Posts Tagged ‘audi news’
But “the challenge” will be getting import buyers to notice.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on May.15, 2013
The new Dodge Dart drives off with a win in the latest Total Quality Index.
After long lagging their import rivals in terms of quality and reliability, Detroit makers have begun closing the gap in recent years – and a new study suggests that domestic models may even be taking the lead in many key market segments.
Motown manufacturers led or at least tied for the lead in 12 of 21 categories in Strategic Vision’s closely watched Total Quality Index, products like the Ford Fusion and Dodge Dart besting traditional import stalwarts such as the Toyota Camry and Honda Civic.
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“There’s no questioning domestic car makers want to lead,” said Alexander Edwards, President of Strategic Vision. “For the first time in over a decade our comprehensive and complete study of Quality resulted in more domestic winners than imports.”
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Tags: Strategic Vision, audi news, auto news, auto quality, auto reliability, car news, chrysler news, detroit quality, domestic cars quality, gm news, lexus news, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau, total quality index, toyota news, vehicle quality
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New model will use synthetic natural gas that recycles CO2.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Mar.13, 2013
Audi says the new A3 Sportback g-Tron produces 80% less CO2 than the same car running on gasoline.
Imagine capturing the gases spewing out of your car’s tailpipe and feeding them back into its engine. In a sense, that’s what Audi hopes to do with the new A3 g-Tron.
The German maker is the latest among a small but growing list of manufacturers introducing vehicles that can run on CNG, a fuel generally hailed as more environmentally friendly than conventional gasoline. But what’s particularly significant about the launch of the A3 g-Tron is how Audi wants buyers to fill up their tanks.
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Working with Germany’s largest utility EWE, the luxury marque has tapped into a low-cost source of excess power from the wind farms spreading out over the northern corner of that country. In a complex process, a pilot refinery Audi has funded splits water into its fundamental components and then combines the hydrogen with CO2 to create a synthetic version of natural gas.
It will offer as many as 1,500 g-Tron buyers special contracts for this so-called e-Gas, enough for them to each drive about 15,000 kilometers, of about 9,500 miles, annually — each producing a fraction of the CO2 emissions of a regular automobile.
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Tags: CNG, alternate fuels, audi a3 g-tron, audi e-gas, audi g-tron, audi news, auto news, car news, clean fuels, cng cars, natural gas cars, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, synthetic fuels, synthetic natural gas, thedetroitbureau
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Targets 2 mil annual sales; big surge in new products critical.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Mar.12, 2013
Audi CEO Rupert Stalder introducing the A3 e-Tron at the Geneva Motor Show last week.
Fresh off its strongest year ever, Audi AG is taking aim at German rival BMW AG and promising to become the world’s largest luxury automotive brand.
The maker is planning to invest more than $14 billion through 2015 to support its ambitious goals, funding a product program that will cover the increasing breadth of the luxury segment, from the small A3 hatchback to an assortment of new crossover-vehicles, such as the planned Audi Q6, said CEO Rupert Stadler. It also is investing in a number of new assembly plants, including one planned for Mexico.
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“There are years in which to harvest in our industry and there are years in which you sow,” said Stadler at Audi headquarters in Ingollstadt, Germany. While the cost will be significant, the payoff should come by 2020, when the executive added, “we are preparing to (sell) two million cars annually.”
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Tags: Audi, Audi e-tron, audi a3, audi battery, audi bmw, audi china, audi news, audi plugo-in, audi q, audi q6, audi sales, audi us, audi us sales, auto news, car news, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, rupert stadler, thedetroitbureau, vw news
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But there’ll be plenty to follow, with a diesel plug-in also under development.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Mar.07, 2013
Audi's A3 e-tron will be just the first of a planned assortment of plug-ins to come from the maker.
Luxury automaker Audi has taken the first step in what it promises will be a major commitment to plug-in hybrid powertrain technology.
The new Audi A3 Sportback e-tron making its public debut at this week’s Geneva Motor Show is being billed as the first in a procession of clean, high-mileage PHEVs the Volkswagen AG luxury subsidiary plans to roll out over the coming years. It marks a shift away from Audi’s earlier interest in pure battery-electric technology, company officials insisting plug-ins better meet the needs of today’s motorists.
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Using the most sporty of the compact Audi A3 body styles, the new e-tron offers “the power of two hearts,” proclaimed Rupert Stadler, Audi’s CEO, during a Geneva news conference. There’s a 150-horsepower turbocharged 1.4-liter inline-four gasoline engine paired with a 100-horsepower electric motor.
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Tags: 2013 geneva motor show, audi a3, audi a3 e-tron, audi a3 sportback e-tron, audi battery car, audi diesel plug-in hybrid, audi geneva, audi news, audi plug-in hybrid, auto news, auto shows, car news, car shows, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, plug-in hybrids, rupert stadler, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Automobiles | 1 Comment »
Lots of new models and brands.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Feb.27, 2013
Honda returns to the CR Top Picks with three models - including the new Accord sedan.
With 100s of cars, trucks and crossovers on the market and scores of new models making their debut, picking the right vehicle can be something of a daunting task.
Sure, many buyers are loyalists who will trade in for the some product over and over again, but more and more consumers are willing to look elsewhere if it means getting a safer, more reliable, more attractive and more affordable vehicle. And with fuel prices nudging record levels, buyers seem more willing than ever to consider a switch.
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And many of them turn to the non-profit publication Consumer Reports for guidance, especially when the magazine issues its annual Top Picks. Though its list of choices in 10 categories won’t reach print until the April auto issue, CR editors have given a heads-up on what models it they have chosen, models CR declares are “as close as it gets to no-brainers.”
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Tags: audi news, auto news, best cars, best cuvs, best suvs, best trucks, bmw news, car news, consumer reports, consumer reports top picks, honda news, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, subaru news, thedetroitbureau, top picks
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“A realistic glimpse into the future.”
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Feb.21, 2013
The Audi A3 e-tron will deliver about 30 miles per charge, with a tentative rating of over 150 MPG-e.
Audi will move a big step closer to launching its battery-powered sub-brand when it reveals the new A3 e-tron at the Geneva Motor Show early next month.
Like many of its key competitors, the luxury maker has been toying with a variety of electric drivelines, from conventional hybrids up to pure battery drive, but it appears to be ready to place its chips on plug-in hybrid power as offering the right balance of price, range and performance.
(Electric) Power to the People!
The March 5th debut of the Audi A3 e-tron at Geneva’s PALExpo Center “will provide a realistic glimpse into the future of mobility as Audi is planning it. The electrification of the drivetrain, above all using plug-in technology, plays a deciding role in the strategy of the brand,” according to an advanced statement describing the new model.
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Tags: Audi e-tron, Chevy Volt, audi a3 e-tron, audi electric, audi geneva 2013 geneva motor show, audi news, audi plug-in hybrid, auto news, cadillac elr, car news, luxury battery cars, luxury evs, luxury plug ins, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Automobiles | 1 Comment »
MIT singles out German maker's “Piloted Driving” system.
by Joseph Szczesny on Feb.20, 2013
Audi's Piloted Driving system was singled out by MIT as a particularly promising technology.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology publication “Technology Review” is sending kudos to Audi by naming the German maker as one of its “50 Most Disruptive Companies” for Audi’s ongoing hands-off driving project.
Audi unveiled the so-called “Piloted Driving” system at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier this year and the system basically is an extension of the company’s adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist features.
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Audi noted at the time the “Piloted Driving” car, an A6 wagon, was designed to aid drivers caught in heavy traffic and could be ready for sale within a decade. The traffic-jam assist system previewed at CES does not feature fully autonomous driving. Audi leaves the driver in charge of the vehicle since the system only works in sub-40-mph situations on highways.
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Tags: audi autonomous driving, audi disruptive company, audi mit, audi news, audi piloted driving, auto news, autonomous driving, car news, disruptive companies, google autonomous driving, hands-free driving, joe szczesny, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Automobiles | 1 Comment »
by Brian Armstead on Feb.19, 2013
Audi delivers a new flagship with the 2013 S8.
The Auto Union was an amalgamation of four German automobile manufacturers, founded during the Great Depression. The company eventually evolved into present day Audi, and the four rings that adorn the grilles of the brand’s modern offerings represent the four original companies of Auto Union: Audi, Wanderer, DKW and Horch.
Each company brought specific technology to the Union, and today Audi is widely known for building All-Wheel Drive cars that feature safety, prodigious performance and superior technology – as well as for its benchmark interiors.
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When you look at the four-ringed Audi grille, you can’t help but compare it to the Olympic symbol — five interlaced rings. For 2013, just imagine that the Auto Union had an additional company–adding that fifth ring, as the all-new Audi S8 is truly a gold medal contender.
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Tags: 2013 audi s8, 2013 audi s8 review, Audi S8, audi news, audi reviews, audi s8 review, auto news, auto reviews, brian armstead, car news, car reviews, german car reviews, luxury car reviews, luxury performance sedans, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Automobiles | 3 Comments »
Audi’s most powerful V-6 yet.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Jan.08, 2013
The 2014 Audi SQ5 will get the most powerful version of the maker's 3.0-liter V-6 yet offered.
Some things are worth waiting for, or so one hopes in the case of the 2014 Audi SQ5 performance crossover making its debut at the Detroit Auto Show next week. It’s the long-awaited production version of the Q5 Custom Concept first revealed way back in 2009 – with some much-needed updates, of course.
Developed specifically for the U.S. and a handful of other markets, the new top-of-the-line version of the Q5 crossover is capable of sprinting from 0 to 100 kmh – 0 to 62.5 mph for the metrically challenged – in just 5.3 seconds, with an Autobahn-ready top speed of 250 kmh (155 mph).
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If there’s any surprise, it’s the fact that Audi has waited until now rather than bringing over the diesel-powered SQ5. Volkswagen’s luxury subsidiary has big plans to expand its diesel line-up but apparently didn’t think Americans are ready to accept the idea that oil-burners not only can deliver great mileage but also quite a punch off the line.
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Tags: 2013 detroit auto show, 2013 north american international auto show, 2014 audi sq5, audi detroit auto show, audi news, audi sq5, auto news, car news, european crossovers, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, performance cars, performance crossovers, performance cuvs, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Automobiles | 2 Comments »
One of four new RS models due in 2013.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Dec.06, 2012
Audi's third-generation RS6 Avant will make its debut at the Detroit Auto Show next month.
Audi’s third-generation RS6 Avant will be making its debut at the Detroit Auto Show next month, but the maker has offered up a sneak peek at what will be one of four new RS offerings added to its line-up during 2013.
The new RS6 abandons the old Lamborghini-based V-10 in favor of a new 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 making a significant 552 horsepower. The engine is essentially the same powerplant used by the latest-generation Bentley Continental. And to keep it in the broader Volkswagen AG family while putting things into perspective: the new Audi RS6 Avant is expected to deliver 0 to 100 kmh (0 to 62 mph) times of just 3.9 seconds. The Porsche 911 Carrera S needs 4.5 seconds to get there.
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As the new RS6 will also feature cylinder deactivation – allowing it to shut off four of its eight cylinders when loads are light — it is anticipating better fuel economy than the outgoing model. Also helping drive up mileage, the new Audi performance sedan will weigh in at about 200 pounds less than the old RS6, and it will be outfitted with new Stop/Start technology to shut its engine off instead of wasting gas idling.
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Tags: 2013 detroit auto show, Audi RS6, Audi RS6 Avant, Porsche 911, audi avant, audi detroit auto show, audi news, audi performance, audi quattro, audi rs, auto news, car news, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau
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