The best car we saw at CES 2019

• Though Audi first unveiled its Aicon concept car in 2017, it was my favorite car at this year's International Consumer Electronics Show (CES).
• The electric, autonomous concept vehicle's exterior design, interior design, and proposed specs and capabilities made me more excited about the possibility of riding in a production version than those of any other car I saw at CES.
• Audi has said it intends to make a production vehicle based on the Aicon by 2021.

Though Audi first unveiled its Aicon concept car in 2017, it was my favorite car at this year's International Consumer Electronics Show (CES). The electric, autonomous concept vehicle's exterior design, interior design, and proposed specs and capabilities made me more excited about the possibility of riding in a production version than those of any other car I saw at CES.

The Aicon concept has four motors that deliver 405.7 pound-feet of torque, and it has a proposed range of between 435 and 497 miles per charge. It would be able to charge to 80% of its capacity in under 30 minutes, and Audi says it would charge wirelessly without human assistance.

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Since the Aicon concept has no steering wheel or pedals, it has a spacious interior that would hold four passengers. (I was not able to see inside the concept vehicle at CES, but Audi has released renderings of its interior.)

Two would sit on a bench in the vehicle's rear, and two would sit on seats that would be able to slide nearly 20 inches backward or forward and swivel up to 15 degrees to the left or right.

The Aicon's transparent roof and long windshields would provide a more expansive view to passengers than many of today's production vehicles.

The Aicon's exterior styling achieves a difficult balance between the sleek proportions of a traditional luxury vehicle and modest but futuristic flourishes like the elongated windshields and lighting arrays that replace traditional headlights. The Aicon is one of the best-looking concept vehicles I've seen.

What it is: An electric, autonomous passenger car

Who makes it: Audi

Why it's the best: The Aicon features some of the best exterior and interior design I've seen in a concept vehicle, and the prospect of a spacious, long-range, autonomous vehicle that can charge quickly makes me excited about the future of transportation, even if that future is more distant than automakers have indicated.

Where and when you can get it: Audi has said it intends to make a production vehicle based on the Aicon by 2021.

How much it will cost: Audi has not said how much a production version of the Aicon might cost.

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