Autonomous Audi Prologue concept unveiled at CES 2015

Audi first showcased the Prologue concept at the LA motor show 2014. The carmaker has now updated the concept and showcased it at the ongoing Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2015 in Las Vegas, where the Prologue concept comes with Audi’s piloted driving technology. It has an autonomous driving system and a new petrol-electric hybrid powertrain.

Back at the LA show, the car was meant to give people a peek into the future design language that Audi cars are likely to get, and also to whet appetites for the upcoming flagship A9. This time around, the focus was on showcasing the autonomous tech.

This Prologue concept uses a laser scanner, video cameras, radar sensors and ultrasound sensors to read immediate surrounding and take full control of the car. All the sensors and aides are mounted out of sight, and the information gathered by them gets fed into a central controller. This central driver assistance controller enables the car to drive autonomously. Inside the cabin, it has all necessary connectivity and information systems, and also boasts other advanced technologies.

There aren’t too many other changes, but the one thing that is seen first is the grey paint shade. The one at the LA show was draped in silver paintwork.

Moving onto the mechanicals, the autonomous Audi Prologue concept draws power from a combination of a 4.0-litre TFSI V8 petrol engine and an integrated electric motor with a 2.6 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. Total output stands at 668bhp and 96.9kgm of torque.

Although there is no certainty of the Audi Prologue concept going into production, it won’t be wrong to assume that future Audi models will draw a lot of inspiration from the concept.