Autocar February 1, 2023

I’VE OFTEN questioned the logic of cars like the BMW iX and Porsche Taycan. Not in terms of their execution – excellent EVs both – but more why we are bothering with electrifying vehicles as relatively rare as those. Porsche sold 34,801 Taycans last year worldwide, whereas Nissan shifted 42,704 Qashqais in the UK alone. If we’re really going to get serious about reducing emissions, it seems sensible to start with cars that combine to produce the most CO2 rather than expensive and scarce models. But that in itself creates a problem: finding the stuff to build them. The world isn’t getting any bigger and resources are only becoming rarer, so it seems counterintuitive to be building new all the time. Surely we should be focusing on refurbishing what exists (see…

“This secret new SUV is destined to become reality in around 2027” Autocar can reveal that Audi bosses are on the verge of giving the green light to a go-anywhere electric 4x4 SUV to take on the Land Rover Defender and Mercedes G-Class – a shock move for the German brand as it evaluates a range of bold new products to sit atop new-era EV architecture. The firm’s outlandish new Activesphere concept – a segment-straddling off-road super-saloon (see overleaf) – gives strong clues to Audi’s priorities in this segment with its overt focus on outdoor pursuits and rugged design cues and indeed it is set to make production as a tough, Allroad-esque luxury saloon. But this secret new SUV is a separate project, destined to become reality in around 2027 as part…

I’VE OFTEN questioned the logic of cars like the BMW iX and Porsche Taycan. Not in terms of their execution – excellent EVs both – but more why we are bothering with electrifying vehicles as relatively rare as those. Porsche sold 34,801 Taycans last year worldwide, whereas Nissan shifted 42,704 Qashqais in the UK alone. If we’re really going to get serious about reducing emissions, it seems sensible to start with cars that combine to produce the most CO2 rather than expensive and scarce models. But that in itself creates a problem: finding the stuff to build them. The world isn’t getting any bigger and resources are only becoming rarer, so it seems counterintuitive to be building new all the time. Surely we should be focusing on refurbishing what exists…

“This secret new SUV is destined to become reality in around 2027” Autocar can reveal that Audi bosses are on the verge of giving the green light to a go-anywhere electric 4x4 SUV to take on the Land Rover Defender and Mercedes G-Class – a shock move for the German brand as it evaluates a range of bold new products to sit atop new-era EV architecture. The firm’s outlandish new Activesphere concept – a segment-straddling off-road super-saloon (see overleaf) – gives strong clues to Audi’s priorities in this segment with its overt focus on outdoor pursuits and rugged design cues and indeed it is set to make production as a tough, Allroad-esque luxury saloon. But this secret new SUV is a separate project, destined to become reality in around 2027…

The Audi Activesphere has arrived as the fourth and final entrant into the Sphere concept series to give a concrete indication of the German brand’s plans for a radical new approach to passenger car design. As the name suggests, it has been conceived with a focus on catering to an ‘active’ lifestyle – and so touts impressive levels of functionality and off-road ability. Its relative readiness to evolve into a production car is evident and Audi designers have confirmed that elements including the swollen rear haunches, reshaped ‘Singleframe’ front grille and trick dynamic OLED lighting patterns are destined for future models. Design boss Marc Lichte said Audi’s board of directors “fell in love” when presented with the concept but a launch isn’t on the cards until 2026 because the company’s priority in…

IT’S AUDI’S FIRST TRUCK. SORT OF… The Activesphere’s party piece is a highly advanced adaptable rear body section that allows users to carry sporting gear “James Bond style”, according to its designer, Charles Lefranc. At the touch of a button, the rear screen lifts and slides over the top of the car to create an open cargo bed reminiscent of a pick-up truck, complete with a pair of integrated bike stands (“roof racks destroy the aesthetic of a vehicle”, according to design boss Marc Lichte) and a full-height bulkhead section that slides automatically into place behind the rear seats to keep the elements out. IT’S A PROPER SUV “The skateboard of the car is very robust,” Lefranc says of the specially reinforced PPE platform. “It can take the beating when you go on dirt…