Audi to unveil production version of A8 hybrid

Audi will unveil a production version of the A8 hybrid sedan at the Frankfurt auto show.



Audi said the A8 hybrid uses a four-cylinder gasoline engine for the first time in the A8 range. The 245hp 2.0-liter unit is combined with a 54hp electric motor powered by a lithium ion battery pack weighing 37kg.



The car has a range of 3km while driven on battery power alone.



Audi says the A8 hybrid will reach 0-100kph (62 mph) in 7.7 seconds and it has a top speed of 235kph (146mph). It uses 6.4 liters of fuel per 100km (44 UK mpg; 36.5 U.S. mpg) and has CO2 emissions of below 148g/km.



The hybrid has an aluminum construction, which Audi says will make it one of the lightest sedans in its category, weighing 231kg, about 40 percent lighter than a comparable steel construction.



The car will go on sale in Europe in late 2012.