The Los Angeles (LA) Auto Show is one of the events that prepares the mind for new vehicles. There are big announcements and debuts from automakers. Audi has chosen this year’s show to unveil its new Prologue, writes TAJUDEEN ADEBANJO with agency addition.
Nowhere are looks as directly proportional to value as in Los Angeles, California. Fitting, then, that Audi chose to unveil its latest concept, the Prologue, among the palms, producers and plutocrats of the Hollywood Hills.
The Audi Prologue concept can essentially be thought of as an A9; at least, that is where it would fit into the brand’s lineup, as a two-door A8. Revealed last week in Los Angeles, the stunning coupe actually serves as the template for Audi’s future design ambitions, and the low-slung stance, muscular bodywork, and the sharp, accentuated features will find their way on to the new A7 and A6 sedans.
If nothing else, the Prologue is perhaps the most soberly named concept car in recent memory, as its chief purpose is to announce the brand’s new design direction, now under the full influence of Audi design chief and Volkswagen design graduate Mark Lichte. The Prologue is effectively Audi’s new Rosetta Stone.
But why would Audi, a brand that few individuals possessed of eyeballs would accuse of homely styling, need to change its design direction? As the world’s second-largest luxury car brand by volume behind BMW, and contributor of 40 per cent of the entire VW Group’s total profits, it clearly is doing something right.
“Never sit still,” Lichte said.
Indeed, some keen observers have grown less expectant of new Audis in recent years. The cars are all pleasing, attractive and discernable as Audis, but differentiation has diminished among the model ranges. While this builds cohesion, it leaves little opportunity for distinction or charisma, particularly in the sedan classes, where the pricing brackets could span a range of over $100,000 between the A3 and top-line A8.
Key influences for Lichte and his team were the mechanicals beneath the metal; engineering considerations were top of mind in the design studio. As in human physiology, Lichte is able to suggest what is under the skin in muscle and bone. And in Audi’s case, those immutable innards are Quattro all-wheel-drive and a front-mounted, 4-litre twin-turbo engine, sited just ahead of the front axle line. The front weight bias and all-wheel-drive foundation simplified and clarified the design task, Lichte said.
The Prologue’s grille is lower, wider and a touch more angular than other Audi maws, flanked by thin, icy headlamps. The air intakes beneath the headlamps can therefore be “technological”, in Lichte’s words. Some might take that to mean “busy”, but with simple lighting elements above, the Prologue can afford the pizzazz.
Out back, severely raked rear glass contrasts with the more upright windshield. The greater intrigue, though, is the rear glass’s slightly concave shape, which suggests that the C-pillars – the solid buttresses behind the rear-passenger glass – are sail panels. This also affords a more expansive trunk deck, and ultimately more luggage space. A liftgate was never considered for the Prologue, Lichte said, even though the car’s profile sooner evokes a fastback like Audi’s svelte A7.
Finally, reinforcing Audi’s position as the industry’s most lighting-conscious brand, LED taillights are highly three-dimensional, with strong texture and a light-band element that runs the width of the trunk lid – an element that Lichte said will distinguish many future models.
Inside, the pillar-less roof design pays dividends, yielding a clean, airy interior accented by sharp horizontal planes and a near total lack of buttons and dials.
“I worked the last 17 years almost exclusively on exteriors,” Lichte said. “I don’t actually have a lot of interior experience, but I have a vision for the future Audi interior. We want simple, integrated displays, not only because simplicity is better, but because integrated electronic displays make it possible to present all the vast information drivers want and need today and tomorrow.” That thinking is already apparent in the TT sports coupe, which foregoes a traditional centre-mounted display in favour of a multifunction gauge cluster, right at the driver’s line of sight.
Though the early intel on the Prologue suggested it would light the way for a new, standalone model, Audi is in no mood to talk particulars. Lichte did allow, however, that the cues worn by the concept car will be brought to bear on the flagship A8 sedan for the 2016 model year.
