Audi Gives Fans A First Glimpse Of The Grand Sphere Concept Days After Teasing It

Just a week after Audi head of design Marc Lichte and Audi senior VP Henrik Wenders teased three new concept sketches, the folks at Ingolstadt have given us its first proper teaser of the Grand Sphere concept. Set to be unveiled at the 2021 Munich Motor Show, the Grand Sphere previews what looks like an all-electric A8 of the future with all the latest gizmos onboard.

The earlier design sketch hinted at a luxury sedan with a short nose and a lot of passenger area. And the latest teaser images confirm just that. The reason for a short hood is that there’s no need for an internal combustion engine. Audi also hinted that the production-spec model will be based on the Volkswagen Group’s Premium Platform Electric (PPE) architecture.  

We’ve even gotten a glimpse of the cabin, and we can safely say that it's pretty much a luxury lounge on wheels. Highlights include two lounge-like reclining seats with a massive centre console separating them. And instead of any remote for controlling the features, the rear central console features a refreshment area. 

Audi also earlier hinted at intelligent AI-like technology from the sphere concepts, where the models can recognise its owners, learn their preferences and predict what experience they would like. It is also set to feature level 4 autonomous driving technology.

The Grand Sphere’s production-spec model is reportedly expected to debut in 2025. The carmaker has bold targets for its all-electric future, with plans to launch 30 electric Audis (of which 20 will be all-electric) by the end of 2025. Currently, Audi’s all-electric lineup comprises the e-tron, e-tron GT, and the Q4 e-tron. This EV lineup is set to expand with the A6 e-tron and possibly the all-electric next-gen A4.