Audi unveils 724bhp, 118mpg and 56g/km CO2 Allroad concept
2015-04-21 08:21:54
Audi has unveiled a concept car that is as large as a Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Brake, packs a total of 724bhp, can demolish the 0-62mph spring in an astonishing 3.5 seconds yet still manage to return 117.7mpg whilst emitting just 56g/km of CO2. Surprised? Then let us introduce you to the latest – and third – iteration of the Audi Prologue design concept which will receive its world premiere next week at the Shanghai motor show.
Like the two previous Prologue concepts, the high-riding estate is intended to offer us a glimpse into the future of what large Audi models could look like in the next decade. It is the latest way for Marc Lichte, Audi’s new design boss, to make his mark on the firm’s future design language for all forthcoming Audi models.
As such, the latest iteration of the Prologue gets an adapted version of the otherwise trademark Audi trapezoidal grille design flanked by swept-back headlamps and, like the Avant model, a more sleek but curvier profile. Compared to today’s A6 Allroad, the Prologue Allroad concept is 185mm longer. The significance of this size differential hints at a possible competitor to the Mercedes-Benz CLS in the form of a rugged A7 ‘Shooting Brake’.
The increase in ground clearance is 77mm – in keeping with Audi’s current family of Allroad models. As is also the tradition, the Prologue Allroad gets protective body cladding around the wheel arches and bumpers, skid plates at both ends and aluminium roof rails to demonstrate its practicality.
The engine is shared with the RS6, which means it is a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 petrol developing 598bhp. Whereas this was a standalone unit in the original Prologue coupé shown at the 2014 Los Angeles show, in the Prologue Allroad it has been mated to a brushless electric motor mounted inside an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. The combined power output is a whopping 724bhp, producing 664lb ft of torque. Audi says that the 14.1kWh lithium ion battery pack is capable of providing a pure-electric range of 33.6 miles. It can be charged wirelessly with induction technology and has been located under the boot floor to help provide an even weight distribution.
As impressive as this sounds, it doesn’t compare to the claims the Ingolstadt manufacturer makes about performance. The company says that theoretically, the Prologue Alltrack will be able to demolish the 0-62mph sprint in an astonishing 3.5 seconds whilst managing to achieve an average combined return of 117.7mpg and emitting just 56g/km of CO2.
Inside there are swathes of brown leather covering the seats and interior with dark ash veneer and aluminium trim featuring on the dash and doors. Like the two preceding Prologue models, the Allroad version gets multiple digital displays.
The Prologue Allroad will received its world-wide premiere at the Shanghai show. The next A6 Allroad is expected to arrive in 2017.
This article was prepared by our car news team First4Auto
Reported By
Andrew Merritt-Morling
Chief Editor
Associate Member of the Guild of Motoring Writers
