Audi’s flagship A8 sedan will arrive in the U.S. later this year boasting a new design, a new powertrain, and a variety of new technologies—but all of this is perhaps overshadowed by what it will not have: the ability to drive itself. Unlike in its home market, the U.S.-spec 2019 Audi A8 will not possess SAE Level 3 autonomous capability, known in Audi-speak as Traffic Jam Pilot.

This system, which can take over steering, braking, and accelerating duties in certain highway scenarios, is more advanced than Level 2 systems such as Tesla’s Autopilot and Cadillac’s Super Cruise because it does not require the driver to pay attention to the car’s surroundings when activated. This functionality will not be part of the A8’s technology suite in the United States. As we speculated would happen when Audi first announced this system on the A8’s debut, the company has decided that the legal and regulatory climate concerning autonomous and semi-autonomous driving in this country is not ready to accept such a system. Audi may be awaiting for clarity to emerge as the U.S. Congress mulls industry-friendly autonomous-vehicle legislation; the inconsistency of regulations in various states is also of some concern. (We also presume that Audi would prefer to avoid the potential liability and publicity of any Tesla Autopilot crash scenarios.)

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A8 models sold in the U.S. market with an optional driver assistance package will still have a comprehensive and advanced suite of active-safety features, including the expected blind-spot monitoring, cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, and lane-keeping assist. The latter two are combined in the Adaptive Cruise Assist function, which helps to steer, brake, and accelerate the A8 but, unlike Traffic Jam Pilot, requires the driver to keep eyes on the road and hands on the wheel. The A8 also adds newer features such as exit assist (which prevents a door from opening if a vehicle or a bicycle is detected in its path), intersection assist (which alerts the driver of cross traffic when approaching an intersection), and a predictive active suspension that can detect a collision and raise the suspension 3.1 inches to disperse the impact.

All of these systems are powered by much of the same hardware that enables Traffic Jam Pilot in other markets, such as a laser scanner and a zFAS driver assistance computer to process sensor inputs. But the U.S. car will be missing key parts of the Traffic Jam Pilot tech, such as sensors and cameras to detect if the driver is alert and has hands are on the steering wheel, as well as certain redundant measures for the steering and brakes that act as fail-safe backups when the car is operating in autonomous mode. This means that, even if Audi decides it wants to offer Traffic Jam Pilot in the United States later, it won’t be able to simply retrofit it via a software update.

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Initially, the new A8 will be offered with only one powertrain: a turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 with a 48-volt system to provide a small amount of electric motor assist. It makes 335 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque and combines with an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. A V-8 engine, presumably Audi’s twin-turbo 4.0-liter unit, will join the lineup next year.

Only the A8 L long-wheelbase model will be sold here, and it carries a base price of $84,795, on the lower end of its segment when stacked up against other six-cylinder, all-wheel-drive full-size luxury sedans. That price will grow, of course, with options such as the aforementioned driver assistance package, a more hedonistic passenger-side rear seat with massage and other relaxation functions, and other niceties such as extended leather upholstery and heated armrests. But those seeking the extra measure of luxury that hands-free driving can provide will have to keep waiting for the first Level 3–capable vehicle to reach American roads.

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