India-Bound Audi e-tron Electric SUV's Futuristic Interior Will Blow Your Mind!

The 2019 Audi e-tron can be had with upto five screens, including displays for the camera-based virtual exterior mirrors! 

Audi is gradually revealing details about its much-anticipated first-ever electric vehicle, the e-tron SUV. This time, it is the cabin. Mind you, Audi is saying that the interior is of a near-production prototype and it is unlikely to witness any significant alterations with the series production model.

Much like the 2015 e-tron quattro Concept and the latest A8 and A7, digitisation takes centrestage in the full-size SUV’s cabin. If you count, the e-tron will have up to five displays, including four touchscreens! First off, there’s a freestanding 12.3-inch Nvidia-powered fully digital instrument cluster, which also happens to be the only non-touch-based screen in the e-tron. 

Another is the central display, which is an A8-like 10.1-inch screen featuring Audi MMI touch response with haptic feedback. The slightly curved TFT screen features a resolution of 1,540 x 720 pixels. The system is coupled to a powerful 705 watt Bang & Olufsen 3D Premium Sound System with 16 speakers and an amplifier. 

There’s one more secondary 8.6-inch touchscreen display with controls for the air-conditioning system and other comfort functions like controlling the direction of the air vents. This screen can also take text inputs when the vehicle is stationary. Below it is a hand rest with integrated gear change lever that appears to float above the console.

Aside from these displays, the highlight of the e-tron is its two 7-inch OLED displays for the optional camera-based ‘virtual exterior mirrors’. Audi has replaced the regular outside rearview mirrors with camera-equipped sleek units. The touch-based screens are mounted on the front doors and you can even zoom in and out of the default view. There are three pre-set views for different driving situations: highway driving, turning and parking. With this, the e-tron will become the first-ever mass-produced vehicle to feature camera-based rearview system.

The overall layout of the cabin looks identical to the 2015 concept and has an air of minimalism to it. Audi says that the e-tron will have class-leading cabin space; it has a wheelbase of 2,928mm, which is only 16mm shorter than the current Audi A6 in India. This coupled to a completely flat rear floor should make it a proper five-seater.  

The 2019 Audi e-tron was supposed to have its world premiere on 30 August 2018 in Brussels, Belgium, which is also its global production hub. However, the debut has been deferred to September 2018 and will now happen at The Audi Summit 2018 in San Francisco, USA. Global deliveries are expected to begin from early 2019 and it is likely to be launched in India in 2020 with a sub-Rs 1.5 crore price point. The Audi e-tron (with 95kWh battery pack) will offer a certified range of more than 400km on a single charge under WLTP (Worldwide harmonized Light vehicles Test Procedures).

Check out the Audi e-tron's rival from Merc here: Mercedes-Benz Concept EQ - All You Need To Know