It’s for urban use, but would dominate any streetscape.

THE third and last of Audi’s ‘sphere’ concepts presents as a luxury mobile lounge for well-heeled urbanites.

 Unveiled overnight – the video here shows the full launch event – the car is a really big thing. Both figuratively and literally.

 At 5.51 metres long, 2.01 metres wide and 1.78 metres tall, it's about the same height as an Audi Q7, but is wider and about half a metre longer. To get an idea of the car’s size, consider that it’s riding on 24-inch alloys.

 Audi says the reason for the gigantic exterior dimensions was because the concept was designed from the inside out, with the needs of its passengers taking top priority. Clearly they do, given this is only a four-seat car.

The purpose is for the vehicle to be a lounge on wheels that gives occupants a serene space while traveling through the hustle and bustle of a city.

 There's no B-pillar to impede access while the seats swivel out to welcome their occupants and there's a 'red carpet of light' projected onto the ground as well. The rear seats can be tilted by up to 60 degrees, with extending leg rests, while passengers can also alter them, either for more privacy or for greater group inclusiveness.

 The infotainment suite is headlined by a massive transparent OLED screen that hinges from the roof, while there's a focus on wellness that allows each individual to use a private sound zone.

 Like the other sphere concepts, Urbansphere has level 4 autonomous capability. This means there are conventional controls if a person wants to drive, but the vehicle can also pilot itself. Audi claims this tech could be on the market by the second half of this decade.

 When enacted the steering wheel and pedals are hidden away. Cleverly, the dashboard is partly made up of projections onto special wood surfaces. Wool and synthetic fabrics are used elsewhere to explore use of more sustainable materials in a luxury car.

 The car also introduces a new gesture interface, called MMI touchless response. This uses eye-tracking and gesture control to allow each person to alter a myriad of settings.

 Although the Urbansphere itself is unlikely to point to a future production Audi, it does make use of the production-sorted new Premium Platform Electric (PPE) underpinnings, designed for large electric models, starting with the 2023 Audi Q6 e-tron SUV and also an electric A6.

In this instance there’s a 120kWh battery and an electric motor on each axle. Peak outputs are quoted as 299kW and 690Nm of torque.

Audi quotes a WLTP-ratified range between charges of up to 750 kilometres, while the 800-volt architecture allows for recharging on a DC fast charger at up to 270kW.

The car’s design is a co-op between studios in Beijing and Ingolstadt. The company even interviewed potential customers in China to find out what they wanted from a vehicle like this and was set to debut it at the Beijing motor show, a plan derailed when coronavirus forced the event’s cancellation.