Audi News

When asked if Audi’s next electric car, the Q4 e-tron, would be a smash hit in Australia, local Director Jeff Mannering confidently said “Of course”.

Audi's A6 is going all electric, ditching petrol-power for the next-gen luxury sedan and wagon.

Audi has revealed its new A4 sedan and wagon, but not as you know it.The German brand has changed the name of the A4 to A5. The next A4 will be an electric car, as will all future even numbered Audi vehicles and odd numbers are reserved for those with petrol or hybrid power.So the new A4 is now the new A5.It is available in sedan and wagon form and is built on the brand’s new Premium Platform Combustion architecture.Both body styles are longer and wider than before and feature updated styling.It has a low slung body with larger wheels and wheelbase - the distance between the front and rear wheels - that give it more luxury appeal.Dynamic LED lighting front and back is paired with a reworked front grille and rear end.All versions will feature mild hybrid technology and there will be performance focused S variants.The standard A5 will be available with the choice of petrol or diesel power.A 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine is available in two tunes that pump out either 110kW and 150kW. Both are paired with a dual-clutch auto (with as-yet unknown number of ratios) and all-wheel drive is optional on the more potent variant.A 2.0-litre turbo diesel motor makes 150kW and 400Nm, again matched to a dual-clutch auto and the option of either front or all-wheel drive.The S5 uses a 3.0-litre V6 turbo-petrol engine to make 270kW sent to all four wheels via a dual-clutch auto.There are a range of tech updates such as a giant 14.5-inch multimedia touchscreen and an 11.9-inch digital cockpit. There is also an optional 10.9-inch display for the front seat passenger.Audi is expected to add a plug-in hybrid version at a later date. That model pairs an efficient petrol engine with a sizeable battery and an electric motor to deliver a driving range of up to 100km.

Audi is changing the way it names its cars. Kicking off with the new Audi Q6 e-tron electric car, Audi will ditch the numerical references  to power outputs (such as 30 TFSI or 40 TDI) that defined which variant was which, as well as altering the assignment of model numbers like ‘A4’ or ‘Q5’ depending on drivetrain.

If you're even slightly interested in electric cars, chances are you've heard that solid state batteries are the future, coming to save us from range anxiety and the slow decline in power retention that current lithium-ion batteries face.But that might no

Audi has revealed an updated version of its RS Q8 flagship SUV.The new RS Q8 Performance model is the most powerful combustion-engined Audi ever, producing 471kW from its twin-turbo V8 petrol in Performance trim.More grunt and chassis focus sees the RS Q8 displace the Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT as the fastest SUV around the Nürburgring Nordschleife, completing a 7:36.698 minute time with Frank Stippler at the helm, though Audi is yet to share video footage.Launching imminently in Europe, the new model's Australian release and price is yet to be confirmed.The facelifted large SUV debuts a new grille with 3D honeycomb mesh, twin oval tailpipes and a rear diffuser split by reflector.Under the bonnet the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 develops 441kW and 800Nm in standard trim. This jumps to 471kW and 850Nm for the Performance, getting the big SUV to 100km/h in 3.6 seconds.It also makes the RS Q8 more powerful than the dearly departed Audi R8 V10 Plus (456kW), though less punchy than the 680kW e-tron GT RS electric car.Active air suspension active and adaptive dampers feature with the ability to change the height by 90mm. Active roll stabilisation using the 48V mild-hybrid system is optional.A centre diff can apportion up to 85 per cent of the AWD RS Q8's torque to the rear axle and the it rolls on 22-inch alloy wheels, but you can go one inch bigger and score a gold finish, should you please.Familiar Matrix LED headlights get upgraded to optional HD items with laser technology and selectable daytime running signatures.Inside, buyers can choose red grey or blue interior accents; the Performance pack is available with blue accents only.The layout with a 12.3-inch digital driver's display, centre multimedia touchscreen and touch HVAC controls located below remains.Australian details for the Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT and Lamborghini Urus rival will be revealed closer to the car's release.Expect a lift from the outgoing car's ($228,300 before on-road costs) price.

The cost of electric cars is coming down at last and it’s happening fast, too, with big brands slashing prices.

Audi’s updated electric performance car has some staggering figures.Recent work on the bold-looking e-tron GT sedan has boosted power across the board, and the RS Performance variant is now the brand’s most powerful car to date.The technical tweaks mean the e-tron GT RS Performance now makes 680kW or 912 horses. Audi hasn’t quoted torque figures but expect them to be mammoth.The e-tron GT RS Performance’s dual electric motors produce more oomph than the brand’s legendary twin-turbo V8 and V10 motors found in cars past and present.All that performance means the top-tier EV can sprint from 0-100km/h in a supercar slaying 2.5 seconds.On top of this Audi has upped the charging rate for the e-tron GT. It can now peak at 320kW, up from 270kW in the first edition. Audi said the car can now maintain a charging speed of more than 280kW up to about 70 per cent of charge, which will quicken the time it takes to top up further.The German brand has also managed to make the car slightly lighter and increase its energy density.The regenerative braking has been beefed up too, and can now feed more energy back into the battery.New air suspension should improve the car’s ride by ironing out bumps and road imperfections better and reducing any lean through corners.Audi has capped off the update with a raft of cosmetic changes.This includes a new front grille, headlight design and fresh alloy wheels.Inside the changes are highlighted by redesigned sports seats, new wooden inlays and steering wheel.The carpeting and floor mats are made of 100 per cent recycled nylon fibres and there is extensive use of synthetic suede and leather throughout.Audi has also added new readout and graphics to the digital driver display. The panoramic sunroof can go from opaque to clear at the touch of a button thanks to  a polymer-dispersed liquid crystal technology.

Audi’s commitment to a fully electric future by 2026 or 2027 remains in place, meaning that internal combustion engine (ICE) development has already stopped and the current fleet of ICE-powered vehicles has between seven and eight years to run.

Following the updated Audi A3 and the introduction of its AllStreet variant, the sharper and faster Audi S3 Sportback hatch and sedan have also been tweaked to make it… even sharper and faster.