Autonomous car to give preview of road trip of future in cross-country US journey

Call it a preview of the cross-country road trip of the future.

An autonomous car developed by Michigan-based auto supplier Delphi Automotive will make a 3,500-mile journey across the U.S. starting March 22 in San Francisco and ending in New York a little more than a week later.

A person will sit behind the wheel at all times but won't touch it unless there's a situation the car can't handle. The car will mainly stick to highways.

Delphi plans to show off one of several versions of the car — an Audi Q5 crossover outfitted with laser sensors, radar and multiple cameras — on Saturday at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas.

Most experts say a true driverless vehicle is at least a decade away.