Audi Reviews

The most affordable model in Audi's range is the A1 - and with the second-generation version of the brand's compact luxury hatchback, there's a very different approach.

With BMW's new 3 Series leaping into the ring like a crazed MMA fighter, the Audi A4 now has more to do in the executive mid-size segment. Is the mild 2019 update going to help?

The Q5 is Audi’s medium-sized SUV (and the best-selling model in its Q range), but the range-topping 50 TDI Quattro Sport version is anything but middling.

The A3 Sedan is one of the most beautiful small, four-door saloons in the world. But after a week behind the wheel of this 35 TFSI version, we found things about it which might be stunning for the wrong reasons...

First there was RS 5 Coupe, then came RS 4 Avant. Now we have RS 5 Sportback, which could be the best of them all.

The Audi Q8 isn't cut from the same swoopy cloth as its direct rivals - the BMW X6 and Mercedes GLE Coupe - but that's a good thing. Because on first impressions, it's better than both of those cars.

The Audi Q8 2019 range will kick off in Australia in January 2019 with the petrol-powered 55 TFSI model.The list pricing for the Q8 petrol is $128,900 before on-road costs - the same as the 50 TDI diesel version, which is identically equipped. That pricing means the Q8 55 TFSI undercuts the closest BMW X6 (50i - $153,619) and Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe (AMG 43 - $145,830) by $24,719 and $16,930 respectively. That’s good news in anyone’s book. The 55 TFSI model is powered by a 3.0-litre petrol V6 engine producing 250kW of power and 500Nm of torque. It uses an eight-speed automatic transmission with all-wheel drive, and is backed by a 48-volt mild hybrid system that helps it save a little bit of fuel by allowing coasting at high speeds and engine shut off when decelerating. Claimed consumption is rated at 9.2L/100km. Standard gear includes 21-inch alloy wheels, the S line exterior styling pack, adaptive suspension with damper control, adaptive cruise control with lane change assist, a 360-degree camera with kerb view (so you don’t mark those huge rims, obviously!), Valcona leather upholstery, front seats with electric adjustment plus heating and ventilation, a leather-trimmed steering wheel with paddle shifters, LED headlights (with auto-high beam) and daytime running lights, three-zone climate control, a head-up display, Audi’s 12.3-inch Virtual Cockpit instrument cluster, and Audi’s new MMI touch response control screen with 10.1- and 8.6-inch screens for media and car controls.There’s the expected connectivity of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus you get sat nav GPS, DAB digital radio and a 10-speaker sound system.Safety is covered with auto emergency braking (AEB) up to 250km/h, forward collision warning with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assist (including steering assist up to 60km/h), lane keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and a forward cross-traffic alert system known as ‘Intersection Assist’. Plus, there’s a 360-degree surround-view camera system with AI graphic interface and adjustable view system, front and rear parking sensors, and semi-autonomous park assist.Of course there’s also the expected array of airbags (dual front, front-side, rear-side, full-length curtain) and the rear seat has dual ISOFIX and three top tether baby seat attachment points.

The diesel option for buyers interested in the Audi Q8 2019 range is the 50 TDI model, which is due on sale before the middle of 2019.The 50 TDI is priced and specified identically to the 55 TFSI petrol, with a list price of $128,900 before on-road costs. In terms of its direct rivals, there’s a more affordable X6 (xDrive30d - $119,900) and GLE Coupe (350d - $126,330) to choose from.The 50 TDI version of the Q8 is powered by a 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 engine producing 210kW of power and 620Nm of torque. It employs an eight-speed auto transmission, and has quattro all-wheel drive. This model, like the petrol, has a 48-volt mild-hybrid system that helps it save a little bit of fuel by allowing coasting at high speeds and engine shut off when decelerating. Claimed consumption is rated at 6.7L/100km. Standard equipment includes 21-inch alloy wheels, the S line exterior styling pack, adaptive suspension with damper control, adaptive cruise control with lane change assist, a 360-degree camera with kerb view (so you don’t mark those huge rims, obviously!), Valcona leather upholstery, front seats with electric adjustment plus heating and ventilation, a leather-trimmed steering wheel with paddle shifters, LED headlights (with auto high beam) and daytime running lights, three-zone climate control, a head-up display, Audi’s 12.3-inch Virtual Cockpit instrument cluster, and the new MMI touch response control screen with 10.1- and 8.6-inch screens for media and car controls.There’s the expected connectivity of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus you get sat nav GPS, DAB digital radio and a 10-speaker sound system.Safety is covered with auto emergency braking (AEB) up to 250km/h, forward collision warning with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assist (including steering assist up to 60km/h), lane keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and a forward cross-traffic alert system known as ‘Intersection Assist’. Plus there’s a 360-degree surround-view camera system with AI graphic interface and adjustable view system, front and rear parking sensors, and semi-autonomous park assist for those who are nervous about marking the huge rims. Of course there’s also the expected array of airbags (dual front, front-side, rear-side, full-length curtain) and the rear seat has dual ISOFIX and three top tether baby seat attachment points.

There is something to be said for driving cars on race tracks. It's a lot of fun, pretty much no matter what car it is you're testing.

If I had a dollar for every Black Edition model that has been launched in the past few years, I'd probably have about fifty bucks.