Autoblog

While premium hybrid SUVs haven't proven their worth in the U.S. market yet, automakers will have a good fix on whether or not offering a gasoline-electric hybrid 'ute is good business sense in the coming years. Audi has apparently already made the call, and after studying the business case and watching the U.S. dollar tank, it's decided that the Q7 hybrid SUV is not bound for U.S. shores.

"It was a very hard car to make the numbers work," according to Johan de Nysschen, Audi's brand head in the U.S. "We will not do the hybrid Q7 as a conventional product offering," de Nysschen continued, saying only that a few hybrid Q7s will make the trek across the pond and find their way into the hands of "commercial" entities.

However, all is not lost for a fuel-sipping version of Audi's land yacht, with the eminent arrival of the diesel Q7 in the next year or so, the SUV will spearhead Audi's diesel offerings, followed by an oil-burning A4 around the turn of the decade.

[Source: Automotive News – Sub. Req.]

The Audi Club of North America puts out a publication aptly titled the Quattro Quarterly that gives Audi owners the inside skinny on everything from future products to how to swap bigger brakes into their B5 S4. One of our intrepid readers, Kevin, sent us a few scans of the QQ's latest issue, where it outlines Audi's product plans for the next five years. While some of it has already been confirmed, other interesting factoids, including the future of the R8, RS-TT and the development of an R4, have long been rumored on these very pages. Follow the jump for the full breakdown on what Audi has in store, but be aware that we're handing out grains of salt below the fold.

Audi is going to put off the launch of three new SUVs into its arsenal until the end of the decade, primarily for marketing reasons. Really, it's only one new model – the compact Q5 – plus diesel and hybrid versions of its Q7 crossover.

The reason for the delay is primarily to avoid Audi's newest entrants from getting lost in the ether of year-end sales drives, and thus allowing all three vehicles to be marketed as 2010 models, which were originally destined for sale in the third quarter of 2008.

Although we haven't seen the Q5, meant to compete with BMW's X3 and Mercedes' upcoming GLK, it's been well known that the new cute 'ute has been under development for some time, finding a home atop the VW Tiguan platform. The diesel Q7 will be arriving around the same time, and will come to market packing a three-liter turbo-diesel V6, producing 230 HP and 400 lb.-ft. of torque. Since the new engine will be 50-state compliant, it's "just a matter of formality," according to Audi's U.S. head Johan de Nysschen, that the oilburner will find its way into the A4, A6 and A8 models of the future.

All three vehicles, including the 280 HP V6 hybrid-equipped Q7, are all likely to be revealed in Detroit in 2009.

[Source: Automotive News – Sub. Req.]

Audi's first diesel and hybrid powertrains in the US will be launched in the Q7 next year. The power units will likely trickle down to other vehicles in Audi's range, but they're not yet offering up any details on how prolific this hardware will be. Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche have been working collaboratively to develop the parallel hybrid system, which makes the choice of the Q7 logical, as all three brands share a flavor of the architecture. Hybrid Q7s will be able to power around on the electric motor up to 31 mph, and the system will also shut down the engine during cruise conditions at speeds up to 75 mph. The total weight of the system adds 300 pounds, most of which is in the 288-volt NiMH battery pack.

The modular hybrid system will be easy to integrate with different powertrains once Audi starts propagating the system throughout the rest of their models, and terming it "modular" denotes that the basic pieces will be very adaptable. When Porsche and Volkswagen get their versions of the hybrid gear, we'd expect the engines to differ from the Q7's 3.6 liter 280 horsepower unit. Audi's claiming a 23 percent mileage improvement versus the conventional Q-ship. As for the oil burner, it will be a 3-liter V6 that is 50-state compliant while quietly thumping out 230 horsepower and 400 ft-lb of torque. Diesel torque delivery can be often be described as "electric-motor like," but we wonder if the Hybrid, with its actual electric motors, will laugh at the diesel's effort as it gets the hole shot.

[Source: Auto News - sub req.]

With both Audi and Apple's minimalist design ethos, it was simply a matter of time before they joined forces and offered a way to integrate the new iPhone across the four-ringed lineup. Any Audi model equipped with Bluetooth will allow the iPhone to be paired with the vehicle, giving users the ability to make and receive hands-free phone calls, as well as providing a signal strength indicator, assigning specific names to numbers (Work, Home, etc.) and allowing access to call lists.

On the music front, the addition of the Audi Music Interface will give the vehicles MMI system direct control of all the iPod capabilities of the iPhone, allowing users to navigate everything from playlists to albums. The AMI is available as an optional extra on the A5, A6, A8 and Q7, although we'd expect the full line of Audi vehicles to allow integration sooner rather than later.

[Source: Audi]

Audi is looking to get the most out of the modular long platform that underpins the current A5 and the future A4, and the Q5 looks like the obvious next step. The folks over at World Car Fans have published shots of Audi's future crossover with barely any camo, and the general theme looks to be "fancy Tiguan". The wide, low slung SUV look is alive and well with Audi's mini Q7, and the front end looks very much like its big brother. Audi dropped a cool 300 million Euros to update their Ingolstaldt factory to make the five-seat CUV, and there's a good chance that everything from a turbo 2.0 to a 4.2L V8 will provide power. The Q5 will definitely receive a diesel powerplant for Europe, and there's a chance oil power will be utilized here in the States, too.

The Q5 is destined to be Audi's next pawn in the chess match to be the world's largest luxury automaker, and if the Q5 can build on the success of the Q7, the X3 and GLK are in for some stiff competition. Look for the Q5 to arrive on the scene in 2008.

[Source: World Car Fans]

If your local Audi dealer calls the cops every time you ask for a test drive of an RS4, we suggest you either dress nicer next time or, if that's not possible, head to one of four cities hosting the Audi Driving Experience.

New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco are the four sites for Audi's traveling test drive, where participants can have the chance to drive their TT, A4 and Q7 all for free. You'll be able to put them through control, braking and accident avoidance maneuvers. If you can show you know how to handle their cars, Audi will even let you take one out for a lap around the racetrack.

The most improved drivers at each venue wins a ride in Audi's much-vaunted R8 supercar. Those winners will instantly be upgraded from most-improved to most-envied.

That's all included in the Audi Driving Experience two-hour introductory program, but for $600 Audi offers the half-day enthusiast program. That gets you professional driving instruction and track time in all the aforementioned cars, as well as the RS4 and R8.

There are two dates in each city, but with a chance to either ride in or drive an R8, we would expect them to fill up quick.

Click on the image above to jump to our hi-rez image gallery

No matter what way you look at it, the Audi Q7 is a hefty hunk of metal at 2.3 tons, and that's before you load in the kids, the camping gear and everything short of the proverbial kitchen sink. With the 350hp 4.2-liter FSI V8, it can still hustle all the way up to 60 in 7.4 seconds, but if you ask the gents at JE Design, that isn't nearly fast enough. So the German tuning house, which has already worked its magic on the lower 3.0-liter TDI V6, has turned its attention to the V8 model and built a fire-breathing monster of a family hauler.

Fitting a supercharger, intercooler, custom exhaust, new pistons and engine management system, JE Design managed to squeeze out an impressive 500 horsepower. That's enough to drop the 0-60 time down to just 5.6 seconds without breaching European emission regulations.

Not ones to give the go without the show, JE Design also fits its widebody appearance and aerodynamic kit, complete with faired fenders, front and rear aprons, fog lights, 22" rims and the works. All in all, this is not something you want to see rapidly approaching in your rearview mirror, but don't worry... it won't be there for long.

[Source: World Car Fans]

As Audi's relentless quest to fill every conceivable automotive niche continues, the folks of the interlocking rings plan to unveil the Q5 at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show.

According to AutoExpress, the Q5 will share its underpinnings with the recently released A5 and will draw on the styling cues forged by its big brother, the Q7 and the Cross Coupe quattro unveiled in Shanghai. Naturally, the Q5 will get Audi's trademark goatee, along with LED headlamps, all-wheel-drive and a commanding stance. Inside, Audi's entrant into the highly competitive cute 'ute segment will come complete with seating for five and the multi-rail system, originally employed in the A6 Allroad, that prevents parcels from shifting under load.

Power is expected to come in both diesel and gas-powered flavors, possibly including the 4.2-liter FSI V8. Strap a few turbos onto that mill and we may even get a RSQ5. We doubt it, if for no other reason than that badge may be a bit awkward on the boot.

[Source: AutoExpress]

Click image for hi-res photo gallery

With 326 horsepower and 550 lb-ft on call under the driver's right foot, the Audi Q7 4.2 TDI is the world's most powerful diesel SUV (at least until the Q7 V12 TDI launches). It's 4.2L 90-degree V8 incorporates a pair of variable-geometry turbos (one for each cylinder bank), and channels all that juice to the four corners via quattro AWD. It's pretty spry, too. It does the 0-100 km/h (62 mph) thing in just 6.4 seconds and will keep going until the speedo hits 146 mph, if you have the desire to explore those limits. Well, you have to live in Europe, too. This Q7's not available here, unfortunately.

Inside, the carnival of luxury you'd expect to find is present and accounted for. Leather, wood, and aluminum cover most of the touch surfaces, and Alcantara adorns the headliner. If you have money to spend, the stupendous optional Bang & Olufsen audio system is a nice choice, as is the Audi Music Interface, which lets you control your iPod using the MMI system. A lane departure warning system is now available, too, so that €70,000+ base price can quickly climb skyward as the goodies are added in.

Of course, one of the best features this particular Q7 brings to the table is its combined-cycle fuel economy rating of a smidge over 21 mpg. Have fun finding another big V8 luxury blingwagon that can do that.

[Source: Audi AG]