USA - Latest Audi Q3 arrives in the USA

- The agile Audi Q3 compact premium crossover combines coupe-like design with the utility of an SUV

- High level of standard equipment including heated, 12-way power front leather surface seats, panoramic sunroof, dual-zone automatic climate control, Xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights and Audi advanced key

- Audi Q3 joins the already successful Audi SUV family that includes the Audi Q5 and Q7

The Audi Q3 combines coupe-like design with the utility of an SUV, offering an excellent balance of agility and functionality. It features a standard 200 horsepower 2.0 liter TFSI® engine with a six-speed Tiptronic® transmission. The Q3 joins the highly successful Q5 and Q7 Audi SUV line-up and will go on sale this fall.

The sporty character of the Q3 is defined by its low roof line and wraparound tailgate, along with distinctive exterior lighting including Audi xenon plus and LED daytime running headlamps as well as LED taillights standard. The optional Sport package which includes sport seats, shift paddles and Audi drive select adds to the dynamic character of the Q3. The Audi drive select system allows drivers to adjust the shift points and throttle mapping of the Q3 at the touch of a button. The available legendary quattro® all-wheel drive system helps provide additional grip for those seeking a winding road or additional traction in wet and snowy conditions.

Inside, the Audi Q3 seats five passengers, has 60/40 split folding rear seats that make 48.2 cu-ft of cargo volume when folded down. Standard dual-zone automatic climate control, available power tailgate and interior LED lighting round out the interior. The Audi advanced key provides keyless access as well as keyless start/stop functionality.

The available MMI® Navigation plus with voice control utilizes a 7.0 inch display and adds a color display to the driver information system located in the instrument cluster. The MMI Navigation Plus features the award-winning Audi connect® infotainment system (included in Prestige model), which includes in-vehicle Wi-Fi connectivity for up to eight wireless devices for passengers. Audi connect also provides Google Earth™ maps for a true aerial view of roads and the surrounding area. A 14-speaker, 465 watt Bose Surround Sound System is also part of the Prestige model offering to satisfy audiophile needs.

The Audi Q3 offers an excellent balance of performance and functionality for the urban outdoors.

Audi Q3 MSRP* excluding transportation, taxes, title:

Audi Q3 Premium Plus, FWD: $32,500

Audi Q3 Premium Plus, quattro: $34,600

Audi Q3 Prestige, FWD: $36,400

Audi Q3 Prestige, quattro $38,500

* Transportation charge is $925.00

OFFICIAL RELEASE - AUDI announces new S1 quattro

Audi premium subcompact joins the S quattro family with the help of a new TFSI engine delivering 231PS via renowned all-wheel-drive system

• New Audi S1 available in the UK from mid-March priced from £24,900 OTR, five-door S1 Sportback from £25,630 OTR – first deliveries in spring
• Powered by new 2.0 TFSI engine channelling 231PS and 370 Nm through six-speed manual transmission and quattro all-wheel-drive
• 0-62mph in 5.8 seconds, top speed 155mph, combined MPG 40.3, CO2 162g/km (three-door)
• First Audi series production subcompact to employ all-wheel-drive

The World Rally Championship-winning Audi S1 of the 1980s has a new and fittingly thrilling namesake – the 2014 Audi S1 takes the proven framework of the A1 premium subcompact hatchback as its basis, injects it with 231PS of TFSI-derived thrust and shores up the result with quattro all-wheel-drive, which appears for the first time in a series production car in this segment. The new Audi S1 and five-door S1 Sportback will be available to order in the UK from mid-March priced from £24,900 OTR and £25,630 OTR, and will begin arriving here in the spring.

“The Audi S1 offers all the virtues of a sports car, great performance, direct handling and permanent quattro drive that puts the power to the road in a superior way,” says Prof. Dr. Hackenberg, Audi Board Member for Technical Development, adding: “The quattro drive has a large following of fans, which is sure to become even larger thanks to the offering in this segment.”

The firepower for the latest entrant to the S quattro Series is supplied by a new 2.0-litre TFSI engine linked to a short-shift six-speed manual gearbox. Good for 231PS and 370 Nm (272.90 lb-ft) of torque, it can  propel the Audi S1 and S1 Sportback from 0 to 62mph in 5.8 and 5.9 seconds respectively, and on to a top speed of 155mph, while still upholding the A1’s reputation for impressive economy.

Up to 40.3mpg is achievable in the three-door version, or 39.8mpg in the Sportback, equating to 162 and 166 grams of CO2 per kilometre respectively.

Like all Audi S models, the S1 and the S1 Sportback apply their power to the road cleanly and resolutely via quattro permanent all-wheel drive. At the heart of the system is a hydraulic multi-plate clutch located on the rear axle and operated by control software tuned specifically to suit the character of an S quattro model. The electronic differential lock with the fine-tuned wheel-selective torque control is a function of the Electronic Stabilisation Control (ESC). It features two-stage deactivation and supplements the work of the multi-plate clutch with additional finely metered braking intervention on the inside wheels – the interaction of both systems makes for extremely agile, precise and stable handling.

S-specific sports suspension

The suspension configurations in the two high performance hatchbacks have been extensively reworked, as has the electromechanical power steering. Modified pivot bearings on the front axle sharpen response when turning, and at the rear a four-link design replaces the torsion beam suspension used for ‘standard’ A1 models. Damper settings are also adjustable via the Audi drive select adaptive dynamics system, which appears for the first time at this level in the S1 and also allows the driver to vary the response of the throttle and the operating parameters of the electronic climate control across a number of settings, including one designed to optimise efficiency.

17-inch wheels with 215/40 R17 tyres will be standard in the UK, with 18-inch alternatives available as an option, and a larger brake master cylinder and large brake discs – the front pair measuring 310 millimetres in diameter – ensure suitably steadfast deceleration.

Striking ‘S’-specific styling aligns the S1 with the thirteen other members of the performance-oriented S quattro series, as do standard xenon plus headlights, which are linked here to LED rear lights with new, horizontally structured graphics. Two new exterior colours – Vegas yellow and Sepang blue - supplement the available paint finishes, and to add more visual drama an optional quattro exterior styling package incorporating a sculpted roof spoiler will also be available.

The interior of the two most compact S models is finished in dark tones. The high gloss air vent sleeves have a piano black finish, the instruments feature S-specific dark-grey scales, and in contrast the pedal caps are in brushed stainless steel. Sports seats with combination Milano leather and Olympic cloth upholstery are standard, as are creature comforts including electronic climate control, a six-speaker single CD audio system with auxiliary iPod connection and SD card reader linked to a 6.5-inch retractable colour display, a Bluetooth interface and a Driver’s Information System.

From the options list customers can choose S sports seats in black Fine Nappa leather with more pronounced bolsters and integrated head restraints for even more rigid in-seat support, or opt for a quattro interior styling package which includes these and adds a choice of three colours – high gloss black, red or yellow – for sections of the backrest. The quattro styling package also adds enhancements such as a flat-bottomed leather multi-function steering wheel with contrast stitching in silver, red or yellow, door armrests in black leather with contrast silver or yellow stitching or in steel grey with contrast red stitching, air vents in high gloss black with a red ring and a high gloss black, red or yellow finish for the centre console. Black floor mats with double piping in contrasting colours complete the look.

More familiar optional features available for the S1 include the advanced key keyless access and ignition system, hard disk-based MMI navigation plus, the Bose surround sound system and mobile phone preparation – High with Audi connect. The Audi connect option gives passengers access to an array of Internet-based services such as Google Earth and Google Street View and enables them to surf and send e-mails on their mobile devices via a Wi-Fi hotspot.

Latest A8 hits the salesroom starting at £58k

Flagship Audi featuring a host of technological advances and engine upgrades becomes available for UK ordering

• New generation A8 range now available to order priced from £58,800 OTR – first UK deliveries in January 2014
• Even more power, greater fuel efficiency for the majority of models – all now comply with EU6 emissions regulations
• Increased use of cylinder on demand technology
• Unique new MatrixBeam LED headlights improve safety

Confirmation of UK pricing this week has paved the way for even more elegant, more technologically sophisticated and more fuel efficient new generation Audi A8 models to plot a course for the UK. Available to order now starting at £58,800, and due to arrive here in January, the latest Audi luxury flagship range combines revisions to its weight-optimised, predominantly aluminium Audi Space Frame (ASF) body with a raft of technological advances including new MatrixBeam LED headlights and an upgraded line-up of EU6-compliant engines.  

Subtle resculpting of the bonnet, the single frame grille, the bumper and the lower edge of the headlight units has sharpened the frontal view of the new generation A8. At the rear, the design of the LED tail lamps has been revised and the bumper in all models bar the S8 now incorporates two rhomboid tail pipes. New chrome elements, new high gloss black window surrounds and five new colours also mark out the updated car.

The visual appeal, visibility and active safety of the new generation A8 can also now be enhanced by new headlights employing MatrixBeam Light Emitting Diode (LED) technology which sets new benchmarks.

The high-beam function in these unique headlights uses 25 individual LEDs per unit that can be switched on and off or dimmed individually depending on the situation. This enables the headlight system to react extremely precisely to other vehicles while always brightly illuminating the road. When the on-board camera detects other vehicles ahead, the Audi MatrixBeam LED headlights mask the relevant sections of the high-beam by dimming or shutting off individual diodes. Very bright illumination is preserved in the remaining zones.

The lighting system in the A8 uses predictive route data from the navigation system with MMI Touch to adjust the distribution of light in response to the current driving situation, and can recognise and act on route data, such as corners and road classifications.

New dynamic indicators boost safety

Additional features of the new headlights are the intelligent cornering lights, new-look daytime running lights and dynamic indicator lights, the latter comprising blocks of LEDs arranged in a strip which are sequentially illuminated at 20 millisecond intervals, from the inside outwards, in the desired turning direction. This ‘sweeping function’ makes it even clearer to surrounding road users that the A8 is about to turn.

The even sleeker new standard and long wheelbase bodies house a choice of seven petrol and TDI engines linked to an eight-speed tiptronic transmission, all of which now comply with forthcoming EU6 emissions regulations, and the majority of which have been revised to improve performance and efficiency. The supercharged 3.0 TFSI petrol engine is boosted from 290PS to 310PS, the V8 twin-turbo 4.0 TFSI moves from 420PS to 435PS and now incorporates fuel-sparing Cylinder on Demand technology, the highly efficient 3.0 TDI increases from 250PS to 258PS and the 4.2 TDI gains 35PS, taking it to 385PS. Its already mighty torque output is also increased by 50Nm to a prodigious 850 Nm (626.93 lb-ft).

Thanks to significant modifications to components such as the injection and exhaust gas recirculation systems and the turbocharger, and the integration of an active exhaust gas aftertreatment system using AdBlue exhaust treatment solution, both TDI engines are now classified as ‘clean diesels’.

Cylinder on demand now also for W12

The luxuriously equipped Audi A8 L W12 quattro with its 6.3-litre, 500PS petrol engine continues to occupy the top rung in the A8 line-up. It boasts best-in-class combined fuel consumption of  24.1 mpg, corresponding to 270 grams CO2 per kilometre, thanks in part to a newly adopted version of the cylinder-on-demand system developed especially for this model. At low loads, it deactivates the fuel injection and ignition for six cylinders.

The 520PS S8 fulfils a different brief as the ultimate Audi sports saloon. Its 4.0 TFSI engine blasts it from 0 to 62 mph in 4.1 seconds, yet cylinder on demand technology also permits up to 29.4 mpg, corresponding to 225 grams CO2 per kilometre.

Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), a technology that is now also employed in the A8 4.0 TFSI quattro, the A8 L W12 quattro and the A8 hybrid, ensures excellent acoustic comfort by using precise antiphase noise to combat intrusive noise in the cabin while cylinders are deactivated. Active engine mounts also dampen vibration.

At the other end of the spectrum, the overtly efficiency-focused A8 hybrid combines a 2.0 TFSI engine and electric motor to produce a system output of 245PS and system torque of 480 Nm (354.03 lb-ft). The lithium-ion battery in the rear enables purely electric driving at up to 62 mph with a range of roughly 1.9 miles. Available in standard and long-wheelbase body styles, the A8 hybrid returns up to 44.8mpg and as little as 144 grams of CO2 per kilometre.

The saloon owes its sporting character as much to its sophisticated chassis as to its responsive engines and its lightweight shell. The Audi drive select system, which adjusts the operating characteristics of various controls and functions, is standard. It also influences the standard adaptive air suspension, which is available with sport settings on request. The power steering uses an efficient electromechanical drive, and can be enhanced by a dynamic steering option which varies boost as a function of the speed driven. Carbon fibre ceramic brake discs are available for V8 models and the A8 L W12 quattro. These can also now be combined with new high-tech 20-inch alloy wheels with high-strength polymer spokes.

In the lavishly trimmed and very comprehensively equipped interior, customers can choose from a new range of upholstery and inlays in new colour schemes. Additions include the woods Fine grain poplar brown-silver and Fine grain ash brown-gold natural as well as the leather Unicum, which is particularly natural-looking, soft and breathable.

Enhanced specification for UK models

In the UK, the A8 is offered with a choice of three specification levels – SE, SE Executive and Sport Executive – all of which not surprisingly already include the many luxuries expected at this level. SE models have now been further enhanced by 18-inch alloy wheels in a new design, electromechanical power steering and all-LED headlights with a high-beam assist function. The lighting and steering upgrades carry over into the SE Executive variants, while the top ranking Sport Executive models gain the new MatrixBeam LED headlights and Mobile Phone Preparation – High with Audi connect. This feature brings internet-based services such as Google Earth, Google Street View and online traffic information to the car, and also establishes a wi-fi hotspot for connection of multiple handheld devices to the internet.

Particularly indulgent interior options include a Bang & Olufsen audio system, front seats with ventilation and massage settings, relaxation seats with powered footrests, electrically adjustable, individual rear seats, a continuous, leather-covered centre console (exclusively for A8 L models) and power-assisted door closure. The Audi exclusive personalisation range offers additional options for particularly discerning customers.

On a more practical footing, the options list also includes an advanced new ‘Technology wheel’, which through silicone foam bonding of a forged alloy for the inner section and injection moulded, impact-resistant plastic for the outer cladding, reduces the weight of each wheel by around 25 per cent, or approximately 4.4kg to boost agility and efficiency still further.

The portfolio of advanced optional assistance systems has also expanded to include Audi active lane assist, which makes slight steering adjustments when necessary, the park assist system with 360° display, which handles steering when parking, and the head-up display, which projects important data in the driver's field of vision on the windscreen. The night vision assistant can now also recognise larger animals in addition to pedestrians.

The new generation Audi A8 – UK OTR Pricing