Audi A7 News

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.

Last year was the company's best ever year in global terms, with sales up 15 per cent to 1.09 million vehicles, the books in the black and a target of 1.2 million for this year.The brand's Australian arm also scored it's best-ever result - 12,900 cars last year, a 14 per cent increase thanks in no small part to seven new variants.  So far this year the brand is on target for it's volume aims, but Audi Australia managing director Uwe Hagen is determined to do more than watch the numbers."The cars need to be desirable as part of a premium brand, getting smiles from those on the side of the road.  It's not just about volume in the A7, if we get the right people into this car - in sales, you get the captain, you get the soldiers," he says.The Audi Australia product catalgue will have the 4.2-litre turbodiesel engine as well as a long-wheelbase model for the new A8 range, as well as the new A6 and the Q3 mini-SUV next year.Mr Hagen says it's a 9.5 billion Euro investment over the next five years in new product, done with the backing of the VW group - something for which he does not apologise."Volkswagen is a group of 7.2 million cars, if I'm buying 7.2 million batteries or one million batteries, VW gets them cheaper but it's the same quality, the market strength is an advantage," he says."If we develop a new electronic system, it's not a disadvanatge because the development can be integrated in different products, you can share the knowledge.  Saving money is an intelligent smart way, without losing the idea of the product - we are convinced of this with our brand, we would be stupid not to take advantage of this large group," he says.Leaner costs help the bottom line and new models boost the sales numbers, but Mr Hagen is also looking to the "pre-owned" side of the business to bring new people into the Audi family - "it's a huge chance to get people into the brand."Audi says its "Approved:plus" vehicles are inspected and come backed with a factory two-year unlimited-kilometre warranty with roadside assist.  Mr Hagen says the after sales side - and customer satisfaction - are also important weapons in building customer loyalty, likening it to interest in a bank account.Mr Hagen said the word of mouth is important for a brand, as people are more critical when giving a recommendation.  "The most challenging thing for a premium brand is customer expectation," he says.

More importantly, the new A7 Sportback comprises the essentials of the new generation A6 sedan and wagon, which will in turn be revealed at the Geneva Motor Show next March. Visually the striking the four seat A7 is at 4.9m by 1.9m (but only 1.4m high) a longer and wider version of the A5 Sportback, built on a lengthier version of the MDS platform that debuted in the A5 Coupe and underpins in various configurations the A4, A8 and Q5 ranges. While Audi Australia is negotiating price and specification, two engines are certain for Australia; the 3.0 TDI V6 turbo diesel and the 3.0 TSFI which uses the supercharged V6 petrol unit from the S4/S5. An entry 2.8 naturally aspirated V6 petrol, as is found in the outgoing A6, is being considered and would lower the guestimated starting priced. All Australia bound models will have quattro all-wheel-drive with torque vectoring and a seven-speed S tronic dual clutch transmission. Audi spokeswoman Nadine Giusti says the front wheel drive multitronic version on offer in Europe is not on the local shopping list in the immediate term. All engines feature thermal management, start-stop system and energy recovery. A Bose sound system is standard, as is Valcona leather and either wood grain or aluminium finish. So too is MMI navigation with touchpad and 8-inch display, convenience key, a three spoke steering wheel with shifting paddles and four zone air conditioning. Options include Quattro sport differential at about $3000, sports air suspension, which is an extra $2200 in the new A8 sedan, side assist, adaptive cruise control, Bang and Olufsen sound system, and an S line sport package with lowered suspension, 19-inch alloys, sports seats and bespoke trim. The brands first self-reverse parking function is also on the options list. Audis first heads up display is a possible standard option, but its online services, including a sat-nav function that integrates a Google Maps display, is unlikely for our part of the world. Significantly, in terms of the A7s relevance to the sedan and wagon, the A6s project manager Burkhard Wiegand was present at the launch in Sardinia. Both ranges are integral to Audis plan to have on sale 40 distinct variants by 2015.  If you have children and want to drive a coupe that is more elegant than hatchback, the A7 is perfect, he says. And despite attempts to name rivals as diverse as the CLS and BMWs 5 Series GT, Wiegand says: I think it is a unique concept (in this price range). Perhaps it seems similar, but they are very different.  Asked if the lack of a V8 in the current range pointed to an S7, Wiegand says only: In the future we will see. He is, however, more forthcoming on continued criticism of Audi steering. Despite employing a revised system that is linear and accurate, the A7s continues the trend of most Audis in lacking feel something of a drawback in a brand that so readily proclaims its sportiness. The weighting depends on the speed, he says. You can choose the mode with Drive Select. Our sense is the customer wants this. At least the A7 promises a dynamic fillup for the forthcoming A6 which cannot come fast enough for Audi. As a rival for BMW and Mercedes-Benz, the oldest current Audi is a non-starter selling only 354 units in the year to August, while 120 5 Series and 172 E-Classes sold in that month alone.

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.

The A1 will be followed by the A7 four-door coupe and a compact Q1 soft-roader, with e-Tron electric cars and a family of hybrids also on the drawing board in Germany.  The rest of this year is relatively quiet for Audi in Australia, once the latest A8 flagship and R8 roadster hit the road, but then things will explode."Once 2010 is over there is a fireworks display of new products arriving," says Uwe Hagen, the new managing director of Audi Australia.  "You can expect we are bringing new products. We have, more or less, new offers in every segment."(But) we're not launching models because we feel like it. It has to make sense."  Audi plans to have 42 models in its showrooms by 2015, up from 27 today, and Hagen says many will - like the A1 - bring converts to the brand."The premium market is growing in Australia, but I think we have taken more than other participants. In 2010 we are going for another year of growth."Hagen says Audi is working to a new corporate goal, Strategy 2020, after laying the groundwork for annual sales of one million cars, a new-look dealer network and breakthrough technologies in its Route 15 blueprint."The customer is our focus points. We have to delight our customers.  That is the centre of our work, our mission.  Volume is not our number one goal." Audi is not promising to become global number one on the sales front, which would mean demoting BMW, but is aiming for a broad sweep of successes in everything from profitability to customer satisfaction.In Australia, the sales total is likely to pass 15,000 cars by 2015 but Hagen is focussed on other areas of his business including service and secondhand values.  "Sales will sell the first car, then all the others are coming through the service," he says.His approach is more restrained than the all-out showroom push of recent years which has seen Audi rated consistently as the country's fastest growing brand across all categories.  "I think if we follow this path we will see the last 10 years did not come by chance."

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 Munich-base carmaker has just unveiled its Gran Coupe concept in China, a swoopy four-door that clearly points to another niche filler for the luxury brand.  More importantly it also has the next-generation Mercedes-Benz CLS, new Audi A7 and even the Volkswagen Passat CC in its sights. Despite the buzz at the Beijing Auto China show that the Gran Coupe points to a new 8 Series model, it is still officially a showcar.  "At this stage we haven't received anything official from the factory on whether it's going into production," BMW Australia spokesman, Tim James, says. "But clearly there are elements that could appear in future models."  Visually, the Gran Coupe draws on the 2007 Concept CS for inspiration. However, it showcases the brand's future styling direction being pursued by BMW's design boss Adrian Van Hooydonk.  BMW says its newest showcar is faithful to the classic features found in all its coupes. It has a long wheelbase, short overhangs, vaulted bonnet with an aggressive, upright grille, a set-back cabin and coupe-style roofline.  At almost 5m long, the coupe sits between the 5 Series and 7 Series. However it is 100mm lower than a 5 Series. Van Hooydonk has presented a new take on some traditional BMW styling cues, from the kidney grille to the shark nose and a new chrome interpretation of the Hofmeister kink in the rear C-pillar.  Like its German production rivals, the frameless doors allow the window glass to merge seamlessly with the body. The wedge-shape LED headlights are matched by LED daytime running lights in the bumper and deep below-bumper air intakes.  At the rear L-shaped LED tail-lights merge into the bodywork while the quad exhaust outlets are integrated into a rear diffuser. A third LED brake light is positioned at the top of the rear window and illuminates the entire width of the window.  If the Gran Coupe goes into production it could share some of the new engine technology available in the 5 and 7 Series.  This could include BMW's latest direct-injection 3.0-litre turbo petrol and diesel engines, as well as a flagship petrol V8.

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.

That is all we need to know, to also know this is the upcoming Audi A7.   It's the latest in the new breed of rounded-roof sedans that promise the practicality of a family-sized interior with the style advantage of a coupe.Audi has done a good job on camouflage with the A7, but the side-on shots show the way the roofline slopes down into the hatchback tail but still leaves enough space for usable back doors.  Mercedes-Benz got things going with its CLS four-door, Volkswagen came up with the Passat CC, BMW has its GT and soon Audi will have the A7.Audi is going for the top-end approach with the A7, from its signature quattro drive - obvious from the snow spray from the front wheels in our Carparazzi scoop pictures - to a new turbocharged V8 engine and a V8 turbodiesel with around 800 Newton-metres to feed through a seven- speed automatic gearbox.

Icy winds and snow are blowing across Motown, dumping on the auto capital of the world at a time when American politicians are applying relentless pressure for a major shift in the way that General M