We already knew that
the production-spec e-tron Sportback was going to be Audi’s main exhibit at the
2019 LA Auto Show and now we also learn it will be joined by the RS Q8
high-performance SUV. Audi
will therefore have two world premieres at California’s main auto show, as well
as a North American debut – the RS6 Avant. Along with the announcement, the
automaker has also released a teaser image of the e-tron Sportback showing the
shape of the headlights which will feature a special new Digital Matrix
technology.
A first for a
series-production vehicle, the Digital Matrix headlights can light the way in
front of the car “with unprecedented precision through the use of of around one
million micro-mirrors. For now, that’s all Audi is willing to share about this
lighting technology.
We’ve already seen how
the Audi e-tron Sportback looks in a set of spy photos released last month –
it’s essentially the “crossover coupe” version of the regular e-tron. Audi says
the Sportback variant shares the powertrain with the e-tron and will be built
at the same plant in Brussels, Belgium. As
for the Audi RS Q8, it’s a high-performance SUV packing a 4.0-liter TFSI
twin-turbo V8 engine with cylinder deactivation technology and mild hybrid
drive based on a 48-volt main electrical system.
Thanks to its belt
alternator starter, the RS Q8 can recover up to 12 kW of power to its
lithium-ion battery. As a result, it can “glide” for up to 40 seconds with the
engine switched off at speeds of between 55-159 km/h. Shared with the latest RS6 Avant, the
powertrain is expected to deliver an identical 600 PS and 800 Nm of torque.
