Here’s why The Audi A9 Etron Will Be The Best Autonomous Car Of The Future

The Audi A9 E-Tron GT is going to be an all-electric luxury whose concept designs have been showcased by the German Automobile Manufacturer in a lot of events. Although the actual launch date of the Audi A9 E-Tron GT has not been officially announced yet, we have speculated a lot of things that would come in the Audi A9 E-Tron GT. Although the E-Tron GT has already been out and it showcased the brand's vision towards electric mobility with a range of absolutely amazing features and specs. It would be interesting to what differences the A9 offers. Based on the concepts we have come across so far, the A9 E-Tron GT is expected to come loaded with advanced electric drivetrain technology, an advanced ADAS which offers high-performance capabilities and a longer electric range. Also would be interesting to see how it fares with the existing competition!

So what is the Audi A9?

The Audi A9 was first showcased at the Frankfurt motor show back in the year 2017. And was named Aicon back then. And the sole motive for developing the car was to show the world Audi’s advancement in artificial intelligence and autonomous driving.

The car was also supposed to show the world what Volkswagen Group’s electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles were about to be in the coming future. The A9 would also be one of the most anticipated models by Audi in the electric range after the RS E-Tron GT. Looking at the concepts, it is likely to compete for the best ultra-luxury sedan segment but in the electric disguise. Today we look into the progress which has been so far for the A9 and how close it is to the production model and most importantly what will be offered with the A9 and everything in between.

Parents of the A9: The Elaine SUV and the Aicon Saloon?

If we deep dive into the history of concept cars which Audi has shown in various motor shows before, it is likely that the A9 would look similar to the concept designs of the Elaine SUV and the Aicon Saloon or somewhere in between. Most probably the final car could be a sports coupe or a liftback. And we are not complaining. The car has typical Audi design language and looks sleek and stylish like all other Audi cars out there without a doubt. And we can’t mistake Audi for its superior design philosophy.

Design: An A7 in electric disguise?

The Audi A9 E-Tron has typical Audi design language and it has evolved much over the years as compared to the concept design as it was shown in 2017 at Frankfurt. The two concepts are totally different from each other if you look at them now. The car has sharp designs in the front with a large hexagonal grille like we see in the A6. Apart from that, it features sharp headlamps, along with fog lamps at the bottom. Overall we like the overall front look of the car and is unmistakably an Audi.

Coming to the side profile, the first thing you notice is the sloping roofline, which may remind you of the A7 Sportback, and apart from that there are these massive alloy wheels finished in silver. Apart from that, we are dicey on the fact whether it will be a coupe or a full-size four-door family sedan.

Talking about the rear profile, it has a strip of taillight running over the complete boot, a trend that new cars have been following of late. The bottom gets a sleek bumper that has an exhaust placement which is most likely to be fake or maybe gets deleted in the production model. In our opinion, it might end up looking like a handsome liftback or a sports coupe. And as history has it, Audi is very well known for their sexy sports coupe designs.

The heart of the matter: Engine or Motor?

If rumors are to be believed the A9 E-Tron is supposed to get an advance electric drivetrain, battery cell, and autonomous driving technology which should give healthy competition to Tesla and other electric car manufacturers. And add to that the ADAS system, the A9 should put the Volkswagen Audi group in a sweet spot in the EV category. The chances are high that it will be a complete all-electric car rather than a hybrid or anything like that.

We speculate that the new car will have four electric motors generating 256 kW of power and will be aligned with a huge 95 kWh lithium-ion battery which will help it do a 0-60 MPH mark in just 4.5 seconds or maybe even quicker! Apart from that, we expect it to last for a good 497 miles on a full charge. Audi may also add features like inductive charging, which is just similar to wireless charging and it lets the car charge just by aligning to a nearby power station, without actually plugging it with a wire to the port.

Futuristic Inside

Expect the interiors of the Audi A9 nothing less to be than a spaceship. Also, the Audi A9 being an autonomous vehicle according to our sources, might have a minimal design going in the interiors and there may be the absence of a traditional driving console, gears, gas pedals, or even the regular seat pattern which we are used to seeing for a long time.

What the car might have is a slew of cameras in the interior as well for driver detection, a lavish layout for the interior, and large infotainment screens for controlling all the settings right from the music to the air conditioner.

A Drone along with the car: Futuristic much?

What if we tell you that Audi showcased a drone along with the A9 concept car which was shown at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show, Well wonder how cool would be if that drone makes it to the production model!

The drone would have some super assistive features like lighting up the path of passengers when they exit the vehicle and guiding the driver if there is a bad patch of road ahead in advance. Apart from that, it would automatically update the software of the vehicle whenever there is an update for the software. We would love to see an innovation similar to these in upcoming cars for sure!

Get home while the car parks in the parking lot itself

Although self-park assist is already available in a lot of cars for a couple of years, it needs assistance and a lot of input from the driver in some way or the other, and the driver just does not have the liberty to go home and let the car park itself. Well, all that is set to change with the advanced park assist technology from Audi, which parks the car just by letting know of the location, with the help of cameras and onboard sensors.

Not just a regular ADAS system

The Audi A9 would supposedly feature a Level 5 ADAS tech which means that it holds the capability to fully automate itself in terms of driving without any human aids in any condition. Also being a Level 5 ADAS, the Audi A9 will not have a steering wheel, pedals, or any manual controls as no human intervention is required in Level 5 ADAS. Occupants are basically passengers and they can engage in other activities as the car transports them from one place to another. Of course, not everyone in the car community would appreciate it but change is the only constant, and with the ADAS tech evolving this would be the way to the future.

Not easy to win the competition

Not just Audi but other manufacturers too are also busy spending a lot of time and money doing Research and Development for their electric counterparts. And by the time the A9 Etron is launched, there would already be a lot of other cars which will be providing cut-throat competition to the A9.

Some of its rivals are likely going to be the Mercedes-Benz EQS, which has already been launched and offers blistering performance. Apart from that it could be Porsche Taycan Turbo s or even its very own cousin RS E-Tron GT! As the A9 will be joining late to the electric party, it would be interesting to see how well prepared it is to stack up against the competition.

Our Thoughts on the Audi A9

The Audi A9 has a lot riding on it, be it from the competition or from the expectation of potential buyers who are looking to upgrade to an electric Audi. But on a positive note, after having a thorough look at the renders and concepts from the past we feel it will achieve the required target and with that high standard of tech, it is sure to stand out from the competition and crowd!