Geneva Show: New Audi A8 Hybrid:Audi A8 Overview, Specifications and Variants

Audi A8 is a luxury four door sedan that has impressive and tempting design. The Indian version is specially designed to suit Indian roads. It was launched in 1994 globally and in India it was launched in 2011 January. Initially, the sedan had the D-platform of Volkswagen Group, the current generation comes with D4 platform. The exterior is very much impressive, it attracts everyone even at the very first sight. The upper and lower part of radiator grille is combined with brawny trapezoidal piece. Xenon headlamps, side indicators and LED daytime running lights are cluster with headlight and it has sparkling LED tail lamps that adorn the rear side.

Audi A8 has ergonomics roomy interiors and its seats are covered with natural and volcano leather upholstery. The steering wheel is four-spoke multifunctional that covered with high quality leather. Its instrumental cluster comes with route guide, Multi Media Interference (MMI) and many other features. The available variants in India are the Quattro TDI 3.0 a diesel variant and other two are Quattro 4.2 and Quattro W12 6.0 petrol variants with a price ranging between 70 lacs and 1.1 crores.

As it is a recently launched model in the country so currently there is no much information about used Audi A8 cars. The A8 assures a stunning performance with turbocharged direct fuel injection engine that gives maximum power with reduced fuel consumption. It is equipped with six-speed triptronic automatic transmission that can reach 0-60 mph in just 6.1 seconds and its top-end variant can reach the same in 5.8 seconds, achieving a top speed of 155 mph. The variants Quattro TDI 3.0, Quattro 4.2 and Quattro W12 6.0 come with the displacement of 2967 cc diesel, 4163 cc petrol and 5998 cc petrol engines respectively. Overall exterior measurement is 12.3 meters and its length, width and height measure 5137 mm, 2111mm and 1460 mm respectively.

The sedan is packed with lots of innovative safety systems. It distinguished safety features are - Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EDB), Antilock Breaking System, seat belts, brake assist, electromechanical parking brake, lane keeping system and many more. Audi A8 is available in following colors - Oyster Grey Metallic, Brilliant Black, Tiefgrun, Avus Silver Pearl, Ice Silver Metallic, Ibis White, Phantom Black, Night Blue, Aqua Blue, Quartz Grey, Cherry Black, Impala Beige, Aurora Blue and Daytona Grey.

Making its debut at the Swiss international auto show is the Audi A8 Hybrid. Even though its officially billed as a study, the gasoline-electric hybrid version of the 2011 A8, which itself just broke cover a few months ago, is scheduled to enter production next year.

The A8 Hybrid is a good example of Audi's downsizing philosophy mating a 2.0-liter TFSI four-cylinder gasoline engine with 211HP and 350 Nm (258.15 lb-ft) to an electric motor delivering 45HP and 211 Nm (155.63 lb-ft) of torque.

Audi says that the system's combined output is 245HP and 480 Nm (354.03 lb-ft) of torque. Since the numbers don't add up, we're assume that the electric motor's output is limited when combined with the TSI.

The 2.0 TSI engine is linked to an eight-speed automatic transmission while the electric motor draws energy from a lithium-ion battery pack mounted at the rear which steals some 110 liters from the 2011 A8's luggage space that now measures 400 liters (14.13 cubic feet).

The Audi A8 hybrid is said to be able to accelerate from zero to 100 km/h (62mph) in 7.6 seconds and to achieve a top speed of 235 km/h (146mph). Its average fuel consumption is pegged at only 6.2 lt/100km or the U.S. equivalent of 37.9 mpg) with CO2 emissions of 144 g/km (231.75 g/mile).

Being a full hybrid, the German limo can be propelled by the electric motor alone for speeds up to 65 km/h (40 mph) and for a distance in excess of two kilometers (equal to about 1.3 miles).

Hybrid drivetrain aside, the near-production study also features unique 21-inch, two-color alloy wheels, a special paint job and the so-called "Powermeter" ithat shows the energy flow in the instrument cluster.