Audi A4 News

The Ingolstadt marque — whose launches have a clockwork regularity — will by July have introduced an insane station wagon, a cute cabrio, a sexy coupe and their crucial mid-size sedan.The RS6 Avant, TTS, A3 cabrio and their all-important BMW 3 Series rival, the new A4, will be showcased at the Melbourne International Motor Show. With the atmo V10-powered S6 sedan obviously considered on the soft side, the RS6 Avant cops a twin-turbo version good for 426kW/650Nm and a 0-100km/h sprint time of a claimed 4.6 seconds.Essentially an all-wheel-drive family wagon with near-supercar performance, it's priced at $259,000. As one of Audi's typically gnomic marketing blurbs puts it, the uber-wagon buyer is “likely to be a highly successful 45- to 64-year-old businessman with a family.” Right ...By contrast, the TTS — available locally in coupe or cabrio form from July — will be driven by one who is a “culturally-minded 25- to 64-year-old with a strong interest in fashion, architecture and design.” Of course.Packing the same hugely enhanced version of the 2.0-litre direct injection turbo four that motivates the S3, the range-topping TTS gets quattro all-wheel-drive and a choice of S-tronic robotised manual or a proper 6-speed manual transmissions. If you happen to be “25 to 54 years with an active, outgoing approach to life and a love of the outdoors” then you'll just love the A3 Cabriolet. Apparently.At a time when drop tops are hardening up, this one retains a lightweight soft top. Due here in July, it will want to be pretty good if it's to succeed — not so much against BMW's 125i, but Volkswagen's Eos.But it's those between “30 and 54 years with a young family, and likely to be in a management role with an interest in design, technology and computing” that Audi really needs to land with the largely new A4 sedan.Due in April, pricing for the sedan (the wagon follows later) has been announced. It starts at $50,900 for the 1.8 TFSI manual and $53,500 for the multitronic auto; $54,900 for the 2.0-litre TDI diesel in auto and $88,500 for the 3.2-litre FSI quattro tiptronic.A 2.7-litre TDI multitronic, at $67,900, follows in May or June, with a 2.0-litre TFSI quattro later in the year.Built on the MDS platform already available in the S5 and A5 coupe, the A4 should have the same marginally improved ride and handling. 

Let’s start at the baby of the range, the new A3 Cabrio, which is a dedicated four-seat soft top to rival BMWs newly-launched 1 Series Convertible.

It was put to use last week for the pricing of the new Impreza STi (right), which is going to put huge pressure on the new Mitsubishi Evo X with its predicted pricing in the $70,000 range.

A hectic 2007 proved to be lucrative for the car industry with a plethora of new cars launched and more than a million sales throughout the year. And there's no indication that it will be slowing down in 2008.AUDI The new A4, to rival the 3 Series and C-Class is expected here about April, while July will see the hot sports wagon, the RS6 Avant and the A3 Cabrio. Extra A5 variants will follow. BMWBMW has a busy year ahead, starting with the 320d and 335i touring this month. The 1 Series Coupe will go on sale around April, followed by the convertible in May-June. But its big one for the year will be the new X6 Sports Activity Coupe, arriving between July and September. It comes with three engine variants, all twin-turbo, an in-line six, a 3.0-litre diesel and a 300kW 4.4-litre V8. Pricing is expected to start at just under $100,000. And the X5 scores a new engine in February, with the first variable twin turbo diesel offered in the range. CHRYSLER/JEEPJanuary will be a busy month for Chrysler, with the Sebring Cabrio and Grand Voyager people mover both arriving in Australia. The Jeep Cherokee will also get a total makeover. CITROENBased on the C4 Picasso, but bigger and better equipped, Citroen will introduce the Berlingo van between July and September, with a mainly diesel range. This will make room in the line-up for the new Nemo small van mid-year. The C5 will also get a new V6 diesel engine.FERRARIDeliveries of the exquisite F430 Scuderia, priced at about $550,000, will start mid year. Only about 40 will come to Australia and New Zealand. FIAT The reincarnation of the 1960s Bambino will arrive in March, but Fiat has already sold the first four months' supply. The new Fiat 500 will have three engine choices, a 1.2-litre petrol, a 75kW 1.4-litre petrol engine or a 56kW 1.3-litre turbo diesel. Pricing is expected to start from $22,000. The new Ritmo will join the Fiat 500 in March with pricing from $30,000. FORD One of the biggest launches for the year will be the new Falcon. Ford will release details of the new model in February and it's expected to be followed by an unveiling at the Melbourne motor show in the same month, with the official launch around May.FPV FPV will start the year with a new model, the hot turbo Territory, known as the F6 X model. It's the first non-Falcon model from FPV, with 270kW and 550Nm. The FPV Falcon range will also arrive this year. HOLDEN/CADILLACWith Ford's big year planned, you can't expect Holden to keep quiet. But so far, Holden has only announced it is expecting the VE Sportwagon, due in the first half of the year. GM-Holden is also introducing Cadillac with the first model due late in 2008. HONDA Honda will start the year with the new Accord model, due to be launched in February. The small Jazz is also getting an update after the middle of the year. Details on the new generation will be released closer to the launch. The Accord Euro is also expected to arrive later this year. HYUNDAI No big launches just yet, although an upgraded Sonata is expected mid year. JAGUARJaguar's major release for the year will be the new XF in June, with pricing expected to start from $105,000. It will be available in a V6 diesel, as well as a V6 and V8 petrol. KIAPreviewed at the Sydney motor show last year, Kia will launch its new seven-seater Rondo crossover in February. It is expected to start from as low as the mid-$20,000 mark. LEXUSNew for Lexus will be the LX570 around April or May, followed by the IS-F towards the end of the year. Details still to come. MAZDAThe second-generation Mazda6 will go on sale at the end of February with pricing from less than $30,000. It will be powered by a 2.5-litre, four cylinder engine, with 125kW and 226Nm.MERCEDES-BENZThe first arrival for Mercedes-Benz is expected to be the C 63 AMG in mid March. It will be followed by the S 320CDI, priced at $189,874 and the C-Class wagon, which will carry a $3000 premium over the sedan, coming in just under $60,000. MINIAnother new version of a 1960s cult car is also headed our way, with the Mini Clubman launched in February. The modern successor of the Morris Mini Traveller, the Austin Mini Countryman and the Mini Clubman Estate won't get into showrooms until March or April. Pricing will start in the mid-$30,000 area. MITSUBISHIMitsubishi will release two turbocharged Lancers this year. The top-level Lancer Evo X GSR will be here in April and sell for about $58,000. The 2.0-litre four cylinder turbo engine pumps out 200kW and 422Nm. Joining it will be the detuned version in the Ralliart all-wheel drive, at about $40,000. NISSANNissan's first addition for the year will be the all-wheel-drive wagon, the Dualis. Starting at $28,990 and stretching to $35,990, it's powered by a 102kW, 2.0-litre engine. PEUGEOTThe big launch for Peugeot will be the 308 replacing the 307 range, which will start with the 308 hatch in February in both petrol and diesel guises. The touring will follow in June or July, with the 308cc model a prospect for late 2008 or early 2009. PROTONProton has announced the Persona, based on the Gen2 hatch platform, will make its debut at the Melbourne motor show in late February, going on sale in March. It will be priced around the mid-teens. The Gen2 will also get engine updates and minor styling changes. RENAULTThe all-new Laguna will go on sale mid-year with a 2.0-litre diesel engine. SAABJune sees the arrival of the Turbo X AWD. SSANGYONGThe South Korean company will go completely diesel in 2008, with no more petrol engines on offer in Australia. SMARTThe new Fortwo arrives in Australia in February. The one-model brand will get both the 52kW and 62kW models, in hatch and cabrio, being bigger than the current models. SUBARUThe star WRX STi comes in February with a 2.5-litre turbocharged engine, although pricing is still to come. The third generation Forester arrives in March. SUZUKIFebruary's proving to be a busy month, with Suzuki also launching its Grand Vitara diesel. TOYOTAAfter a big year in 2007, Toyota is expecting a quiet year, with only the TRD Hilux due to be launched in April-June. VOLKSWAGENVolkswagen will kick off the year with the SUV, the Touareg R50, to be released in April. It's powered by a 258kW V10 TDI engine. The Tiguan also arrives about October.  VOLVOThe recently launched XC70 arrives in showrooms this month, joined by the C30 diesel also in January. It's priced at $43,950. A base model C30 will also enter the line-up, at $34,450. A 3.0-litre six-cylinder engined V70 will arrive in March. 

One million things on four wheels were sold for the first time in a calendar year during 2007, proving that, despite the worst efforts of the RTA

Less than two months after Audi announced its multi-million dollar plans to cement its future in Australia, the big spending has continued for the parent company Audi AG, with further plans of investm

The search for the ultimate escape machine has taken Audi down a new road.It has created an all-wheel-drive convertible that could easily become one of the 15 new models the brand has promised to put on the road (and into the bush) by 2015.The car, called the Cross Cabriolet quattro concept, was unveiled this week at the Los Angeles Auto Show in the US, less than a month after Audi rocked the Tokyo Show with a compact concept that will become its all-new A2 city car.“We have a good record with our concept cars. More than two-thirds make it into production,” Audi Australia managing director Joerg Hofmann says.The design for the Cross Cabriolet quattro is dramatic and different, just like the city slicker metroproject quattro that will become the A2, and much more youthful than other Audi concepts in the past five years.The German brand concentrated for a long time on outrageous 350km/h dream machines as it worked towards production of its R8 supercar, creating the Le Mans and Nuvolari concepts for show work. But it is now moving in a new direction.The Cross Cabriolet is clearly designed as a four-wheel drive and uses Audi's quattro system to put its six-cylinder turbodiesel power to the wheels, but the styling is a significant departure from earlier concepts.The rounded two-door body rides high but has a clean sweep back from the windscreen, with no B-pillars or rollover bars, and has a folding fabric roof that can disappear in 17 seconds for an open-air view.It is a genuine four-seater and is similar in size to the A3, with an overall length of 4.6m, but is built on the mechanical package used for the all-new A4 sedan and A5 coupe. Audi chose to unveil the bright gold concept at the LA show, which has just moved to a new November date from its traditional slot in January ahead of the blockbuster Detroit Motor Show, because the Cross Cabriolet is so obviously aimed at the California lifestyle and its cashed-up citizens.It is no surprise that the cabin is trimmed in look-at-me white leather. The concept is loaded with technology, from Audi's latest LED headlamps to a satnav system integrated with the Google Earth mapping system with a new 3D display.Audi says the concept has the world's cleanest diesel engine, a 3.0-litre turbodiesel that makes 176kW for a 0-100km/h of 7.2 seconds and a top of 240 km/h yet returns economy of 7.3 litres for 100km and already meets future Euro6 emission standards.It also has continuous damping control shock absorbers, similar to the ones fitted to the giant Q7 four-wheel drive, with electric height adjustment that can raise and lower the car up to 40 millimetres, and ceramic brakes.

And for those seeking more power, there's a V8-packing S4 waiting in the wings.

Audi continued its niche-brand build up today, showing off its mid-engined R8 sports car, its A5 and S5 coupe, and a new small-capacity diesel in the A3 range.However, the focus on the stand was far from a small niche number.The Audi stand was jumping as young preppy boys straddled and hurdled the manufacturer’s show contingent on Audi’s massive Sydney stand to the voice of Jade Macrae, where the A4 was revealed mid-song.Audi revealed its latest evolution of its all-important BMW 3 Series/Merc C-Class competitor last month at the enormous Frankfurt show in Germany.The A4 sedan and wagon will arrive here in April 2008 with four engine variants and three transmission choices. The range begins with a (relatively) affordable and fully reworked 1.8-litre TFSI turbo four developing 118kW and 250Nm.Unfortunately, Audi has already had its thunder stolen – Skoda, which launched here only three days ago, also features the new engine in its Octavia line-up.The only other petrol is at the other end of the scale, and of course was featured on the stand; a 3.3-litre V6 quattro AWD range-topper producing 195kW and 300Nm, and featuring the new variable valve and lift system (AVS). Australia will not see the S4 or RS4 versions for quite some time – possibly fourth quarter next year (possibly this time next year, at a guess).The overseas models will launch with two larger capacity V6 diesels; a 3.0 with 176kW and 500Nm, likely running quattro as well to translate that torque to the tarmac, and a smaller 2.7-litre with 140kW and 400Nm. We will only see a 2.0-litre 105kW/320Nm diesel in April, but Audi Managing Director Joerg Hofmann hinted at the new ‘TDI e’ drivetrain as another frugal engine possibility.Shown here today in A3 Sportback hatch guise, the 1.9 TDI e is again exploring the niche market (this time, the green corner) with a low CO2 emission rating of 119g/km, and an even lower fuel consumption of 4.5L/100km. The TDI e should be priced at about $37,000, sitting just above the current base petrol.Also hovering on the stand are the fresh-faced A5 coupe and the stunning R8 performance car.It has been a long time between coupes for Audi. The new A5 gives us a glimpse of the A4s new, supple chassis, which it shares.And Audi take a stab at their arch-rival BMW and its new M3 with a V8-powered S5 sports variant. The aggressively-styled coupe sharpens under a sports bodykit and is shod with huge alloys, and it shares its engine with the R8 (though it develops a little less power and a lot less noise).

Audi's bigger, sharper and sportier A4 has broken cover, with the first photo of the all-new mid-sized saloon released ahead of a Frankfurt Motor Show debut.