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As Audi's flagship the A8 has always been jam-packed with the best, most cutting edge tech that the German automaker has to offer.
And this 2019 model is the newest of the new.
So let's hop behind the wheel and find out just how sharp the cutting edge is.
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Now, you may have noticed that I used a smartphone to unlock the doors of the Audi A8.
That's because this car can use NFC on a mobile device as a replacement for the key.
That's a really interesting feature if you want to leave your keys at home, or if you wanted to share access with the vehicle with someone like friends or family who are visiting out of town.
Couple of taps through your smart phone and their phone also can be the key to your car.
Now, the A8 has always been really known for really high quality dashboard tech and we've got a lot of the usual suspects here.
We've got the virtual cockpit here in front of me, but things get really new down here in the center stack.
Where the Audi MMI system is upgraded to MMI Touch.
Now what that means is that the rotary controller that we normally see on previous generations of MMI systems is gone, replaced with a second touch display.
Now this secondary screen is usually home to things like your climate controls and whatnot, but if you want to input a destination for address it becomes a giant track pad.
That you can use to sort of write in your search terms to get you where you're going.
Not only in this center stack has been totally redesigned, it's a lot smoother, it's got a lot more horsepower behind it.
Overall, it's really reminding me of the system that we saw debut last year On the Porsche Panamera, and that's a really good thing.
Now we got screens out the wazu though.
We've also got in addition to the three screens in front of me, a small screen out back that rear seat passengers can use to control all sorts of infotainment stuff for them as well.
And it detaches so they can use it while seated comfortably.
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Now, one of the biggest additions to this generation of A8 will be the Audi AI Autonomous Driving Features.
This car is jam packed with sensors.
Sonar, radar, laser sensors, cameras, you name it.
It's got a 360 degree sensor array.
That is gonna allow a couple of self driving features in the future.
And one of the most prominent features is going to be a traffic jam pilot system.
It is a fully level three autonomous system that adds speeds below 37 miles per hour when you are in stop and go traffic.
Will allow the car to take over steering, breaking, acceleration.
Fully autonomous driving.
While you things like check your email.
You don't even need to keep your eyes on the wheel.
And when traffic speeds up above 37 miles per hour, it will alert you, you can grab the wheel and get on with your drive.
Other autonomous features include the parking pilot system and the garage pilot system, which are remote parking systems that allow you to park the vehicle autonomously.
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So it's got a couple of features that allow it to drive itself, but what is it like to drive the new 88.
Well under the hood we've got a three liter V6 turbocharged gasoline engine that makes about 340 horsepower and 370 pound feet of torque.
And it is as smooth as eggs and as quiet as a church mouse.
Even when you're passing or moving up hill, everything about this power train is just extremely refined and smooth.
That's gonna be mated with an eight speed automatic transmission and standard Audi Quattro.
Now that's pretty standard stuff except for there's a really cool new feature, and that's that this new A8 is a miles hybrid vehicle That means that it has a 48-volt electric starter generator motor that allows braking Regen, and really advanced auto stop start systems.
That's also gonna power some of the more interesting accessory features, like the electro-mechanical adaptive suspension, that allows things like right height adjustment Firming the ride up when you're going into corners.
There's even an interesting safety feature.
When the car detects that you're about to be t-boned, it will actually lift up that side of the suspension, so that the incoming car hits the body of the vehicle, and not the door, increasing safety.
It's actually really cool.
Audi also says that system is suppose to be 20 times more efficient than a hydraulic system.
So you're saving fuel even while you're getting the adaptive right.
The 2019 Audi A8 hits the road sometime in early 2018 but don't expect the autonomous driving features to be available until sometime after launch, depending on the particular legalities of your municipality
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When it hits the road, it will be doing battle with the likes of Mercedes Benz's S Class and BMW's upcoming refresh to the 7 Series.
It's a good time to be a German luxury sedan buyer.
Now Audi's technology-based Approach to luxury is a unique one for the class.
And it's a bit early to call, but I'm really liking this car.
And I can't wait to spend more time behind the wheel.
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