At the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show, Audi introduced the E-Tron Quattro to signal its electric crossover agenda. That concept will morph into a production model in 2018 and it will be followed a year later by this, the 'coupe' version. The E-Tron Sportback debuting today at Auto Shanghai is yet another crossover-coupe mashup from the Volkswagen Group and it shares the spotlight at the show in China with two other electric concepts featuring a similar body style: the VW I.D. Crozz and the Skoda Vision E.

As hinted by Audi in numerous teasers, the new concept is packed with light-emitting diodes. Besides having full-LED headlights and taillights, the E-Tron Sportback has approximately 250 extra LEDs on the front bumper to the left and right of the corporate singleframe grille. These form different lighting patterns as a way to communicate with the other cars on the road. The Audi logo is illuminated by LEDs as well.

Audi E-Tron Sportback concept
Audi E-Tron Sportback concept

The 4.9-metre-long, 1.98-metre-wide, and 1.53-metre tall concept is not all about the LEDs, though. At its heart is a beefy electric powertrain developing 430 horsepower or up to 496 hp once the boost mode is activated. It’s enough EV punch to enable the E-Tron Sportback run to 62 mph in a swift four and a half seconds.

If you care more about range rather than outright performance, the latest crossover-coupe concept from Audi has a large 95-kWh lithium-ion battery pack with enough juice for more than 310 miles in the rather optimistic New European Driving Cycle (NEDC).

Audi E-Tron Sportback concept
Audi E-Tron Sportback concept

Typical concept cues include the large alloy wheels (a 23-inch set in this case), side cameras, and a minimalistic interior cabin with an all-digital instrument cluster and a generous touchscreen for the infotainment system. Sitting below it is yet another touchscreen for controlling heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), while positioned above the glovebox is a fourth thin and wide screen showing details about the weather, time, and multimedia info.

Audi hasn’t said a word about where it will put together the production model, but it might share the assembly line with the non-coupe version already confirmed to be built at the firm’s factory in Brussels, Belgium.

Source: Audi

 

Gallery: Audi E-Tron Sportback concept

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The architecture of e mobility: Audi e-tron Sportback concept

  • In production from 2019: second electric Audi
  • Emotional and powerful: Audi coupé design
  • Illuminating: e-tron light communicates with its surroundings

Design study and technology demonstrator, electric car and power pack in the guise of a coupé: Audi presents a versatile concept car at the Auto Shanghai this spring. The four-door Gran Turismo Audi e-tron Sportback concept comes with a 320 kW electric drive. The formal idiom combines classic Audi elements with an array of trendsetting details: an electrifying architecture, tailored consistently to the technology and the package of the electric drive.