Audi A8 Hybrid to Be Unleashed in Geneva

Although most companies debuted their latest goodies at the 2010 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Audi is waiting for the Geneva Motor Show in March to introduce the A8 hybrid. There are no technical details available but we do know that the future model will be a full hybrid, meaning that it could be driven on electricity alone, while the additional combustion engine will act as backup so it will supply power only once the electric unit gets depleted.

The 2011 Audi A8 was unveiled in Miami on November 30 and will arrive in US dealerships in late 2010.

In the American market, the petrol engine is the already-popular 4.2-liter FSI V8 unit that now develops an output of 372 horsepower and 445 Nm of torque at 3,500 rpm. Translate this into performance figures and you get a 0-100 km/h acceleration in 5.7 seconds and an electronically-limited maximum speed of 250 km/h (155 mph).

Obviously, the engines have been upgraded to return improved fuel consumption and emission figures, with Audi claiming that the lineup is 15 percent more efficient. The other three engine choices are a new 4.2-liter V8 TDI, delivering 350 HP and 800 Nm (590 lb ft), and a 3.0 V6 TDI that comes in two power versions: 204 HP and 250 HP.

The A8 won't be the first hybrid in Audi's lineup, as the German brand is currently working on the Q5 hybrid, a model that is likely to arrive in dealerships in late 2010 or early 2011.