Feast your eyes on the all-new Audi concept – an off-roader with augmented reality

Audi has just unveiled its incredibly beautiful Activesphere EV concept. 

It’s a crossover coupe but can transform into a pick-up, giving you an open cargo bed big enough to carry your bikes and golf clubs. 

And instead of a screen, it uses augmented reality for all of the controls including navigation, climate, and entertainment.

The crazy features don’t end there, because the car is also fully autonomous.

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The Activesphere has a steering wheel and pedals for when the driver wants to control the car, but it also offers fully autonomous driving for when you want to sit back and relax. 

The concept stands 4.98 meters long, 2.07 meters wide and 1.6 meters high. 

It also wears 22-inch wheels, giving it a seriously commanding presence on the road. 

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Augmented Reality 

We have to start with the augmented reality, because it’s seriously impressive. 

This concept has no screens, instead, it displays an augmented reality, combining the physical and virtual worlds. 

Headsets allow you to see all the control panels and other virtual displays that are hidden to the naked eye. 

The system tracks your eyes and brings up more detailed information when you focus on a particular menu. 

Then you can control everything as you normally would – ‘pressing’ a button or ‘rotating’ a dial with your hand movements. 

The augmented reality also extends beyond the cabin. 

It can project a topographical map, show you traffic routes and traffic information. 

This also allows the interior design to remain super minimalistic. 

You can see it all in action here.

Off-road capabilities 

The Activesphere concept has been designed as a serious off-road vehicle. 

It has a ground clearance of 208 mm which can be increased by 40mm when taking it off-road. 

Its wheels also have movable segments, opening for better ventilation when off-road and closing again for optimal aerodynamics on-road. 

The all-wheel-drive also has a see-through interpretation of Audi’s ‘Singleframe’ grille, which allows the driver to better spot any obstacles ahead of them. 

Audi Activesphere concept design 

Audi Design Studio manager Gael Buzyn described the concept as “truly unique”. 

“It is a new type of crossover that cleverly combines the elegance of an Audi Sportback, the practicality of a SUV and true offroad capabilities,” he said. 

The activesphere concept has high-gloss paint finishes in Arctic Teal on the front and rear as well as underneath the doors. 

And just like the Audi grandsphere concept, it has normal doors at the front and ‘suicide doors’ at the back.

There is no B-pillar meaning the doors open to a huge, open interior space. 

The sideview mirrors have also been replaced with cameras to decrease drag and boost range. 

Interior design 

The four individual seats are suspended from the high, full-length center console. 

When the concept drives in autonomous mode, the dashboard, steering wheel and pedals all disappear. 

This creates a wide open space in front of the passengers, giving them an unobstructed view of the road ahead. 

Then when the driver wants to take over control, the dash, steering wheel and pedals all swivel out again. 

Audi Activesphere Concept Performance 

Audi has given the EV a range of over 600 km (370 miles) and super quick-charging technology. 

The 800-volt charging tech will allow you to recharge in just 10 minutes. 

This charging time will power the car for more than 300 km (186 miles). 

And in less than 25 minutes, the 100kWh battery will charge from five to 80 percent. 

You can read more about its performance here.

Audi says the automated driving functions and augmented reality are technologies that are currently under development. 

This means they’re not actually ready or available for production vehicles just yet. 

But Audi said they do represent the brand’s design future. 

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