Audi Activesphere Imagines the Next-Gen Allroad

• Audi previews Activesphere concept, following up on three earlier EV concept cars, due to be shown in 2023.

• The concept features a coupe-like profile coupled with off-road underpinnings; the automaker also suggests automated driving will play a role.

• Audi is working to expand its battery-electric offerings, with the recent debuts of the Q4 e-tron models.

By now we've seen a number of Audi concepts with sphere in the name. But Ingolstadt isn't done with this string of concepts just yet, previewing the Activesphere this week after previously revealing the Skysphere, Grandsphere, and Urbansphere.

While the Skysphere could turn from a grand tourer into a sports car with the press of a button—varying its wheelbase—the Grandsphere previewed a sleek luxury limo with suicide doors.

The Urbansphere, on the other hand, was a spacious MPV aimed at the trends of the Chinese domestic market, which is another way of saying that it was a luxury minivan—a segment not addressed by Audi at present.

The fourth concept, slated to be revealed next year, will head straight for the crossover bodystyle, or something closer to a sport-utility sedan coupled with an electric drivetrain.

"Audi activesphere concept—this is the name of the fourth model in the family of concept cars that Audi has been introducing since August 2021," the automaker said. "Not only do they all have electric drives, but they’re also designed to be capable of automated driving. This technical layout gives rise to entirely new designs, especially of the interiors and the offerings for those on board to use their time productively or just relax. Audi’s sphere concept cars collectively showcase the vision of the premium mobility of tomorrow."

The latest concept is not quite a sedan, as Audi has gone for the trendy coupe profile, giving the concept a more delicate appearance. But there is still plenty of ground clearance to be seen in this preview, along with some patterned cladding along the sill line.

Curiously enough, Audi already sells something like this in the form of the e-tron Sportback, and the Q4 Sportback e-tron. The Activesphere concept appears to apply something closer to an Audi A7 body to beefy wheels and tires, perhaps pointing to a possible white space in the lineup that few automakers have dared to address.

We'll see the Activesphere concept in full in 2023, so there is still some time to ponder its place in the cosmos.