Just the Facts:
The 2014 Audi A8 will get the new Matrix LED headlights, which take the high-beam function to a more precise level.
The new headlights block out light aimed at oncoming and preceding vehicles but continue to light up other zones.
The Matrix LED headlights also can flash a warning light when pedestrians are spotted.
INGOLSTADT, Germany — The 2014 Audi A8 will get new, so-called "Matrix" LED headlights, which are designed to take the high-beam function to a more precise level.
The new headlights will debut at the end of this year. Audi has not announced how much they will add to the bottom line of the A8.
The new headlights, which work in tandem with a camera, block out light that might trouble drivers of oncoming or preceding vehicles, but continue to provide maximium light in other areas.
"The closer an approaching vehicle gets, the more LEDS are deactivated or dimmed," said Audi in a statement on Friday. "When there is no more oncoming traffic, the high-beam headlights resume full power, including the sections that had previously been off. The light that the driver sees is always bright, homogeneous and much more effective than that produced by competitors' mechanical dipping systems."
The Matrix LED headlights can also flash a warning light when pedestrians are spotted.
"When it detects a person in the critical range in front of the car, individual LEDS flash at them rapidly three times in succession, picking out the pedestrian clearly from their surroundings and alerting both the pedestrian and the driver," said Audi.
The lights also have a cornering function and target the emphasis of the beam in the direction of the bend. The lights use predictive route data supplied by the navigation system, flicking on shortly before steering begins.
Each headlight is comprised of 25 high-beam LEDs arranged in groups of five per reflector. The system is activated at 19 mph on the highway and 37 mph on city streets.
Edmunds says: Audi's smart headlights reinforce the brand's focus on all manner of advanced technologies.
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