Audi A7 2013 News

Audi and Volkswagen have issued three safety recall notices involving 582,822 vehicles sold exclusively in the United States.

As the new global boss of VW promises to compensate customers for a loss in resale value, lawyers are lining up in Australia to represent more owners of cars with software that can cheat diesel emissi

Audi already has a strong line-up of petrol and diesel engines, and several forays into the possibility of electric and hybrid drivetrains.Now however, comes word that another type of engine juice will be joining the lineup--albeit in prototype form. Mix two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen and what you're left with is water, which is the emissions left behind by the type of fuel cell that Audi is taking a look at for the A7.Fuel cell vehicles utilise hydrogen fuel and pair that abundant element with the oxygen already found in the air. As the hydrogen and oxygen interact through a process known as electrolysis, heat and electricity are generated and the vehicle is provided with power.Audi is wise to examine this technology as the world will never run out of hydrogen, though obtaining it using current means (via steam-methane reforming) produces a lot of CO2. The A7 however, is a bit of an interesting platform on which to test and Audi has shown that it can generate hydrogen in a clean way. Using electricity generated from wind farms, Audi can use a reverse-electrolysis process to generate hydrogen.We're a bit surprised that Audi wouldn't consider the A3 sedan or hatchback for this endeavour. Still, it's only a test at this point to determine the feasibility of putting a fuel cell-equipped vehicle into the product lineup. Per Autocar, the project kicks off sometime towards the end of August.Should everything go well it will be interesting to see where Audi decides to apply the technology in a consumer application. The current network of hydrogen fuelling stations is not exactly bustling.www.motorauthority.com 

But a number of other car makers took out awards in the Automotive and Transport category including the Peugeot 3008 and Kia Optima which received Design Awards. The Peugeot RCZ, Hyundai Elantra and the all new Ford Ranger utility were also commended for Good Design. The recently launched Audi A7 four-door coupe was the named overall winner of the category. Director of Good Design Australia, Brandon Gien, said award winners were the result of unwavering dedication to good design and commitment to a professional design process. "Innovation, creativity and attention to detail are clearly at the heart of each project," he said. This latest design accolade adds to the growing number of awards the A7 Sportback has received since launch, including the highly-sought after Auto Bild Design Summit. In 1958, a small group of design and industry professionals established the Industrial Design Council of Australia (IDCA). Today, more than 50 years later, the Australian International Design Awards — a division of Good Design Australia — continues this proud tradition to recognise the best in design and innovation available to Australian consumers.

Its Mercedes CLS lookalike, the A7, arrives before mid-year in 2011 as a Sportback but already Audi has hinted at convertible and a coupe spinoffs. There's even an S7 and RS7 in the wings that are set to take on the Porsche Panamera, Aston Martin Rapide and Jaguar's supercharged XJ Sports. The A7 sits tightly between the A6 and A8 sedans and shares engines and transmissions. It has the same platform as the Audi A8, but gets the CLS tear-drop styling treatment and a cheaper price. Audi Australia isn't talking about the A7 but expect a top-line 4.2-litre V8 quattro to cost about $195,000. That's a $10,000 discount on the A8 with the same mechanical specifications. Audi Australia spokesperson Nadine Giusti says 'we cannot yet give you timing for local market launch. It will arrive here in 2011 but we cannot be more specific than that - it is too early for us to confirm'. However, she says hopes are high for sales success. "We believe the car will do extremely well here," she says. The A7 is to get Audi's ubiquitous 3-litre V6 turbo-diesel, which is likely to be the entry-level version, and get a price tag of about $140,000. Audi is aiming to lure CLS fans and pick up those enamoured by BMW's 5-Series GT. Getting buyers into the four-ring brand starts with the A7's style, then extends to features including the panoramic glass roof, high-end leather and wood, large pop-up monitor, electric rear hatch, acoustic windscreen and optional heads-up display. The four-seater has a huge rear hatch over a luggage area of 535 litres, expanding to 1390 litres with the split rear seats folded flat. The Audi A7 comes out of the Audi Sportback Concept that went on show at the Detroit motor show three years ago. It gets carry over items such as 20-inch wheels, LED tail lights and front eyebrows, and the long tapered rear deck. Future models based on the A7 Sportback are a cabrio - which will be Audi's biggest ragtop and take on the Mercedes E-Class and even SL models, and a coupe to rival the Mercedes E-Class and BMW 6-Series.

And the Carparazzi picture car this week is being hussled at high speed around the Nurburgring in Germany.  And the curvy roofline and low-to-the-road suspension settings do suggest something similar to the BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo. But this is actually an Audi, and the newest segment-buster from the German brand.  The test car is the A7, which arrives in 2011 as a sporty alternative to the A8 luxury limousine at the top of the family tree. The design is a lot like the A5 Sportback — and the car is expected to be called A7 Sportback — but it picks up its inspiration from the Mercedes-Benz CLS and is likely to be shopped against BMW's new 5 Series GT. Carparazzi shooters report the A7 is as big as the A8, but with a much more rounded roofline and a hatchback rear end. With some of the camouflage stripped away it is much more dramatic, too, than the A8 with a chiselled look and sports-set suspension. The A7 is likely to be revealed at either the upcoming Moscow Auto Salon or the Paris Motor Show in October, with Australian sales in the second half of next year.

The Mercedes-Benz Shooting Break concept has aired ahead of its debut at Auto China in Beijing. Although Mercedes executives aren't revealing too much, the Shooting Break shows off the future direction if the German carmaker chooses to make a station wagon version of the CLS. With Audi’s A7 hatchback arriving soon and BMW’s recently introduced 5-Series GT, a CLS wagon could be on the cards. Even though the Shooting Break is a concept the long, low and sleek design looks production ready with a roof that tapers towards the rear of the car, providing an almost coupe-like shape. At the front the grille and headlight treatment borrows some cues from the SLS AMG. The grille is flanked by LED headlights on each side - the first time Mercedes has used LED technology to such a dynamic effect. The side profile and shoulder line is sharp and leads down to a Pontoon-style curve above the rear wheel arches at the rear doors. The coupe-like profile is emphasized by the shallow window design. Inside the concept gets plenty of wood and leather and an eye-catching full-length centre console, which dictates that this is a four-seater only. The wooden floor of the luggage area gets contrasting silky oak highlights and aluminium highlights and protective strips. Powering the Merc is one of the next-generation V-engines.