Audi’s Predictive Suspension Just Got Smarter

The system is said to detect obstacles and can change the vehicle’s pitch and clearance to avoid damaging the underbody.

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by

Cobus F. Potgieter

Audi has been investing in active air suspension, and one of the best systems currently available is the predictive active suspension system offered on cars such as the Audi S8 Sedan as a $6,000 option. This system has cameras and sensors that can read the road surface and prepare the vehicle for various scenarios, such as pre-emptively lifting the car up to clear speed bumps with no jarring, and lifting the vehicle up for passengers to get in more easily.

A recent filing with the European Patent Office suggests that Audi wants to expand the capabilities of its predictive adaptive suspension by adding more sensors to identify objects in the vehicle’s way. The system can then change the pitch and ground clearance as necessary to clear these objects, preventing them from touching the underbody.

Safely Negotiating Rough Terrain

Audi says that the system is designed to allow a vehicle to negotiate rough terrain by lifting the body higher off the ground to avoid contact with obstacles, especially in vehicles not designed for rough terrain. To us, it sounds like a system for helping crossovers overcome occasionally tricky conditions where clearance is marginal, rather than making hardcore off-roaders out of them. It’s also said to adjust the suspension stiffness as necessary to complete the maneuver. 

To achieve this, Audi is adding various sensors and features, including a novel 4D radar system not normally found in off-road vehicles’ suspension systems. Audi has not said what other sensors make up the system. We can see it being very useful in regular cars as well to avoid underbody damage by obstacles lying in the road.

Benefits

If Audi’s system works as advertised, it can hold various benefits:

  • Clearing obstacles on normal roads that could damage the underbody
  • More easily negotiating off-road terrain in an SUV
  • Lowering repair bills by reducing bumps and scrapes to the undercarriage
  • The potential to be expanded to extend the capability to true off-roaders
  • The potential to be integrated into the vehicle’s drive modes
  • Work automatically to avoid damage without driver intervention

About author

Cobus F. Potgieter

Cobus has almost 30 years of PR, editing, and journalism experience and has focused exclusively on the automotive industry for the last 4 years, notably new models and used-car advice. While he’s mainly involved with contemporary cars, he has a soft spot for quirky ’80s models and loves understanding how the “oily bits” work. He’s owned 10 different cars since 1992 without repeating a brand, but has a few favorites, such as the 1963 Alfa Romeo Giulietta SS and a Toyota 2000 GT.