Audi has revealed another take on its Prologue concept car in the form of this brawny 724bhp plug-in petrol-electric hybrid-powered Audi Prologue Allroad variant.
The high riding estate, which has been unveiled on the eve of the Shanghai motor show, is the third in a series of Prologue concept cars that first kicked off with the unveiling of an initial coupe variant at the Los Angles motor show last November and then continued with a more practical five-door Avant version revealed at the Geneva motor show in March.
As well as showcasing a new design lineage developed by Audi design boss Marc Lichte for selected future models from the German car maker, the new concept car also provides hints to the next-generation A6 Allroad tentatively due to be introduced in 2017.
Predictably, the styling of the Prologue Allroad draws heavily on the Prologue Avant. The two concept cars share the basic body and detailing. But in keeping with existing Allroad models, Audi’s latest concept receives an additional 77mm of ground clearance as well as more rugged looking bumpers with integrated skid plates, aluminium roof rails along with cladding within the wheelarches and along the flanks.
At 5130mm in length, the new Audi concept is 185mm longer than the existing third-generation A6 Allroad, hinting the fourth-generation model is set to grow in size.
Inside, there is a combination of blue and brown leather throughout, seats featuring perforations mimicking the car’s newly shaped single frame grille treatment, dark ash veneer trims and aluminium elements.
The Prologue Allroad is powered by a new plug-in petrol-electric hybrid system currently under development in Ingolstadt. It uses a twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 direct injection petrol engine developed in a co-operation between Audi and Porsche and set for use in future models from both car makers as well as those from sister Volkswagen Group company, Bentley.
The all-new combustion engine, which will be introduced as a replacement for the existing 4.2-litre V8 used by Audi and Bentley as well as the 4.8-litre V8 used by Porsche, is combined with a brushless electric motor mounted within the forward section of the concept car’s eight speed automatic gearbox to provide a combined system output of 724bhp and a stout 664lb ft of torque. Energy for the electric motor is provided by a 14.1 kWh lithium ion battery mounted within the floor of the boot.
Audi quotes a theoretical 0-62mph time of just 3.5sec along with combined cycle consumption of 117.7mpg and CO2 emissions of 56g/km. The Prologue Allroad is also claimed to possess an electric range of 33.6 miles. Along with conventional plug-in charging, the high riding five door estate also features wireless charging technology that allows its battery to be charged inductively.
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The Interior.....
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At last!