Best-selling Audi compact hatchback benefits from a significant technology update, new engines and styling refinements

• Now compatible with fully digital Audi virtual cockpit
• Audi smartphone interface as standard and Audi phonebox with inductive charging
• Updated MMI control logic, improved Audi connect option now incorporating embedded data SIM
• Advanced new driver assist features including traffic jam assist and rear cross traffic assist
• Enhanced standard specification now includes cruise control, light and rain sensors and three-spoke multi-function steering wheel
• New engines: 1.0 TFSI three-cylinder and newly developed 2.0 TFSI
• 10PS boost for S3 to 310PS, 20Nm torque increase to 400Nm with S tronic
• Styling and lighting design revisions - Xenon or LED headlamps now standard, Matrix LED headlamps newly available
• New colours and new wheel designs
• Choice of SE, SE Technik, Sport or S line specification
• Open for UK order in May, first deliveries in summer

Ingolstadt, April 6, 2016 – The Audi A3 is accelerating to catch up with the Vorsprung durch Technik brand’s latest technological developments – a new, even more sharply styled A3 featuring new engines and accommodating the latest driver assistance and infotainment advances, including the standard-fit Audi smartphone interface and the optional fully digital Audi virtual cockpit, becomes available to order in May. The first three-door, five-door Sportback, Saloon and Cabriolet versions, headed by their respective S3 flagships, will arrive with UK customers from late summer. The plug-in hybrid A3 Sportback e-tron with its 176mpg capability and 37g/km CO2 output will also make its debut in updated form later this year.

Article source: www.audi.co.uk

Top honour is bestowed on all-new Audi super sports car at New York International Auto Show

The Audi R8 Coupé has been crowned “2016 World Performance Car” in the World Car Awards, which were presented this week during the New York International Auto Show.

With a total of four awards, the Audi R8 is the most successful model in the history of the World Car Awards. The predecessor to the R8 had already taken home two World Performance Car awards and a World Car Design of the Year award in the prestigious competition.

Now the second generation of the high-performance sports car from Audi was able to win over the international jury of 73 leading automotive journalists. This makes the Audi R8 a winner – on the road as well as on the racetrack.

“With its distinctive design, its driving dynamics and its closeness to racing, the R8 is one of the strongest calling cards for the four rings and is the flagship car from Audi Sport. The first generation of the R8 paved our way toward becoming a premium brand and raised the aura of Audi to a new level. The new R8 will continue this success story and further accelerate the growth strategy of Audi Sport,” said Dietmar Voggenreiter, Board Member for Sales and Marketing at AUDI AG.

The Audi R8 Coupé offers more performance than any other Audi production model. The mid-mounted V10 and newly developed quattro drive offer extraordinary driving performance. The top version, with 610PS, sprints from 0 to 62mph in just 3.2 seconds and can continue to a 205mph maximum speed.

High-revving ten-cylinder power, state-of-the-art lightweight construction principles and extremely dynamic suspension with quattro drive in addition to fully variable torque vectoring all make the R8 Coupé a truly exceptional car.

The genetics of the Audi R8 contain the know-how acquired from numerous wins by the brand in racing: the sports prototypes have won the 24 hours of Le Mans 13 times since 2000, and the R8 LMS contributed seven more overall victories in 24-hour races since 2009.

Article source: www.audi.co.uk

RHD versions of the first Audi to incorporate the brand’s latest advancement in all-wheel drive will soon be available in the UK

• Ordering expected to open in late April – pricing and specification to be confirmed at the same time with first deliveries in June
• 2.0 TFSI with 252 PS will be the first engine to adopt quattro with ultra technology – more manual and S tronic Audi models will benefit in the future
• Permanently available all-wheel drive anticipates optimal power distribution
• Three stages of activation ensure no perceptible change from FWD to AWD
• quattro drivetrain with ultra technology saves 4 kg in weight

The same composure, controllability and reassurance with major efficiency gains – that was the goal during the development of an entirely new version of the legendary Audi quattro all-wheel drive system, and the all-new A4 allroad quattro is the first in line to reap its benefits.

The newly developed, permanently available quattro system with ultra technology will soon become available to order in the UK, initially in conjunction with the 252PS version of the 2.0-litre TFSI engine powering the latest A4 allroad. Three other TDI engine variants in the A4 allroad range will also open for order at the end of April, with first deliveries scheduled to begin in June.

Designed for Audi models with longitudinally installed engines, the revolutionary new technology delivers tangible benefits in terms of both fuel efficiency and CO2 output during every journey. Fundamentally, the system deactivates all-wheel drive when it is not needed, but ensures that it is also permanently and instantaneously available, significantly reducing the potential fuel consumption difference between the two drive configurations.

By using a highly intelligent networked sensor system that communicates with a multi-plate clutch and integrated decoupler on the rear axle, the A4 allroad can switch between front- or all-wheel drive in a split-second depending on the driving conditions.

Predictive all-wheel drive

The all-wheel drive system’s intelligent control works predictively, always looking ahead by means of a comprehensive array of sensors and the continuous analysis of the driving dynamics, road condition and driver behaviour. Consequently, the quattro all-wheel drive system is always ready when needed.

During standard operation at low loads without the risk of wheel slip, the new quattro technology taps into all the advantages of front-wheel-drive. Every ten milliseconds, the system acquires and analyses a wide variety of data, such as steering angle, lateral and longitudinal acceleration and engine torque to name just a few. If it determines that quattro assistance would be beneficial, activation of the all-wheel drive system follows a three-stage strategy: proactive, predictive, i.e. forward-looking, and reactive.

On the proactive level, the focus is on the data delivered by the networked systems in the car. The control unit uses this data to, for example, compute the point when the inside front tyre will reach the limit of grip during fast cornering. The calculation is completed roughly 0.5 seconds in advance. If the wheel approaches the limit of grip to within a defined threshold, the all-wheel drive system is activated.

With predictive activation, the quattro control unit orients primarily on the driver’s style, the status of the ESC and the mode selected in drive select, and on the trailer detection system. With reactive activation, which rarely occurs in practice, the system reacts to sudden changes in the coefficient of friction. These occur, for example, when the wheels go from dry asphalt to a sheet of ice.

Greater control with Audi drive select

By hardwiring quattro with the Audi drive select adaptive driving system fitted as standard to all A4 allroad models, the driver can adjust the all-wheel-drive properties to suit his or her individual requirements. The auto mode in drive select provides the best possible traction and balanced driving dynamics. In dynamic mode, power is sent to the rear axle sooner and to a larger degree, improving the driving dynamics particularly at low coefficients of friction. Wheel-selective torque control – a software function of the ESC – smooths out the handling as needed by minimally braking the inside wheels.

Self-locking centre differential – zero lag

The rest of the A4 allroad quattro engine line-up, comprising the 2.0 TDI with 190 PS and the 3.0 TDI with 218 PS or 272 PS, employs the acclaimed quattro drivetrain with a self-locking centre differential. It is configured as a purely mechanical planetary gear with zero lag. Oblique splines produce axial forces immediately when torque is transferred by the differential. These forces act on friction discs to produce a locking torque that diverts the torque to the wheels with the better traction.

During normal driving operation, the self-locking centre differential distributes the power asymmetrically, with 60 percent flowing to the rear axle and 40 percent to the front axle. This increases to a maximum of 70 per cent up front and 85 per cent to the rear when required. The high locking values enable a clearly defined distribution of torque and highly precise interaction with the control systems, such as the ESC and wheel-selective torque control.

34mm of extra ground clearance

The Audi A4 allroad quattro has a long-established reputation as an outstanding cross-country performer, and facilitating its impressive on- or off-road ability is an increased ground clearance of 34 mm over the standard A4 Avant. An offroad mode can be selected using Audi drive select to make the most of this feature. Also available for when the going gets tough is optional adaptive suspension with damper control. As is customary for Audi allroad models, robust underbody guards and contrasting wheel arches create a rugged look in combination with a unique single frame grille design and model-specific air intakes and roof bars.

True to form, all A4 allroad models will come equipped with the same home comforts and up-to-the-minute technological features that already mark out the A4 Saloon and Avant. Highlights include xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights, the Audi smartphone interface, rear parking sensors and electrically powered tailgate operation, plus protective equipment such as the Audi pre-sense collision avoidance system and multi-collision brake assist.

Standout options include the Audi Virtual Cockpit with its pin-sharp fully digital display, MMI Navigation plus with MMI Touch, a head-up display and Matrix LED headlights. A folding tow bar with electric release can also be specified, further adding to the impressive utility.

The Audi A4 allroad quattro can also be ordered with one of the latest developments in driver asssistance: adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assist. At speeds of up to 37 mph, the vehicle will accelerate, brake and steer independently, relieving stress on the driver in slow-moving traffic. As part of the driver assistance pack – tour, customers can also take advantage of the predictive efficiency assistant, which helps drivers to reduce fuel consumption by up to 10 per cent by using navigation route data to adapt the cruise control system’s preselected speed to the route and the speed limits for the most fuel efficient and comfortable journey.

Article source: www.audi.co.uk

Cost-effectiveness combines with outstanding premium credentials to secure key award for latest Audi compact executive

• All-new compact executive saloon wins through in one of the most hotly contested corporate sales sectors
• Editor Stephen Briers: “Audi has addressed every single niggle, no matter how small, and put it right – the attention to detail is astonishing”

Fleet News, the magazine that assesses every new car as much for its ‘on-paper’ financial viability as its on-road appeal, has pronounced the all-new Audi A4 Best Premium Car in its annual awards, held recently in London.

The experts presiding over the annual awards honouring the best options for fleet managers and company car drivers reach their conclusions with the help of a complex scoring matrix. This factors in fundamentals such as efficiency, performance, driver appeal and safety, as well as important considerations such as P11D pricing, BIK implications, residuals and running costs and manufacturer support.

The compact executive saloon which has been one of the linchpins of the Audi range since 1994 has turned another corner in its fifth generation, striking out into new realms of refinement, efficiency, technological sophistication and dynamic ability. The very tangible advances have been sufficient to push the new car ahead of its premium sector rivals and to clinch the award, according to Fleet News Editor Stephen Briers: “The old car was good, but Audi has addressed every single niggle, no matter how small, and put it right – the attention to detail is astonishing,” he said. “The A4 is class-leading in refinement, specification, breadth of range (saloon, estate, engines – even 4x4 quattro) and looks. Low running costs and strong residual values are the icing on the cake.”

James Douglas, Head of Fleet Sales for Audi UK, emphasised the particular significance of the award: “My team and I are absolutely delighted that the Fleet News judging panel has recognised the new A4 as the best premium fleet car, particularly as this award is of course not simply made on the strength of the car in its own right but also acknowledges the many other factors behind it that need to stand scrutiny by our fleet and business customers. This is a ringing endorsement of the car’s all-round appeal to business users for which we are extremely grateful.”

Twelve ultra variants

The all-new A4 Saloon and Avant ranges are available to order now with a wide choice of TFSI and TDI engines, the latter powering a total of twelve acutely efficiency-focused ‘ultra’ variants offering economy returns of up to 74mpg combined with tax-efficient CO2 outputs of as little as 99g/km. The low running costs to which these figures contribute are complemented by typically robust residual values that, according to leading trade guide CAP Monitor, are either strongest in the premium compact executive class or unbeaten in the class.

With a quality of finish that palpably exceeds its predecessor’s already widely acclaimed standard, a degree of refinement that genuinely merits comparison with cars in the luxury class and a cabin that artfully blends supreme comfort with subtly integrated, state-of-the-art technology, the latest A4 saloon doesn’t constantly remind its driver of its cost-effectiveness. Its appeal as a ‘business tool’ can also be further enhanced by a raft of innovative options, from Matrix LED headlights to Audi traffic jam assist and a Bang & Olufsen 3D sound system. Prices start from £25,900 OTR for the 150PS 1.4 TFSI six-speed manual, rising to £40,350 OTR for the 272PS V6 TDI Avant with quattro all-wheel-drive and eight-speed tiptronic transmission.

Article source: www.audi.co.uk