Design study and technology demonstrator, electric car and power pack in the guise of a coupe – a versatile concept car made its world debut in the Chinese metropolis of Shanghai as the Audi e‑tron Sportback concept.
The brand with the four rings presented the study of a four-door Gran Turismo with a powerful 320kW electric drive at Auto Shanghai 2017. The formal idiom of the coupe with Lux Silver paint finish combines classic Audi elements with an array of trendsetting details, plus an electrifying architecture tailored consistently to the technology and the package of the electric drive.
In its consciously light-coloured interior, the e-tron Sportback concept offers a blend of functional clarity and reductive controls as a formal principle. Expansive touch-sensitive screens below the central display, on the centre console and in the door trims supply information and interact with the on-board systems. Horizontal surfaces on the dashboard and the seemingly floating centre console convey a sense of open perspectives for the occupants of the four individual seats.
The concept car’s lighting technology is an innovation that is visible by both day and night. Digitally controlled Matrix LED units at the front and rear produce an excellent light yield. Minuscule Digital Matrix projectors literally make their mark on the road ahead, turning light into a versatile, dynamic channel of communication with the surroundings.
For its drive, the e-tron Sportback uses a configuration that will also be adopted in future production Audi models with all-electric drive: one electric motor on the front axle and two on the rear power all four wheels, transforming the high-performance coupé into a quattro in typical Audi style.
The vehicle’s 320 kilowatts of power – which can even reach 370 kilowatts in the boost mode – provides a fitting level of propulsion, with the sprint from zero to 100km/h a done deal in just 4.5 seconds. With the battery’s energy content of 95 kilowatt-hours, its range is in excess of 500 kilometres.
Rupert Stadler, chairman of the board of management of Audi AG, said: “Our Audi e-tron will be starting out in 2018 – the first electric car in its competitive field that is fit for everyday use. With a range of over 500 kilometres and the special electric driving experience, we will make this sporty SUV the must-have product of the next decade. Following close on its heels, in 2019, comes the production version of the Audi e-tron Sportback – an emotional coupe version that is thrillingly identifiable as an electric car at the very first glance.” 
Check out the Audi Q8 sport concept, a hybrid SUV with a range of 1199 kilometres.
