Not to be a one-trick pony, Audi has more than a few more realistic cars up its sleeve for the near future. Most important for consumers' immediate future will be Audi's Q5 hybrid, set to go on sale late 2010 or early 2011.
It's touted as "the first Audi with a combination of gasoline engine and electric motor". Cool, but far from thrilling. Next up, for the executive hippie segment, is the world debut of the marque's A8 hybrid "engineering study" at the Geneva Show on Tuesday. People will be able to order Audi's green luxo-cruiser sometime come late 2011.
Considered a full hybrid (meaning either of the propulsion systems - combustion engine or electric motor - can operate independently of its partner), the A8 hybrid will make use of a parallel system which places the electric motor in the drive line between the 2.0 TFSI four-cylinder petrol engine and 8-speed transmission.
With the electric motor (providing 33kW / 45 hp and 211 Nm / 156 lb-ft when necessary) hooked up to the 2-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder (155 kW / 211 hp), output is somehow pegged (is it limited, are the numbers screwy, or what?) at 180 kW / 245 hp and 480 Nm / 354 lb-ft of torque.
Limited output or not, Audi says the A8 hybrid's performance should live up to the high standard of V6-powered 4,400 lb barges while being able to drive an all-electric 2 kilometers / 1.2 miles and reach a top speed of 65 km/h / 40 mph. Official pics are just a short wait away.
*Standard 2011 Audi A8 pictured here - pre-production study to be revealed on Tuesday
-By Phil Alex
