Coming up with a design for the fourth and final Audi sphere design concept, the activesphere concept, Audi’s design team were faced with a multifaceted brief. This vehicle, as the name suggests, was aimed squarely at those with an active, outdoor lifestyle. To that end it had to be robust and able to contend with differing terrains and conditions.

It had to have the added utility of a vehicle designed to carry the large and often bulky equipment of owners who enjoy myriad outdoor leisure pursuits – mountain bikes, surfboards, canoes. 

But being an Audi, it also had to have a certain style and sophistication for when it was used for business or for leisure in less remote or rugged locations – a night out in town for example.

The fact that it had to be luxurious inside for the occupants and sport the very latest in technology and user interface was another dimension again, making for a far-reaching brief for a vehicle that in many respects had satisfy multiple, at times, disparate roles.

“We thought it was the opportunity to create a new type of crossover that links the practicality of an SUV, the off-road aptitudes of those off-road vehicles but also the style and elegance of a Sportback,” says Gael Buzyn – Head of Audi Design Loft, Malibu.

The design essentially uses two layers says Buzyn, with the upper ‘layer’ reflecting the sleek, swooping design of Sportback, while the lower layer, or section is more rugged in design and also finish.

The adaptable rear section, which can be opened and used in much the same way as the tray of a sports utility is unique, and allows the vehicle to be configured to perfectly suit the needs of the owners. This ‘active back’ can be utilised to carry large objects like bikes, but the passengers are still sectioned off from the elements even with the back open.

Striking that balance between rugged off-roader and elegant city slicker was no mean feat, but the Audi Design Loft in Malibu – the same team responsible for the Audi skysphere concept – seem to have hit pay dirt once again.