Saddi Audi: December 2012

Thursday, 6 December 2012

2013 Audi A5 2.0T Quattro

The model range begins with the turbocharged 2.0-liter A5, which produces 211 horsepower and comes in either front-wheel-drive (base A5 Cabriolet only) or quattro all-wheel-drive forms. In case you needed another reason to skip the base Cabriolet, the only available transmission is a CVT automatic, not what we’d call fitting for a car with sporting intentions. Opting for the AWD Cabriolet gets you Audi’s eight-speed automatic transmission, while the coupe is available with either the same gearbox or a six-speed manual. Despite the AWD, fuel economy is quite reasonable, with a manual-equipped Coupe returning up to 32 mpg on the highway. While Audi’s Drive Select System (which tailors steering, throttle response, suspension and transmission profiles to a driver's choice of settings) is an available option, enthusiasts will likely be happier opting for the Coupe’s available sport suspension.

If 211 horsepower isn’t enough to keep things interesting for you, stepping up to the S5 (also in Coupe and Cabriolet variants) gets you a supercharged V-6 good for 333-horsepower and the buyer’s choice of a six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. All S5 models utilize Audi’s quattro AWD system, ensuring that no torque is translated into unnecessary (and costly) tire smoke. S5 models also benefit from a standard sport suspension, larger brakes and bigger wheels and tires. The net result is that the S5 is a more balanced car, with higher limits and less pronounced understeer than the base A5. If you want further levels of chassis setup, Drive Select and Dynamic Steering are still available options.

Atop the A5 hierarchy is the new-for-2013 RS 5, which packs a 450-horsepower, 4.2-liter V-8 between its front fenders. The sole transmission option is the seven-speed, dual-clutch automatic, and power again goes to all four wheels. Unlike the A5 and S5, RS5 models come only in Coupe form, positioning it against rivals like the C63 AMG, the Cadillac CTS-V and the BMW M3.

As with most luxury coupes on the market today, the rear seat is best for occasional use only. Two average-sized adults can fit back there in relative comfort, but entry and exit is still a challenge and the second-row seats simply don’t deliver the same long-distance comfort as the front seats do. Front-row occupants will enjoy better-than-average leg and shoulder room from the well-padded and amply-bolstered seats. If there’s a drawback to the A5, S5 and RS 5 Coupes it’s this: large C-pillars reduce outward visibility, forcing drivers to rely more on carefully-adjusted outside mirrors.

2013 Audi A4

The 2013 A4 Allroad Quattro will arrive in mid-2012 at the same time as this revamped A4, and having driven the thing, we can now say that all the mid-cycle touches have been nicely presented. While we were already big fans of the eighth-gen A4, the model's reworked nose is handsome. Specifically, we note the more pronounced curvature to the hood, as well as a more planted stance. That's a bit of visual trickery, not a wider track – Audi stylists have emphasized the design's horizontal lines up front, and they've added new head- and fog-light fixtures, along with larger air intakes down low. It appears that Audi has deliberately "nastied up" the sensible A4 a little to better prepare it for the new RS4 range-topper we expect next year. (That is if the rumors of there being no RS4 this time around are just rumors.)

A4 2.0 TFSI sedan available for testing carried the standard six-speed manual and was gifted with Quattro all-wheel drive. The on-road behavior of this most popular North American A4 engine trim frankly hasn't changed a whole lot, but that's not a criticism. There is still 208 horsepower on tap and torque stands at an eminently usable 258 pound-feet between 1,500 and 4,200 rpm. Bear in mind that's for a car that weighs in at 3,550 pounds as tested (we're estimating it'll ring up at 3,640 pounds with the U.S.' optional eight-speed Tiptronic gearbox). That's a net weight loss of over 50 pounds if we are to believe 2011 and 2012 spec sheets from both sides of the pond placed side-by-side.

Leading the tally of changes is a revamped thermal management system that heats everything more quickly at start-up in order to avoid wasting energy, a modification that Audi says aids in increasing fuel efficiency by around 10 percent. Helping this newfound fuel saving along is reduced friction between the moving parts through re-engineering of various tolerances. All the same, the smoothness and efficiency that comes with it, along with the turbocharging and high-pressure direct injection, is translated into a slightly slicker powertrain. Having said that, the factory's 6.3-second acceleration number to 60 miles per hour remains, as does the A4's 130-mph limited top speed. EPA fuel economy figures for the pre-facelift 2012 A4 Quattro automatic came in at 21 miles per gallon in the city and 29 on the freeway using premium fuel, but revised figures for the 2013 model haven't been released yet.

2013 Audi A3 Sportback

The A3 Sportback has a slightly longer wheelbase than the standard A3, launched earlier this year, meaning a larger boot and more passenger space. It carries a £620 premium over the three-door

which means prices start at £19,825. It's available to order now with the first cars arriving in March 2013.

Bootspace is 380 litres - 10 litres more than the previous A3 Sportback and 30 litres more than the standard A3. Folding the seats down increases this to 1220 litres and the boot has a split level floor while options include a reversible boot mat and a through-load system for things such as skis.

There's marginally more head and legroom for rear passengers compared to the outgoing model but the rest of the interior is identical to the A3 with the same high quality materials and neat design. All models get the MMI operating system with an electrically folding screen in the dash along with an electric parking brake rather than the manual handbrake of its predecessor.

Equipment levels follow the three-door A3 with three trim levels - SE, Sport and S line - plus the Sportback also gets electric windows in the back. Cloth seats are standard on SE and Sport models, while S line versions get to a combination of Biathlon cloth and leather. Options include Milano leather or a combination of leather and Alcantara. Equipment levels follow the three-door A3 with three trim levels - SE, Sport and S line.

Standard equipment on all models includes alloy wheels, air conditioning (manual in the SE, dual zone with electronic control in Sport and S line), iPod connection, trip computer, Bluetooth with voice control and a multi-function steering wheel.

The engine range mirrors the standard A3 so there's the 1.4 TFSI with 122PS plus a more powerful version with 140PS and the new cylinder on demand system. The top petrol is a 1.8 TFSI with 180PS that comes with an automatic S tronic gearbox as standard while later this year the 1.2 TFSI with 105PS will be made available.

Diesels include the 1.6 TDI that averages a claimed 74.3mpg with CO2 of 99g/km plus the familiar 2.0 TDI with 150PS and 320Nm of torque. A more powerful 184PS version will follow later. More low emissions versions will be introduced next year and there will also be an S model.

2013 Audi A3 Quattro

“We do not want to shock our customers,” says Michael Dick, board member of development at Audi, in a veiled shot at Mercedes-Benz. “That’s why we decided to go for evolutionary design changes on our new Audi A3.”

MQB, simply expressed, consists of one fixed base component that stretches from the front axle to the pedal box and four additional, flexible modules. It is the latter bits that allow the platform to underpin cars of varying lengths. In terms of the A3, Audi saw the variability as an opportunity to build the three- and five-door models on different wheelbases, with the latter getting an additional 1.4 inches. (The two A3s are expected to differ in character, with the three-door being positioned as the sporty alternative to the more comfortable five-door.) The three-door A3, which we are riding in, measures 102.4 inches between the wheels, the same span you’ll find on three- and five-door Mark VII Golfs as well as the next-generation Audi TT. It’s almost an inch longer than on the previous-generation A3, and the stretch is applied in its entirety to the rear legroom.

As for the rest of its dimensions, the 2013 three-door A3 is 1.8 inches longer and a hair narrower than before. With a shorter overhang in front, it is 1.4 inches shorter overall than the next Golf. The two cars share a roofline, but the Audi’s styling is decidedly more macho. Audi incorporates more lightweight materials into its car—a luxury afforded by the A3’s higher price—including an aluminum front subframe and hood, items we’re told required a fight to implement. The new car’s body-in-white is claimed by Audi to be 176 pounds lighter than its predecessor’s.

2013 Audi A2

Audi A2 will be starkly different from its predecessor, which bombed in sales because of the expensive spaceframe construction that it came with. This time around, Audi is being more prudent and will instead use a steel monocoque for the A2, similar to what is being used for the A1, the company’s new premium hatchback.

Audi A2, despite the fact that the first generation of the small model was far from it. British sources are reporting that the Ingolstadt manufacturer is already preparing the 2013 Audi A2. The initial 2013 Audi A2 info has surfaced this week saying we should see a concept in a couple of years time. The 2013 Audi A2 will be less expensive than the first generation, which did not become very popular due to its cost. The 2013 Audi A2 will be a low cost model, powered by a 3-cylinder engine, that will be based on the Volkswagen Up! concept.

The 2013 Audi A2 will be aimed at city life, obviously, offering a compact package for urban mobility. The initial info says the next generation 2013 Audi A2 will be around 3.7 meters long and will offer a luggage capacity between 200 and 1,000 liters.

Apart from the petrol / diesel powered 2013 Audi A2, Ingolstadt is also planning to develop an e-Tron version, powered by a 60 hp electric motor. The 2013 Audi A2 e-Tron will get its juice from lithium ion batteries and will have a range of up to 100 km/h.
The "regular" 2013 Audi A2 will offer a choice between 1.1-liters and 1.2-liters 3-cylinder engines with outputs between 60 and 75 hp.
Audi has been experimenting with the electric-car market for a few years and officially unveiled plans for the A1 e-tron and an electric-powered A2 recently. It does not look like either one is going to happen any time soon, according to a report from Car.

2013 Audi A1 quattro

A1 model series with an exclusive top-of-the-line model. The dynamic Audi A1 quattro, limited to just 333 units, moves to the head of the compact class. Its two-liter, turbocharged engine produces 188 kW (256 hp) and 350 Nm (258.15 lb-ft) of torque, which is delivered to all four wheels. The Audi A1 quattro sprints from zero to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in 5.7 seconds and has a top speed of 245 km/h (152.24 mph).

The Audi A1 quattro is powered by the 2.0 TFSI engine. The 1,984 cc, four-cylinder engine combines gasoline direct injection with turbocharging in the classic Audi manner. Among its highlights are the adjustable intake cam shaft and the two balance shafts, which ensure smooth operation. Maximum torque of 350 Nm (258.15 lb-ft) is continuously available between 2,500 and 4,500 rpm, and peak power (188 kW/256 hp) is developed at 6,000 rpm.

Every detail of the sporty, sonorous four-cylinder engine has been optimized for high performance and low fuel consumption. Common rail injection, a turbocharger with intercooler and a regulated oil pump are just a few examples. The Audi A1 quattro is expected to consume on average less than 8.5 liters of fuel per 100 km (27.67 US mpg). Yet it performs like a top-notch sports car: The standard sprint takes just 5.7 seconds, and top speed is 245 km/h (152.24 mph).

The 2.0 TFSI delivers its power to the quattro permanent all-wheel drive system via a precisely shifting six-speed transmission, bringing Vorsprung durch Technik to the small-car class. The heart of this system is an electronically controlled, hydraulically actuated multi-plate clutch whose package of plates rotates in an oil bath.

2013 Audi A1 Convertible

Audi A1 Convertible were circulating even before Audi dropped the standard A1 hatchback on the market, but now British magazine Autocar is offering the first real details on the future model. According to Audi boss, Rupert Stadler, a full-blown cabriolet version of the A1 won’t be offered because it will be too expensive. However, Audi sources have confirmed that a semi-open-air version of the compact hatchback will indeed be offered.

The A1 Convertible will be offered with the same engines as the A1 hatchback version: those from the TDI and FSI ranges. TSI and TFSI are expensive and performance orientated, which makes them less likely to be offered for the new Audi base model. Rumors also talk about a future hybrid version.