urban Sphere had adopted short front ends while the Sky Sphere featured a long bonnet, even by ICE standards, Römers said the car's design came from it being a larger class car with different functions to the other concepts, although he didn't provide details as to what these functions were.

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Marc Lichte, the overall head of design for Audi, echoed his colleague's comments about the benefit of electric technology in car design, providing a better canvas for his team to work on.

With design no longer limited by ICEs, Lichte said the future of Audi's cars can make vehicles into a third living space, whether it be for work, relaxation or entertainment.

Official unveiling is set to begin on September 6 when the IAA Munich Motor Show begins, as Audi begins its transition away from ICEs and towards only selling EVs, a target it hopes to reach by 2026.