Audi said their Allroad Shooting Brake concept hints at a future sports car design (probably the TT) but the tech it hides is just as significant a hint. The latest version of the E-Tron powertrain uses a 2.0-liter turbo engine and a 8.8-kw battery pack, which can provide 31 miles of driving before firing up the gas engine and returning an equivalent of 124 mpge. It does this while providing 408 hp and 479 lb-ft of total system torque to all four wheels. Zero to 60 mph happens in 4.6 seconds and the top speed is 155 mph. To us it sounds like Audi might be hinting at an optional TT powertrain here. With numbers like those we’re ok with that.
Audi seems to be all about choice these days and the flagship A8 range seems to prove that. When only a few years ago a buyer could choose from V8 or W12, with the addition of the 3.0T model buyers can now choose from a V6, two V8s, a W12 and an upcoming diesel. Read more…
Roll the calendar back a handful of years and the Audi S4 used to be a bonafide sport sedan with a boisterous 4.2-liter V8 making 340 hp that put it well above its contemporaries in power and performance. We’re a bit disappointed to report that in 2010 Audi retired the V8 in favor of a mildly tuned 3.0-liter supercharged V6 that achieves only 333 hp. During the same period progress has brought the class average up significantly with today’s competition like the Cadillac ATS offering 321 hp and the Infiniti G37 offering 328 hp from their naturally aspirated V6s. So does the S4 still feel like a special sport sedan? We’d argue that by today’s standards it’d probably take more like 400 hp to achieve that distinction. What it does feel like is a great top trim in the A4 lineup for customers who want a bit more juice than the 2.0-liter turbo four offers. Regardless, we like the S4 because it still offers a pleasing 6-speed manual, supportive sport seats, Audi’s customizable Drive Select system and, of course, all-wheel drive traction for year round fun that makes the S4 a great partner for those of us in the Motor City. And we like the price range of $48k-$54k that keeps the S4 feeling like a bit of a value. What Audi needs to work on is the lifeless steering, bland interior design and getting that supercharger to pay a few more dividends in the power ratings. If they can do that and maintain price the S4 would be back to sport sedan status faster than you can say, “What V8?!”. Read more…
RS 7
Audi has been on a winning streak of offering a long succession of beautiful cars. If the A5, A6, and A8 aren’t pretty enough, Audi has the A7 Sportback. If the A7 isn’t fast enough then an affluent buyer with an extra $18,700 laying around can opt for the S7 with 420 horsepower.
In the automotive food chain it’s good to be at the top. That’s where automakers like to introduce their latest technologies, premium powerplants and most extravagant luxuries in what amounts to a rolling test bed of the industry’s cutting edge. Competition at this level is always entertaining and reaching borderline comical levels. Thought the 16 speaker audio system in the BMW 7-Series was class leading? Audi will see your bet and raise you an optional 19 speaker system that costs half a Nissan Versa! If the seven speed auto in your S-Class was boast worthy last year Audi would like to introduce you to their new eight speed autobox. What, your cruise control only maintains a set speed? Mercedes has active systems that will brake the car to a stop without your input, pull you back into your lane should you start to drift out and pierce through the darkness with night vision that would make half the world’s militaries jealous. Development moves so fast in this rarified class that we’d have to hire a full-time Luxury Car Editor to keep up. Since we spent all the money budgeted for that position on a Star Wars pinball machine for the office we decided we better familiarize ourselves with the latest and greatest from the primary luxury players. We requested a BMW 7-Series, Mercedes S-Class and Audi A8 loaded to the roof with gadgets and lined with the finest leather to treat–we meant test–ourselves and the latest six figure luxury sedans in an epic comparison test only the AT Crew could concoct. In need of a destination we set the nav systems to Sault Ste Marie on Michigan’s northern border with Canada and set off on Operation: Opulence to determine the winner. Read more…
Rather than take the route of its German competitors and stablemates, Audi chose not to unveil a convertible model in chilly Detroit. Rather, Audi unveiled the Q3 Vail crossover. Though Audi has not promised to offer the Q3 in the US market, they promised that it could go on sale in the US as soon as the end of 2013. If such a vehicle were to be sold in the US, it would be powered by a 2.5L inline 5 cylinder engine with 314 hp and 295 ft-lbs of torque. Read more…
A while back we were staring down a schedule featuring two consecutive Audis powered by the company’s latest 2.0-liter four cylinder. There was a time not so long ago that seeing such a pint size engine in a anything from a premium manufacturer like Audi would have spelled certain sales doom and a hearty round of “what were they thinking!” reviews from the automotive press. Having spent considerable time with these engines in various Volkswagen and Audi products, including an A4 that we tested and approved a few years back, we were confident we’d continue to like what Audi was offering. It didn’t hurt that both the A4 and A5 were equipped with the standard 6-speed manual transmission, an increasingly rare treat for us three-pedal fans. But the question remains, does a four cylinder belong in today’s premium cars? Read more…
There is no shortage of luxury crossovers. From Lincoln to Lexus any self-respecting automaker with their head in the game is trying their darnedest to combine luxury sedan dynamics with “I’m not a wagon” styling. Audi got into the midsize crossover game in 2009 with the Q5 and we liked what we saw. Apparently consumers did too since the Q5 is now Audi’s second bestselling vehicle behind the ubiquitous A4. Lately we’ve driven our fair share of these oh so vogue vehicles including the Lexus RX and the Cadillac SRX and decided to take a closer look at Audi’s offering. We were secretly hoping we’d get to plant our curious keisters in the newly available for 2011 2.0-liter turbo and 8-speed automatic model, but because beggars can’t be choosers we didn’t complain when Audi delivered a V6-powered Q5 for our evaluation. Read more…
Audi’s Entry Level Hatchback Struggles to Earn its Premium Price
Americans don’t like hatchbacks. Automotive journalists do. These are automotive truths that are as universally understood as the need for frequent oil changes, regular tire rotations and the belief that the Pontiac Aztek fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down. Possibly just as well understood is that Americans definitely don’t want to pay a premium for said hatchback while automotive journalists seem to embrace the idea. Why then is Audi still offering the A3 to North American consumers? Read more…
