Audi A8 Electric Version to Be Inspired by Grandsphere Concept

Audi is planning to roll out the A8 electric version by 2024. The new A8 will reportedly borrow styling design from the Grandsphere concept. When launched, the A8 is most likely to compete with the likes of the BMW i7, the Mercedes EQS, and more.

Audi will reportedly launch the A8 electric version by 2024. Several industry reports suggest that from 2026 onwards, Audi will launch only EVs and by 2033, it will stop selling cars with internal combustion engines. The Audi A8 will have a new PPE platform's high-performance EV powertrain. Moreover, its design is likely to be based on the 2021 Grandsphere concept, which is a sleek-looking car with thin headlamps, a small hood, and contoured flanks. The concept car is larger than the globally accessible long-wheelbase variant and longer than the Horch version, which is only available in China. Dimension-wise, it is 5350mm in length and has a wheelbase of 3190mm. As of now, there are no updates regarding the mechanical specifics of the production-ready form, but Grandsphere, equipped with a twin-motor and four-wheel-drive powertrain, offers 711bhp and 960Nm of torque.

Despite having electric propulsion, the concept has a long bonnet and a strongly streamlined rear for maximum aerodynamic performance. Although it's uncertain how similar the eventual production vehicle will be, it most likely won't have 23-inch wheels. Inside, the concept car boasts heavy usage of high-end materials like wood, wool, aluminium, and glass. Further, instead of screens, it gets a full-width MMI infotainment display, which is projected onto the dash's hardwood surface.

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While we don’t have exact information about the Audi A8 electric version's price, we expect it to match the non-electric model's pricing abroad. The base price of the non-electric 2023 A8 is $87,800 (approximately Rs 72.63 lakh). Internationally, no prototypes have been spotted yet, but the A8 electric version is expected to be launched by 2024. For now, the fate of its non-electric variant after the launch of the EV version is uncertain.

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In a recent development, Audi India launched the Q3 Sportback in India. The Sportback's 2.0-litre TFSI (Turbo Fuel Stratified Injection) engine produces 188bhp and 320Nm and is mated to a 7-speed DCT and an all-wheel drive system known as Quattro.