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.
