While it may not be as fast as its cousin GT, Audi’s next Q4 e-tron crossover EV will have some new tricks that the sedan doesn’t have. Specifically, the Q4 will come equipped with a skilled, though optional, augmented reality heads-up display (HUD), capable of displaying critical driving data directly in the driver’s line of sight.
HUDs are not exactly new to the automotive space, or even EV. I, at least, was a huge fan of the pop-up HUD on the 2019 Kia Niro EV. However, the Q4’s HUD is much more than a simple piece of transparent plastic mounted on the steering column – it is displayed inside the actual windshield. The HUD consists of two sections: a static status section that shows basic information, such as the vehicle’s current speed and traffic signs, and an active augmented reality (AR) section. Within the AR section, features such as direction arrows generated by the navigation system will be superimposed on the driver’s field of view (approximately where they should be in real life), appearing to float up to 10 meters in front of the vehicle at 60 FPS and covering approximately a portion 70-inch diagonal of the front windshield. The status section, on the other hand, will appear to be only 3 meters ahead of the driver’s position.
Audi
To generate these images, the Q4 relies on what Audi calls the imaging unit (PGU), located on the driver’s instrument panel. “A particularly bright LCD directs the light beams it generates for two-tier mirrors, and special optical components separate the parts for near and far areas,” explained the company in a press release on Tuesday. “The level mirrors direct the beams to a large concave mirror that can be adjusted electrically. From there, they reach the windshield, which reflects them in what is known as the eye box and, therefore, in the eyes of the driver. “
To prevent enlarged images from shaking, skipping or losing sync with the real world situation around you, the Q4 employs an AR Creator (essentially a modular software-based processing unit) to continuously predict where objects around the vehicle they are and how quickly their positions are changing during the fractions of a second needed to collect, process and display the information collected by the vehicle’s various sensors in the HUD. This prevents the RA image from shaking and flickering as you drive down the street.
Audi
Interestingly, the AR HUD works even if you have the Q4 running on an adaptive cruise. Although the vehicle remains in the center of the track, the HUD will still provide the driver with the relevant information. For example, if Q4 sees that it is approaching a lane marker and the driver has not yet activated the turn signal, the vehicle will activate its lane departure warning system and superimpose a right red line over the lane marker. real life range.
The HUD is not the only new technological toy from Audi. Like the GT, the Q4 comes with modern displays, like the 10.25-inch instrument panel, which comes standard. It replaces the mechanical gauges and displays of yesteryear with an “energy meter” that summarizes all the relevant information the driver may need, from the vehicle’s power to the amount of charge remaining in the fourth quarter’s 82 kWh battery. Drivers will also have the choice of a 10.1 inch (1,540 x 720) touchscreen MMI infotainment screen that handles most of the vehicle’s cab features or they can upgrade to an 11.6 inch (1,764 x 824) version ) that Audi is promoting as its biggest touchscreen to date. The larger display will be optional and should be available by the end of the year.
Audi
And, since touching the touch screens while driving is an excellent way to end your car in the middle of the expressway, the Q4 e-tron will offer voice control. Just say “Hey Audi” to activate it and ask your question as you would another driver. But no, unfortunately, there is no Gray Poupon.