AMAR VAYA, Q4 SPORTBACK E-TRON EXTERIOR DESIGNER

How close is the concept to the production car?

“It’s 90% there; we’ve made the concept a bit wider and a bit lower, and some bumper details will change. There will be [conventional] door handles [rather than flush ones]. And the production car will have 21in wheels; that’s such a cool expression.”

We see a lot of flush door handles on concepts; when will they become a reality? “In the future, they will be flush, with just a touch button to open the door. But because this is [a compact] car, it wasn’t an option. As the technology becomes cheaper, we will implement this wherever possible.”

What was the biggest challenge with this design? “The section around the A-pillar. The wheels are really pushed out to the corners – great for designers. But the A-pillar is so far forwards that at first we were troubled that it almost had an MPV silhouette. We created this sculptured shutline from the bonnet to the door mirror to give the appearance of a long bonnet.”

How will EV design evolve, given that SUVS aren’t known for their aerodynamics?

“We have to make this compromise at the moment to cater for the [elevated] driving position that people want. But we do need to reduce weight and improve aerodynamics. I think the current trend will be replaced with something more streamlined and technically advanced.”