Audi has been promising us a hybrid version of its flaghship, the A8 for some time now. The 2013 A8 Hybrid will go on sale in Europe in 2013, and as far as we know, Audi focused on providing good fuel consumption, rather than having the hybrid pack bring extra performance.
The new A8 Hybrid will be powered by a 2.0-liter TFSI engine that produces 208 horsepower, combined with an electric motor that adds 53 horsepower. The juice for the motor comes from a 1.3 kWh battery. According to Audi, this A8 will be able to run in fuel EV mode at up to 62 mph and for up to 2 miles. Using both the gasoline engine and the electric motor brings an electronically limited top speed of 145 mph and a sprint to 60 in 7.7 seconds.
Both the electric motor and the battery are water-cooled, which adds a little to the car’s mass, for a total of 1870 kg.
The fuel consumption has been announced at 44.6 mpg combined, which, if Audi manages to hold to that promise, is quite impressive for a car in this class.
The engine does produce plenty of noise, and the power steering doesn’t feel nearly as natural as a classic one. Other than that, this car is likely to be a very decent hybrid.
Price hasn’t been announced yet, nor has been an exact release date. All we know is that it’s going on sale sometime next year.
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I guess the 0-60mph figure might be not so good with the electric motor?