The idea of a premium badged car here is of a sedan, that’s what people want. But in the home continent of BMW, Mercedes and Audi, these German brands shift a big amount of wagons, whether in the 3-Series/A4 segment or the 5-Series/A6 class. No range is complete without a wagon, so Audi has launched the Avant version of its new A6.

Looking sleek as usual, the A6 Avant is 4,930 mm long and 1,870 mm wide, which is slightly longer and wider than the F11 BMW 5-Series Touring. Its wheelbase has grown by quite a bit to 2,910 mm as well. This is not a wagon from the old Volvo box script, so you’ll notice a low, early-sloping roof line and flat D-pillars, which Audi says make the car look dynamic. By the way, the new A6 Avant is up to 70 kg lighter than the car it replaces.

Just like with the dimensions, the A6 Avant’s luggage compartment beats the BMW Touring’s by a bit – 565 litres versus 560. The loading lip is low and the split rear seat backs can be folded down using the remote release on the sides of the trunk. This increases capacity to 1,680 litres. Lashing eyes, side restraining straps, bag hooks, a double cargo floor, a rail luggage fixing system, a dirt-resistant tray and roof rails are standard.

Optional equipment include a load-through hatch, a fixing set that uses the two standard rails in the cargo floor, and a power rear hatch with an integrated power luggage compartment cover.

Making its debut is the gesture-based control of the power hatch in combination with the key fob. If the driver stands behind the car and makes a “specific movement” with his or her foot, two sensors open the hatch. Not sure if this movement is a kick, as we did in the European Volkswagen Passat.

Six engines are available. The 2.0 TDI (177 hp) has the best fuel consumption figures. Paired with the manual gearbox, it consumes on average just 5.0 litres per 100 km. The 3.0 TDI is available in three variants: 204 hp, 245 hp and 313 hp. The latter twin-turbo unit has a two-stage turbocharger group that delivers a maximum boost pressure of up to 3.2 bar. This one does 0-100 km/h in 5.4 seconds, the kind of time that was reserved for junior supercars not too long ago.

On the petrol side, the 2.8 FSI with 204 hp uses Audi’s valvelift system, which varies the lift of the intake valves in two stages as necessary. This allows the engine to breathe easier, increasing torque and reducing fuel consumption. If not enough, there’s the 3.0 TFSI with 300 horses.

All engines come with start-stop, recuperation system and a thermal management system that quickly brings the coolant and motor oil up to their operating temperatures. With the help of these, fuel consumption has been reduced by up to 18% over the previous model. The new Avant is also a strong tow car with a rated towing capacity of 2,100 kg.

Like the sedan showed at Geneva last month, this Audi A3 e-tron Concept is billed as a “Technical Study”. But it’s obvious that Audi is planning a small saloon that will slot under the A4 (which has grown by quite a bit through the years), and the fact that both that concept and this one are of the same size and look identical save for a few details, hints that this design should be almost final.

The turbo-five A3 from Geneva teased an RS high performance version, but this Shanghai showstar is all about clean performance, like e-trons before it. Designed as a plug-in hybrid, the A3 e-tron concept is propelled by two power units – a 211 hp 1.4 TFSI and a 27 hp (20 kW) electric motor. Together with a 7-speed S tronic ‘box, this A3 is good for 0-100 in 6.8 seconds on to a 231 km/h top speed.

At the heart of the Audi A3 e-tron concept are the lithium-ion batteries located behind the rear seats. With a charge capacity of 12 kWh, they give the notchback a range of up to 54 km on electric power alone. The batteries are charged by the standard energy recovery system when the car is in motion or directly from a household power socket when parked. This means a large part of daily commuting can be entirely emissions-free.

All nice and good tech for the future, but we’re more interested in whether the production version, which is tipped to surface in the second half of 2012, will retain this concept’s well received proportions and design.

Gallery after the jump.
[Read more...]

First was the Q7, then the fast selling Q5, and now Audi has enlarged its successful SUV range with a compact model called Q3, revealed ahead of its motor show debut in Shanghai.

This will be Audi’s entry level SUV, and it sits on the same platform as the VW Tiguan. Size wise, the Q3 is 4.39 metres long and 1.83 metres wide, which is slightly wider but 64 mm shorter than a BMW X1, the car that it’ll take on in the market. Compared to the Q5, it’s 239 mm shorter and 50 mm narrower, so there’s a clear size gap.

Audi says that the Q3′s drag coefficient of 0.32 raises the bar in this segment and there’s an underbody fairing that facilitates optimum airflow. The boot is expandable from 460 to 1,365 litres. With high usage of tailored blanks and aluminium for the bonnet and tailgate, a front driven Q3 weighs less than 1,500 kg.

Looks wise, it’s unmistakably Audi. The front is dominated by the single-frame grille with tapered upper corners, and there are of course LED daytime running lights, but they’re in bar form here. The Q3′s profile and shape isn’t too far from big brother Q5, but I see some A1 in the more raked D-pillar here. Together with a gently sloping roofline, Audi calls it coupe-like. The wraparound tailgate follows Q norms.

Audi offers 12 different colours for the Q3, and customers can choose either a full paint finish or color-contrasting panels in anthracite gray to replace the black underbody guard and wheel arches.

The Q3 will be available three four-cylinder 2.0L engines upon market launch, two petrols and one TDI, all with direct injection, turbocharging, start-stop and energy recovery system. The 2.0 TFSI delivers either 170 hp or 211 hp, with the latter propelling the Q3 to 100 km/h in 6.9 seconds on to a top speed of 230 km/h. For diesels, there’s a 177 hp 2.0 TDI from the outset, with a 140 hp version coming later.

The lower powered oil burner will be front driven, and it’s the economy champ of the range with less than 5.2 litres per 100 km consumption. The other three engines will come with quattro permanent AWD. This is a simpler and lighter Haldex multi-plate clutch arrangement in place of the Q5′s Torsen-based full-time AWD system.

The lower powered petrol and diesel variants will come with six-speed manual gearboxes, while the top end units get seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch ‘boxes. This means that should the Q3 come to Malaysia, it will be the 211 hp 2.0 TFSI.

Audi drive select is available as an option for all Q3 engines. It manipulates the accelerator and steering, and S tronic/adaptive cruise control, if specified. There are auto, dynamic and efficiency modes. In the latter, the air con and cruise control operate with the specific aim of saving fuel, and the S tronic disengages a clutch when coasting.

The Q3′s ESP integrates an electronic differential lock, which regulates the distribution of drive to the wheels via ‘barely perceptible braking’ at the limit of cornering, which aids handling. The ESP also includes trailer stabilisation. Hold assist is an option but hill hold assist isn’t available for now.

It may be entry level, but some options are high end. For example, the Bose surround sound system integrates 14 speakers and the HDD navigation system is displayed via a (manually extendable) seven-inch LCD screen. The system can also process whole-word voice input. A panoramic glass roof and a self parking system (it’ll steer for you) with twelve ultrasonic sensors are among the other options.

The Audi Q3 will roll off Seat’s under used assembly line in Martorell, Spain and will go on sale in its home market in June from 29,900 euros. Gallery after the jump.
[Read more...]

Selling a million of anything is pretty much an achievement, so when you manage five, that’s definitely something to shout about. The one managing the milestone number this time around is Audi’s A4 executive sedan.

The five millionth vehicle, an A4 Avant 3.0 TDI quattro in Misano Red, rolled off the Ingolstadt line yesterday, marking a success story that began in 1994 when the B5 arrived as the successor to the Audi 80. It has since spanned over four generations, with the present B8 in its midlife term.

Sure, BMW’s 3er has achieved more in terms of volume with 12 million sold, but it has also been around a whole lot longer; having been around since 1975, that makes it 19 years older than the A4. Give the A4 the same two decades timeframe and it’ll probably manage as well, don’t you think?

Click to enlarge

Audi has toyed with the idea of offering a sedan bodystyle for its A3 before, and now it looks like they’re pushing ahead with the plans. The sketches you see here are of a concept car that’s bound for the upcoming Geneva show. It’s a four-seater notchback sedan “based on the coming generation of the Audi A3″ and “offers a glimpse of the future expansion of the A3 family”.

In other words, the new A3 family will include a sedan in addition to the current 3dr/5dr hatchback and cabriolet. The current generation A3 made its debut back in 2003 and is due to be replaced next year. The A3 sells very well in Europe, but less so in America and China, where saloons are favoured.

Click to enlarge

Audi says that this booted A3 concept is is 4.44 metres long, 1.84 metres wide and 1.39 metres high, which makes it about 150 mm longer than the A3 Sportback. It’s also wider and lower than the current 5dr. Audi’s current smallest sedan, the A4, is 4.7 metres long, so this “A3 Sedan” slots in comfortably below.

These sketches show nothing to shout about – what we see here is a neat, taut shape with cues from recent Audis. The trademark single-frame grille with tapered upper corners, fancy headlights with LEDs, dome roof and “coupe-like low C pillar” are among the elements.

Click to enlarge

The concept’s engine bay will house a 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbocharged engine with 408 hp, as found in the Audi Quattro concept from Paris 2010. Drive goes to all wheels via a seven-speed S-tronic twin clutch transmission.