News & Reviews- Make: Audi

I knew there was something Mediterranean about the Q3 as soon as I laid eyes on it.

Somehow, to me at least, it seemed like the kind of vehicle I could see myself meandering through the crowded streets of Barcelona in, pulling up to a quaint bistro in Barceloneta before meeting up with amigos y amigas; casually cruising around Port Vell while checking out all the luxury yachts con mi amor; parking conspicuously near the Rambla del Mar to creatively capture a twosome selfie of the fabulous wooden structure with the Q3 in the foreground; filling up its accommodating cargo hold with all the best brand names after shopping with mi cariño en le Maremagnum; parking it next to the beach so I can enjoy its view along with la hermosa vista del mar Mediterrània; and then later touring through the city to be amazed by all of the breathtaking Antoni Gaudí architectural artwork, from the uncompleted yet incomparably grand Sagrada Família cathedral, to the brilliant Read Full Story

The new 2015 A3 is a clear sign that Audi has its thinking cap on. The previous A3, while a very competent compact luxury model, was a five-door hatchback that more accurately wore the body of a sporty wagon. Ingolstadt referred to its configuration as Sportback, but that was marketing not reality, similar to how it dubbed previous sport wagons with the Avant nameplate (and still does in other markets) while continuing to call its beefed up wagon-cum-crossovers by the Allroad name. As much as I personally like sport wagons and many European car fans likewise appreciate the combination of sport sedan and roomy wagon, the vast majority of today's premium level buyers would rather have sedans or crossover SUVs. Hence, Audi replaced the old A3 hatch with three new models.

The new A3 Sedan is the compact four-door that four-ringed faithful have long been pining for, the A3 Cabriolet a reasonably priced drop-top for drivers wanting a little more flair, while the new Q3 crossover SUV Read Full Story

While it is said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, having one of your most celebrated designers snagged by a mainstream value automaker, which then produces premium-level cars that appear inspired by your much more expensive mid-size and full-size flagship models is never good. Such is what Audi has experienced since Peter Schreyer was headhunted by South Korean brand Kia and its Hyundai parent, and having since become one of three presidents of the former (the first non-Korean to be so honoured) and Chief Design Officer of both.

Now with V8-powered sport-luxury Kia models like the new 2015 K900 doing a credible job of going head-to-head with the Audi A8, and Hyundai models such as the new Genesis 5.0 Ultimate even more effectively targeting the German brand's A6, it's time the four-ringed brand changed up its image.

While today's Audi designs are revered as some of the most attractive in the industry, almost universally praised by customers and pundits Read Full Story

With BMW having just introduced its 2015 4 Series Gran Coupe, it only makes sense that Audi would want to fight back with another four-door coupe of its own. After all, it was in the unique sport sedan segment before BMW was, having introduced its A7 Sportback two years before BMW showed up with its 6 Series Gran Coupe. Hence, the TT Sportback Concept just introduced at the Paris motor show: an even more compact four-door fastback based on Audi's iconic TT theme.

The oddity in this particular choice of underpinnings is the "potential TT family" that the new concept belongs to, so announced by Audi Board Member for Technical Development, Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg.

"With the TT, Audi created one of the automotive design icons of the last 20 years," says Hackenberg. "In the years since, we have designed our sporty and elegant five‑door Audi A5 Sportback and Audi A7 Sportback. In our Audi TT Sportback concept show car, we are now fusing both concepts Read Full Story

Almost as long as the two-seat TT has been in existence, a drop-top Roadster has been part of its sporty equation. The first arrived in 1999; a year after the groundbreaking Freeman Thomas and Peter Schreyer-designed TT Coupe hit production. The more aggressively penned Walter de'Silva-designed second-generation model is still with us today, but will soon be replaced by the ultimately edgy third-generation TT, a model based on Volkswagen Group's flexible new MQB platform architecture.

Like the outgoing car, the new model will be available in sporty TT Roadster and sportiest TTS Roadster guises, but unlike many in this class that have eschewed fabric for retractable hardtops, Audi continues to remain loyal to the traditional folding cloth roof. One of the reasons is weight. The new roof mechanism, made from magnesium, aluminum, steel and plastic components, is three kilos lighter than its predecessor's design, which reduces the car's centre of gravity for better handling.
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