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Audi A7 3.0 TFSI quattro now in Malaysia – RM599k

October 25, 2011 at 5:30 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Audi, Cars

The Audi A7 Sportback is now available in Malaysia, priced at RM599,000 without insurance, about an 85k premium over the Audi A6 which was launched here just last month. Like the A6, the new Audi A7 comes with a 300 hp and 440 Nm 3.0 litre TFSI engine mated to a 7-speed S-Tronic twin clutch gearbox and the quattro all-wheel drive.

Both vehicles are pretty much in the same segment and sit on the same platform, but the A7 is designed for those who want a sportier coupe-like roofline for their car, without sacrificing the convenience of four door access. The A7 is a sportback instead of a sedan, so instead of a traditional boot, there luggage area is accessed via a large tail gate, which by the way can be electrically operated so you don’t need to lift the large piece of metal and glass up yourself. The doors are also frameless, which is another unique feature over the A6.

Features that come standard with the RM599k price tag include eight airbags, ABS, ESP, electric adjustable front seats including adjustable lumbar, anti glare mirrors including heated wing mirrors, xenon headlamps, a 6-CD changer system with two SDHC card readers, Bluetooth handsfree, a 7- inch driver info system in the instrumentation panel and a 6.5-inch MMI display, Audi Drive Select with auto/comfort/dynamic/efficiency modes, power assist closing doors and cruise control.

There are a number of optional extras that you can tack onto the car. Pearl paint costs an additional RM5,000. A heads-up display system costs RM6,500. LED headlamps will set you back another RM8,500. A high-end Bang & Olufsen Advanced Sound System (upgraded from the stock 600-watt Bose 12-channel, 14-speaker system) costs RM28,000. And an S-Line package for a sportier appearance will cost you RM30,000.

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Audi A6 3.0L TFSI quattro launched in Malaysia – RM515k!

September 27, 2011 at 1:10 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Audi, Cars, Local News, Videos

The new Audi A6 is finally here in Malaysia, with the sole unit offered right now being the top of the range Audi A6 3.0 TFSI quattro. Priced at RM515,000, it significantly undercuts the similiarly engined 535i by a huge margin and adds the extra traction of the Audi quattro all-wheel drive system.

This sexy beast’s 3.0 litre TFSI V6 engine puts out 300 hp between 5,250-6,500 rpm and 440 Nm of torque from 2,900 rpm to 4,500 rpm. This is the same motor found in the flagship Audi A8L 3.0 TFSI. You might wonder why peak torque kicks in a little higher than normal compared to other TFSI engines – this is likely because Audi has elected to use a supercharger on this V6 engine instead of a turbo. The V6 engine also includes variable inlet camshaft timing and petrol direct injection.

From the crank, power travels to a 7-speed S-tronic twin clutch transmission, and finally to the quattro all-wheel drive system which sends power to all four wheels via a crown gear centre diffferential. The A6′s quattro also has torque vectoring.

A total of twelve colours are availalbe – Ibis White, Brilliant Black, Aviator Blue, Dakota Gray, Ice Silver, Havana Black, Moonlight Blue, Oolong Gray, Quartz Gray, Glacier White, Phantom Black and Garnet Red. The latter two colours are pearl effect colours which command an additional price premium of RM5,000.

Other than the pearl effect paint, the top of the range Malaysian spec 3.0 TFSI can still be specced up if your budget allows it – you can add LED headlamps for RM13,000, a Bang & Olufsen sound system for RM28,000, or a heads up display for RM6,000. For a sportier appeareance, RM30,000 gets you an S-line exterior package which adds sportier front and rear bumpers with a contrasting grey finish for the front lip and rear diffuser.

If you were wondering where the more affordable models are – Audi says they will be bringing the 2.0 TFSI to complement this model soon, so we’ll bring you more news on that when it is available. The normally aspirated 2.8 litre V6 will not be available for now. Look after the jump for a huge photo gallery of the new Audi A6.
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Frankfurt: Production-ready Audi A8 L W12 concept

September 15, 2011 at 12:49 pm By Harvinder Sidhu Filed Under 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, Audi, Cars, Concept Cars

Yes, there is no typo in the title you see above. This Audi A8 L W12 Executive Concept is indeed a concept car as the name suggests but Audi has also confirmed its production at the same time, although only 50 units will be produced. This model is aimed at an “exclusive group of connoisseurs” and is being marketed under the “Audi exclusive concept” label.

Basically the car is a premium version of the A8 flagship with things like a bespoke interior. The seats are covered with Cognac-colored leather by the exclusive Italian manufacturer Poltrona Frau. The inlays are made from the wood olive ash along with a light gray-brown veneer that has fine grain. There is also a hint of silver in the pores that gives the wood’s appearance a refined look.

Power comes from a 6.3 litre W12 petrol engine with 493 hp and 625 Nm of torque. All 50 units will carry a plate marked with a designated serial number. Audi also confirmed that more models will be placed under the exclusive label.

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Frankfurt: Audi presents the refreshed 444 hp / 430 Nm RS5

September 14, 2011 at 9:07 pm By Harvinder Sidhu Filed Under 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, Audi, Cars, International News, Videos

Audi has unveiled the facelifted RS5 coupe at the Frankfurt Motor Show. This update was pretty much expected since the A5 line-up has gone under the knife recently. Design cues have been carried over from the A5 although the RS5 is given a more aggressive look.

It is also 0.91 inches longer and 0.24 inches wider than the A5 coupe but it is 0.24 inches lower. The exterior also sports a retractable rear spoiler which will automatically extend at 120 km/h.

The interior is covered with a combination of black leather and Alcantara while Fine Nappa leather in a choice of black or lunar silver is also available as an option. There are also options for bucket seats with folding backrests or climate-controlled comfort seats with a ventilation function. In the list is also a new thick rim leather multifunction sport steering wheel with a flattened bottom. The ignition key and the shift lever knob have also been revised along with steering column stalks. There is also a lap timer and an oil thermometer in the driver information colour display system.

Other optional features include adaptive cruise control, Audi side assist, adaptive light, MMI navigation plus, the Bluetooth online car phone and the Bang & Olufsen sound system. Now on to the more interesting bits. The RS5 comes with a suspension system that is mostly made out of alluminium and it has a new speed-dependent power steering which is an electromechanical system with a direct steering ratio for a more precise road feel. Stopping power is provided by ventilated wave brake discs with the front measuring 365 mm in diameter. The reshaped steel friction rings in the brakes system offers savings in weight worth 3 kg.

There is also an ESP system which can be completely switched off. The RS5 also has the Audi drive select driving dynamics system which allows the driver to select between three modes including Comfort, Auto and Dynamic. A fourth mode is available, if the car is equipped with the Audi MMI navigation system and this mode called Individual is customizable by the driver. Audi drive select can also modulate the sound of the exhaust system, double-clutching when downshifting in dynamic mode.

There is also the optional carbon fiber-ceramic discs for the front. The sport suspension plus with DRC dynamic ride control which is optional offers dynamic damping along with a 3-stage system. The facelifted RS5 maintains the 4.2 FSI V8 with 444 hp and 430 Nm between 4,000 and 6,000 rpm. Naught to 100 km/h takes 4.6 seconds and top speed is electronically limited to 250 km/h but it can be increased to 280 km/h upon request by the buyer.

All that power is sent to all wheels via a 7-speed dual-clutch S tronic transmission and via Audi’s Quattro all wheel drive system. The crown-gear centre differential can vary the distribution of torque between the front and rear axles. Up to 70% can be sent the front or as much as 85% to the rear.

Continue reading to view a high-res image gallery and to watch a static shot footage. You can also hear the roar of the 4.2 FSI :)
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Frankfurt preview: Gallery of the Audi A2 Concept released

September 12, 2011 at 11:39 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, Audi, Cars, International News

An oddity elsewhere, the Audi A2 is not an unusual sight on European streets, a lightweight and space efficient aluminium bodied small car that was probably ahead of its time. It didn’t do very well, sales wise – only 176,377 A2s were sold from 1999 to 2005. But Ingolstadt has plans to revive the A2, and will debut the electric powered A2 Concept at IAA Frankfurt.

We’ve seen the sketches and read the details already, but here are some proper official pics of the show car. Sharing underpinnings with the baby A1, the A2 Concept is 3,800 mm long, 1,690 mm wide and 1,490 mm tall, measurements that are 26 mm shorter, 17mm wider and 63 mm lower than the original car. And although the original A2′s distinctive shape is retained, it looks thoroughly modern.

It’s a spacious four-seater with individual seats and clever packaging – there’s room between the rear seats for a city bicycle with its front wheel removed, for instance.

Audi is famous for its LED DRLs, and the A2 Concept previews the next phase in LED tech. Called a matrix beam, this is a package of LEDs and micro-reflectors generating a high-res and non-glaring high-beam light. Daytime running light-fibres frame the LED low-beam light module. Meanwhile, the rear fog light, which is produced by laser diodes, is seen as a beam of light in fog and projects a red triangle onto the road as a warning.

No news on the drivetrain yet. Hi res gallery after the jump.
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Audi A2 Concept – plenty of premium-standard space

September 2, 2011 at 3:59 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, Audi, Cars, International News

Another debutant in Frankfurt will be Audi’s A2 Concept all-electric – the company says the technical study will offer premium-standard space with plenty of room for four people in a vehicle that’s just 3.80m long.

Features include four individual seats, a dark glass roof that switches to transparency with the push of a button and a flat interior floorboard. Interior design cues include a centre console that’s attached to the driver’s seat, while the rear console extends forward between the two rear seats.

Storage space is to be had under the fold-up seat cushions, and there’s room between the rear seats for a city bicycle with its front wheel removed. The load area has two levels, with a frame with functional nets creating the upper level.

The colours and materials chosen for the interior help the impression of lightness and space along. Aluminium elements are to be found as highlights, and the large areas from the door top shoulders to the floor wear a new and innovative covering material made of polyurethane with a neoprene surface feel, and a ribbed material made from recycled polyester covers the central floor area.

The driver manages many important features via touch-control areas on the inside of the steering wheel. Two additional control surfaces fold up at the driver’s right when starting the vehicle. An open profile serves as the steering column, with a seven-inch display and two secondary displays located at its end.

Aside from the impressions of space and tech, the A2 Concept also works a fair bit of lighting into the scheme of things. There’s dynamic lighting, which runs below the edge of the window from the front to the rear of the car, essentially a band of light that contains a multitude of innovative, dynamic light functions.

Integrated approach sensors detect the owner and unlock the doors via gesture control. While driving, the dynamic light functions as a continuous side marker light. If the car’s indicator is activated, light impulses run throughout the entire band of light, and when braking, you get a red bar of light from the tail lights.

There’s also the utilisation of the next phase in LED technology, called a matrix beam; this is a package of LEDs and micro-reflectors generating a high-resolution and non-glaring high-beam light. Daytime running light-fibres frame the LED low-beam light module. Meanwhile, the rear fog light, which is produced by laser diodes, is seen as a beam of light in fog and projects a red triangle onto the road as a warning.
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Audi S6, S7, S8 gets new twin turbo 4.0L V8 TFSI engine

September 1, 2011 at 4:17 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, Audi, Cars

Another big displacement normally aspirated engine bites the dust – this time it’s the normally aspirated 5.2 litre V10 FSI engine found in models like the Audi S6 and S8.

Audi will be replacing it with a new twin turbocharged 4.0 litre V8, making 420 PS and 550Nm of torque from as low as 1,400rpm all the way to 5,300rpm. This tune of the engine will be installed in the S6 and the S7. This engine is mated to a 7-speed S-Tronic dual clutch transmission. The S6 and S7 also comes with adaptive air suspension to improve the cars’ versatility in providing both comfort and handling.

In the S8, the same 4.0 litre twin turbo V8 is tuned to produce more power – 520 PS and 650Nm of torque from between 1,700rpm to 5,500rpm. This should be an absolutely cracker to drive! In the S8, the engine is mated to a regular automatic transmission instead of a dual clutch, which should provide a smoother drive. The auto has a total of 8 gears.

Other than your usual direct injection and turbocharger technology, the new 4.0 litre V8 also has cylinder deactivation where four cylinders can be shut off under part load to conserve fuel. To keep the engine sounding good under the cylinder shut-off mode, Audi uses Active Noise Cancellation where four microphones integrated into the headlining record the noise in the cabin and cancels out any intrusive sound elements using an anti phase broadcast through the car’s speaker system.

I wonder if Audi will extend the use of this new engine to the Audi R8 as well. Will Audi put this new 4.0 litre twin turbo V8 into the Audi R8 V10′s engine bay?

These new range of Audi S cars will be exhibited to the public for the first time at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show. This year’s Frankfurt show looks like it’s going to be seriously busy – it’s going to keep us on our toes for sure! Enjoy a small gallery after the jump.
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2012 Audi A8 Hybrid powered by 2.0L TFSI inline-4

August 25, 2011 at 2:20 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Audi, Cars, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel

Audi will add a hybrid variant to its flagship Audi A8 for production 2012, using a hybrid drivetrain that mates Audi’s 2.0 litre TFSI engine to a disc-shaped electric motor.

The inline-4 turbo engine (modified for hybrid use) makes 211 PS and 350Nm of torque on its own, but with the help of the 40kW and 210Nm electric motor, the Audi A8 Hybrid makes a total combined output of 245 PS and 480Nm, which is less horsepower but more torque than the A8 3.0 TFSI’s 290hp and 420Nm supercharged V6.

The hybrid system’s disc-shaped motor basically replaces the Audi A8 automatic gearbox’s torque converter and sits in between the engine and the 8-speed automatic transmission. A multi-plate clutch that operates in an oil bath connects or disconnects the electric motor and the TFSI engine, and does so ultra-precisely and gently in all situations.

The electric motor is powered by a 36.7kg lithium-ion battery located in a crash-proofed area in the boot, providing 1.3 kWh of nominal energy and up to 40 kW of power. The battery is air-cooled two different ways depending on need. Air is either blown from the passenger compartment by a fan or via a separate cooling circuit coupled to the automatic air conditioning system. The electric motor itself and the control electronics are water cooled.

According to the provisional figures generated by early-stage tests, the 2012 Audi A8 Hybrid will be able to reach 100km/h in 7.7 seconds and continue to a top speed of 235km/h while consuming less than 6.42 litres per 100km in the EU combined cycle test, along with CO2 emissions of less than 148 g/km.

The hybrid luxury sedan will be able to hit 100km/h on electric power alone, and can cruise on electric power for up to 3km at a constant 60km/h. The driver can choose between three modes – an EV mode which tries to run on electric power as often as possible, a D option which allows the car to automatically choose when to use what power source, and an S mode which emphasizes on the best possible acceleration.

Of course, if the fact that your A8 Hybrid can silently roll into a hotel lobby with nary a sound isn’t enough to let people know you’re not driving any regular A8, Audi has also given the A8 Hybrid some unique identification externally – turbine blade 18 or 19 inch wheels, hybrid badging and an exclusive Arctic Silver paint.

You know what’s the most interesting thing about this A8 Hybrid in Malaysian context? Because the internal combustion engine component of the hybrid system has an engine displacement of less than 2,000cc – it actually fulfills the engine displacement rule of hybrid car tax exemptions in Malaysia! BMW and Mercedes-Benz have hybrid cars but the electric motors are all paired with giant engines. This is sort of the first German hybrid luxury sedan with an engine size that actually makes sense.

Wonder if Euromobil will use this to their advantage and bring the Audi A8 Hybrid in. In terms of luxury brands, Porsche already has the Cayenne Hybrid and customers are paying full tax on that as it doesn’t qualify for exemptions. Lexus has three hybrid cars for sale and only one – the CT 200h – qualifies for the tax exemption.

But then again bear in mind the tax exemptions are due to expire by the end of this year and there has been no word from the government so far on whether the exemptions will be extended.

Look after the jump for some photos of the new A8 Hybrid.
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2012 Audi A5 facelift range gets various technical updates

August 21, 2011 at 6:42 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Audi, Cars

In the never-ending quest to satisfy the needs of both consumer and policymaker demands for fuel efficiency and reduced emissions, Audi has revised their engine line-up for the 2012 model year, with the changes reflected with the latest model to be updated – the facelifted Audi A5 range. We’ve already covered some of these changes on the surface in our earlier story – here we go into a little more detail.

1.8L TFSI upgraded to 170 PS to replace 180 PS 2.0L

The baseline 1.8 litre TFSI inline-4 engine has been given a complete redesign, and these changes should later be implemented in the other four cylinder engine sizes, such as the fun 2.0 litre TFSI used in various VAG cars. Power is now up from 160 PS to 170 PS, and this engine now replaces the 180 PS tune of the 2.0 litre TFSI engine.

Something new with the engine is an upgraded fuel delivery system which now features a higher rail pressure (200 bar up from 150 bar) and both FSI direct injection as well as conventional indirect injection. Some carmakers have dabbled with this idea in the past, such as the Toyota/Lexus D-4S system, which also features both injector types.

Under part-load conditions, the system injects fuel at the end of the intake manifold, where it is mixed with air. This is said to help reduce both fuel consumption and particulate emissions, and plays a part in helping the engine meet Euro 6 emissions standards.

Normally aspirated 3.2L V6 replaced with supercharged 3.0L

The normally aspirated 3.2 litre V6 engine has been replaced with a lower output version of the supercharged 3.0 litre V6 TFSI engine, producing 272 PS instead of the original 333 PS tune it was unveiled with.

Normally aspirated 4.2L V8 replaced with supercharged 3.0L

The screaming 4.2 litre V8 in the S5 Coupe has been replaced with the higher output version of the 3.0 litre supercharged V6 engine, making 333 PS. This is an expected mode, considering the different body styles of the S5 like the drop top version have already had the V8 replaced with the blown V6, so now it’s finally the Coupe’s turn to get the more efficient engine.

A more advanced Quattro system

The 2012 model year A5 gets a more advanced quattro all wheel drive system using a crown gear center differential, which first made its debut on the RS5. It also has torque vectoring for more effective torque distribution.

New efficiency mode for Audi drive select

A new mode called ‘efficiency’ has been added to the current range of ‘dynamic’, ‘auto’, and ‘comfort’ modes in Audi drive select. In this mode, various variable systems like the power steering, throttle response, transmission shift point and even the air conditioning system will be adjusted for minimal power consumption.

We expect all of these changes to eventually reach the rest of the Audi range wherever applicable.

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Audi Urban Concept: Spyder to join Sportback in Frankfurt

August 19, 2011 at 10:38 am By Anthony Lim Filed Under Audi, Cars, International News


Click to enlarge.

The Audi Urban Concept Sportback 1+1 ultra-light concept announced for Frankfurt is set to be joined by a second, open-top Spyder version.

The variant of the electric-powered vehicle features characteristic Spyder traits, which include a low, continuous window area and doors that open upwards diagonally.


Click to enlarge.

Otherwise, it’s pretty much identical to the ‘hardtop’ version, with similar free-standing 21-inch wheels as well as protective surrounding plates incorporating strips of ‘blinking’ LED lights.

Likewise the cabin, with low-slung seating for two mounted in a slightly staggered position and underpinned by carbon fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP). Again, two e-tron electric motors provide propulsion, working with a lithium-ion battery that supplies the juice.

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