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Audi, Google readying infotainment partnership announcement for CES?

The merging of our smart phones and automotive infotainment systems may be about to get an even bigger boost, if a report from Forbes is to be believed. The business publication is reporting that Google and Audi may announce a partnership at next week's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas that would see Google's Android OS taking control of Audi's MMI infotainment system.
The move by Google would be a direct counter to Apple's iOS in the Car initiative, the marquee feature of which allows drivers to access the company's Siri digital assistant via a car's voice controls. According to Forbes, other iOS features that have found their way into cars include functions for iMessage, as well as audio and satellite navigation systems.
Audi and Google already enjoy a working relationship, with the tech company providing data services on many of the automaker's cars, as well as lending Google Maps to the MMI system. If this report turns out to be true, fans of Android could find Audis looking a lot more appealing.

Audi Prologue Avant Concept points to the future of wagon design in Geneva [w/video]

The new generation Audi R8 and its LMS GT3 racing version are grabbing much of the attention at the Audi stand at the Geneva Motor Show. However, if you are more interested in seeing the brand's future design direction, just take a look at the Prologue Avant Concept that's also on display. Audi traditionally uses the Avant name for the company's wagons, but that's tweaked slightly here. The vehicle is certainly a five-door, but from some angles it looks more akin to a Porsche Panamera-like hatchback. Compared to the B-pillarless Prologue Coupe (that we recently drove), the stretched roof flows all the way to the angled rear hatch, and the result is a very elegant design. The interior tends towards minimalism with just a few screens showing the driving info. The Prologue Avant also ditches the Coupe's petrol-fueled hybrid for a 3.0-liter, twin-turbo diesel V6 plug-in hybrid with a total of 455 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque, which is linked to an eight-speed gearbox. Audi claims the setup reaches 62 miles per hour in 5.1 seconds and allows for 33 miles of pure electric driving. To get a sneak peek at what's next from Audi, take a look at the Prologue Avant Concept on the floor of the Geneva show in the gallery above.

Audi trademarks SQ2, SQ4, Q9 and F-Tron nameplates

Audi is planning a whole raft of new models for the near future, and now we have further insight into what at least some of those models might be. The German automaker has reportedly filed trademarks for a series of model names, including SQ2, SQ4, Q9 and F-Tron.
Following in the footsteps of the SQ5 performance crossover, the SQ2 and SQ4 nameplates would seem to indicate that Audi is planning performance versions of its upcoming compact crossovers. The Q9 would suggest that a larger crossover is in the works to slot in above the already gargantuan Q7. And the F-Tron name could be used for a fuel-cell version of the A7 or other models, following a similar naming pattern to the e-tron range of electric vehicles.
Of course Audi could simply be filing these trademarks as a safeguard and may not actually build any of these models. But one way or another, it indicates a certain measure of intent exists as Ingolstadt gears up to expand its lineup with 11 new models in the next few years.