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Audi’s diesel-electric prologue avant concept is ready to woo the crowd in Geneva

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Audi has fully detailed the prologue avant concept that will greet the public for the first time at next week’s Geneva Motor Show.

Penned by Marc Lichte, Audi’s new design director, the prologue avant concept is a shooting brake version of the prologue coupe that debuted last November at the Los Angeles Motor Show. The prologue’s front end carries over to the avant with only minor modifications but the concept gains an extra set of doors and a rakish D-pillar that gives it a sporty silhouette. The avant gets angular tail lamps connected by a thin light bar, a styling cue that emphasizes the wagon’s width, while the wheel arches are filled by 22-inch alloys.

Like the coupe, the prologue avant packs a simple yet futuristic cockpit with a fully digital instrument cluster inspired by the one found in the third-gen TT. The bulk of the switchgear has been replaced by innovative touch-sensitive OLED surfaces that make it possible for the driver and the front passenger to control individual infotainment systems, and OLED tablets mounted in the front seatbacks let the rear passengers enjoy their own entertainment on-the-go.

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The prologue avant is powered by an evolution of the diesel-electric plug-in hybrid drivetrain that will be inaugurated by the fuel-sipping Q7 e-tron later this year. The drivetrain is centered around a 353-horsepower 3.0-liter TDI turbodiesel V6 engine and a compact 134-horsepower electric motor that is integrated into an eight-speed tiptronic gearbox. The two power sources work together to send a total of 455 horsepower and 553 foot-pounds of torque to all four wheels via a hybrid-specific version of Audi’s famed quattro all-wheel drive system.

Fully functional, the concept can reach 62 mph from a stop in 5.1 seconds and go on to an Autobahn-worthy top speed of 155 mph. 20-inch carbon ceramic brake discs and an active all-wheel steering system help the driver make the most of the hybrid drivetrain’s grunt.

Alternatively, the wagon can run on electricity alone for up to 54 miles thanks to a 14.1-kWh lithium-ion battery pack located under the trunk floor.  The avant returns up to 147 mpg in a mixed European cycle when the oil-burner kicks in.

Audi has not revealed what the future holds for the prologue avant concept. If built, the show car will fight head-to-head against the Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Brake.

Updated by Ronan Glon on 2/25/15: we’ve added a full gallery of pictures and official technical details. 

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Ronan Glon
Ronan Glon
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Ronan Glon is an American automotive and tech journalist based in southern France. As a long-time contributor to Digital…
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