2024 has been the year of some strange beginnings, especially in the automotive industry. But thankfully, Audi’s thing isn’t as strange as Jaguar‘s. And the “thing” we’re talking about is that Audi is launching a new brand in China, and the name of the brand is, well, AUDI. The difference, as stated in the company’s official press release, is the capital letters and the lack of four rings logo. Audi CEO Gernot Döllner says, this “new brand” is for electric and intelligent models in China. It remains to be seen what exactly are these intelligent models. In the meantime, we have the AUDI E concept to talk about.
Audi doesn’t classify what type of vehicle the E concept is, but looking at its silhouette, it is more of a mix between a hatchback, a MUV and an SUV. It has four doors, in case you are wondering. The design language I guess is a departure from the current Audi line-up; it doesn’t remind us of any Audi models we are aware of, and that’s probably the idea. There’s this elongated rectangle/oval element on the front fascia with AUDI branding, and the same is mimicked at the rear. But the rear has these triangular light elements, which might be OLEDs. That roofline with an integrated wing looks pretty cool.
The “fully electric Sportback” as Audi describes the E concept, is a fairly long vehicle. It measures 4,870 mm long, 1,990 mm wide and 1,460 mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2,950 mm. It is an all-wheel-drive model with two electric motors—one on each axle, offering combined figures of 570 kW (775 metric hp) and 800 Nm (590 lb-ft). Audi claims an official 0-100 km/h (62 mph) sprint time of 3.6 seconds, and apparently, the “vehicle also drives like a real Audi in terms of comfort as well as dynamics”. The concept car is equipped with a 100 kWh battery pack, claimed to offer a CLTC range of 700 km (435 mi). Thanks to the 800-volt architecture, 10 minutes of fast-charging can offer 370 km (230 mi) of range.
The interior design looks clean and minimalistic. Of course, the dashboard is filled with displays; this particular one is a curved pillar-to-pillar 4K touch display. The outer displays of this curved panel are for the digital exterior mirrors. The door cards integrate illuminated wood and microfiber in a 3D lamella design, inspired by modern architecture.
Other key highlights include AI-based AUDI Assistant and AUDI Control; the latter is a touch-sensitive bar on the centre console to interact with the displays above.
So then, the big question is of course, when do we get to see the production model? Well, Audi aims to commence sales sometime in 2025. The first three models will be in the mid-size and full-size segments (B and C).
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