Audi at the Detroit Motor Show

AUDI is kicking off the new year with three highlights: with the Audi Q8 concept car, the premium carmaker is previewing a future production model at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. At the same time, the brand with the four rings is celebrating the world premiere of the Audi SQ5 TFSI and publicly presenting the A5/S5 Cabriolet for the first time.

Unsurpassed prestige and sportiness — that’s what the Audi Q8 concept represents. It combines the typical spaciousness of an SUV with the emotional styling of a coupé. Audi is tapping into a new segment in the full-size category with this car. At the same time the brand is offering a preview of its future direction in design styling with the concept car. Many elements are reminiscent of Audi’s original Ur-quattro from the 1980s, including the exceptionally flat and wide C pillars as well as the powerful, flared shoulders over the wheels. Despite the flat roofline, the show car offers plenty of room for four people as well as lots of luggage. Widely stretched lines lend the interior a sporty as well as elegant ambiance. The new control concept relies on large touchscreens, supplemented with an enhanced Audi virtual cockpit and a contact analogue head-up display that uses intelligent augmented reality technology to merge virtual indicators with the real world. For example, a navigation arrow will appear in the same position as an actual arrow on the street.