2017 Audi A8 to get Tech Makeover Inside and Out

Audi AG's next-generation A8 flagship sedan will feature a host of advanced technologies and zoomy styling when the 2017 model is launched next year.

Among the high-tech features planned for the A8 are elements of the self-driving vehicle technology Audi has been testing on a specially equipped A7, company officials tell Auto Express, a U.K.-based enthusiast publication. Utilizing a combination of ultrasonic and long-range radar sensors, laser scanners and video cameras, Audi's autonomous vehicle technology allows a vehicle to operate on its own in city traffic at speeds as fast as 37 mph.

It's not clear to what extent or how the A8 will incorporate the technology, which Audi previously has said it wouldn't introduce until 2020.

In addition to upgraded V-6 and V-8 engines, the new A8 also will offer a plug-in hybrid variant and an electric turbocharger, according to AE. The Valeo-supplied turbocharger, which was demonstrated last year on the RS 5 TDI concept, also will be used next year on Audi's Q7 crossover vehicle.

The A8's interior will feature organic light-emitting-diode displays that will enable greater customization. Common functions such as Bluetooth phone connectivity and the car's audio and climate control systems will be operated by hand gestures rather than physically turning knobs and switches.

Riding on Audi's lightweight modular longitude matrix platform, the 2017 model is expected to be 440 lbs lighter than the current A8. Design cues, including bolder, exaggerated proportions, will come from last year's Prologue concept that was penned by design chief Marc Lichte.