The study paves the German maker's way into a new segment since Audi has set its sights set on a minivan (known as MPV or multi-purpose vehicle), a type of car many previous saloon car owners are also turning towards, especially in Asia.
"Space and privacy are the true luxuries in the densely built-up megacities of China and Japan, and the car is often the only place of retreat," says Weber. After all, the driving enjoyment that German premium carmakers in particular like to preach is only secondary when you're fighting through gridlocked rush-hour traffic.
Large-capacity vans in Tokyo, Seoul or Shanghai have already been filling the coffers of Toyota, Nissan and, with the Staria, Hyundai. Now Audi wants a piece of the action. According to Weber, the new van could be ready by the middle of the decade.
The focus is now on a segment that was recently in steep decline in Europe. Cars like the Chrysler Voyager and the Renault Espace once popularised the idea of the MP while the smaller Opel Zafira, VW Touran and Renault Scénic took it to a wider audience. In the meantime, however, sales of SUVs have long since outstripped those of vans and have pushed many models out of the market.
For Lutz Fügener at the Hof University of Applied Sciences it is only logical that more people are suddenly taking an interest in this supposedly outdated concept. The reasons are mainly social: People long for a private place of retreat in a hectic everyday world.
The academic uses the term "third place" here, meaning a third location where we spend a lot of time away from office and home. It needs to be comfortable and soothing.
There are technical reasons too: Electric cars offer so-called skateboard platforms since the motor and drivetrain components take up less space than a thermal engine. The flat floor leads to a more flexible use of cabin space.
Audi is not the first manufacturer to hit on the idea. US maker Canoo caused a stir with an electric van and probably no other MPV is as high-profile as the born-again camper van ID Buzz from Audi's parent company VW.
The ID Buzz is set to be produced in Hanover soon and hit the road later this year priced at €65,000 ($66,000). That is according to Lars Krause, the VW's board member responsible for commercial vehicle sales.
With a proven platform mated to a new drivetrain, Mercedes is fettling a new van too. The electric EQT will go on sale at the end of the year in two lengths, with five or seven seats and a range of around 300 kilometres.
Customers not ready for electrification can already order the Renault Kangoo-derived van as the Mercedes-Benz T-Class with a combustion engine for €29,314 ($30,000). Both versions are ideal for those who want to go mountain biking and camping.
The downside for some buyers is that in order to bring the next generation of Mercedes compacts into line with the brand's new luxury strategy, the compact B-Class van is being deleted.
BMW remains loyal to its van and the revamped, second edition of the 2 Series Active Tourer is on its way priced from €34,750 ($35,300). Customers can opt for a petrol or diesel version or as a plug-in hybrid with a purely electric range of almost 100 kilometres. Meanwhile, the larger 2 Series Gran Tourer has been given the heave-ho. Until now it accounted for a good one-third of sales.
Oddly enough, MPO pioneer Renault does not see a bright future for vans. The Espace will be phased out in the next few months with no successor in the pipeline. The electric Vision Scénic pencilled in for 2024 has little more in common with the original than its name. It morphs into a SUV on its way into the battery age.
Design guru Fügener believes phasing out vans is a bad idea. Such vehicles offer greater functionality than a comparable full-size SUV for the same weight and carbon footprint.
And according to Fügener, all-wheel drive and thus suitability for poor roads is not a problem for modern vans either.
