Audi Aicon: “At the behest of the pike...”

The world drawn by the imagination of the developers of the Audi company seems distant and fantastic. There, in the future, the driver does not need to do anything in terms of driving a vehicle: he sat down and drove off. Just like our Emelya on the magic stove. It was funny in childhood, frivolous, stupid - a fairy tale!


The best engineering minds on the planet are struggling with this “fairy tale”. And for a long time. Once upon a time, autopilot seemed like an unrealistic thing. Now it's commonplace. Audi is confident that the Akon hatch will be the same – a self-driving car, devoid of controls.

Model review: interior and taxiing

An incredible concept was presented in Frankfurt in 2017. With Aicon, it’s like this: you come up, whisper a sacramental phrase into the phone and – voila! The doors swing open, sit inside and don’t even think about slamming the gate.


Everything further is a matter of technology. She, the technician, knowing the address you whispered, will take care of everything herself: she will close the door, create a comfortable climate in the cabin, and start the engine.

Selecting gears, overtaking, parking is not a driver's job. Although, what kind of driver? This “position” is being abolished at Audi Aicon. From now on there is an owner, who is also a passenger.

Moreover, the owner of the 4-door car, as well as his three fellow travelers, is positioned in style. The seats are stylish and comfortable. They move longitudinally half a meter along with the platform under their feet. Moreover, the car seats rotate in different directions by 15°, and can also be raised, forming something like an ottoman.

The spacious interior has two trunks with a total volume of 600 liters and many hidden cavities for storing small items. The wheelbase is 3470 mm – hence the expanse inside the hatch.

We continue to explore the salon

The floor is covered with carpet, the transparent roof above your head automatically regulates the intensity of the light streams. You can change the sound settings of the stereo system, lighting and climate with your voice or gaze.

The atmosphere inside is homely and cozy. You can relax, chat with your family, take a nap. Or hold a video conference: high-speed Internet access allows.


What can you do when there are no steering wheels or pedals? There are also no seat belts. Why have them if the car accelerates and decelerates smoothly and does not roll - thanks to the active air suspension. The car runs at optimal speed, but not higher than 130 km/h.

One long narrow instrument panel runs along the inner perimeter of the side. It doesn’t matter what happens on it, because the “driver” still cannot intervene in the process. The “wizard” who takes care of the Akon crew is called PIA (personal intelligent assistant). This is a highly complex, state-of-the-art adaptive interactive device – Audi’s own development.

Exterior, technical stuffing

However, not only the “personal intelligent assistant”, but also other technologies in the hatchback are not borrowed from outside. Everything was invented and embodied in a material image by the company’s designers. Externally, the car is impressive: a swift profile, proportional lines. Optics is the limit of manufacturability. The lighting fixtures are made up of 600 3D pixels that create mesmerizing animation.


Thanks to the play of light, the Audi Aicon can look stern and aggressive, or friendly and smiling. Running lines on what should be called headlights provide information about turning and braking. There is no high beam: radars and laser scanners confidently guide the car in the dark.

Dimensions of the all-wheel drive concept:

✅ Length - 5444 mm
✅ Width - 2100 mm
✅ Height - 1506 mm
✅ Wheels - 26 inches

The car of the future cannot run on an internal combustion engine. Therefore, each wheel has an electric motor. The units generate a total power of 354 hp. With. and torque 550 N*m. One charge is enough for a record 700-800 km of travel. Electricity replenishment occurs through an 800-volt wired system. Refilling to 80% takes half an hour.


Audi Aicon is a current model. But it will become a full-fledged participant in road traffic when the appropriate infrastructure is built and communication between similar models of the automotive industry is established.

Let the Germans be proud, but they did not invent the first unmanned ground vehicle. This honor, excuse me, belongs to our Emelya...