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Audi gets Q2 and Q4 badges in trademark swap with FCA

Audi has swapped trademarks with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles to snare the rights to the Q2 and Q4 badges for upcoming crossover SUVs. Audi CEO Rupert Stadler confirmed at the Detroit Motor Show that the automaker had finally persuaded FCA to release the two names that would let Audi lock up the Q1 to Q9 badges for its growing SUV family. Audi already plans to drop the Q2 name onto its MQB-based city crossover five-door this year, while the Q4 badge will slot onto the rump of a coupe-like version of the next Q3. It will also reserve the Q1 badge for a 2018 baby crossover, based around the architecture of the next A1 hatch. The A1 will share a lot of its engineering with Volkswagen's Polo-based soft-roader, dubbed T-Cross in concept form. The German company has also pounced on the naming rights for SQ versions of all of its Q-cars, along with F-Tron to cover the day when it pushes hydrogen fuel cell cars into production. Stadler insisted that no money had changed hands in order to pry the two badges off FCA, admitting that they had "each found something we needed." "We promised each other we wouldn't disclose what it cost, but it was not something they were willing to sell," Stadler said. "We tried to get it years ago and they said 'No, never,' but there is never 'never' in business. ... This year I went back to them with a proposal and we talked and there were some negotiations and then we agreed to it." Those negotiations are believed to have centered on a trademark swap with a Volkswagen Group name that FCA desperately (evidently) wants to use on a Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Dodge or Maserati. Asked if Audi had given FCA a trademark in return for Q2 and Q4, Stadler replied, "Something very much like that, yes." Audi has used Italian names on past concept cars that FCA could be interested in, such as the 2001 Avantissimo concept and the 2003 Nuvolari coupe. The latter was named after legendary pre-war racer Tazio, who won grands prix for both Alfa Romeo and Audi's forerunner, Auto Union. Both are unlikely trade chips, with laws in Europe preventing the trademarking of the names of actual people. There is always "quattro" (Italian for "four"), but after investing nearly four decades locking it in as an Audi all-wheel-drive name, it's just not anything like trade bait.

Refreshed 2015 Audi A8 starts at $77,400*

Audi definitely made the US wait for the refreshed 2015 A8 and S8. The updated models were first unveiled last summer, but it has taken until June for the revised flagship sedan to reach dealers here.
The refreshed A8 line doesn't come cheap, though. Prices are up $2,000 or more over the 2014 model year. The basic 3.0T model goes for $77,400 or $81,400 for the long wheelbase version. The long wheelbase TDI is $85,100. The standard 4.0T model asks $86,400 or $90,400 for the longer one. An S8 sets back buyers $114,900, and the full bore A8L W12 is $137,900. All of these prices exclude destination (which was $895 last year and now stands at $925, according to Audi representative Mark Dahncke).
To make the wait worth it, Audi is packing the sedan with new technology and given it the slightest restyle. All models of the luxurious vehicle now come standard with full LED headlights. The 2015 model also benefits from electromechanical steering, available variable ratio steering and active lane assist. The night vision system is also updated to detect animals and alert the driver. Mechanically, there are some tiny tweaks as well. The 4.0T V8 is boosted to 435 horsepower, compared to 420 hp previously, and the 6.3-liter W12 now has cylinder deactivation.

Audi A3 E-Tron Sportback already getting residual value love

It's a tricky game, but the folks at Auto Bild and market research institute Schwacke are looking into the future. Through the mists of future time, they say that they think that buying an Audi A3 Sportback e-tron plug-in hybrid today is going to look like a smart buy in a few years. The German automaker likes what it sees in terms of resale value for the plug-in hybrid A3, Audi's first mass-produced plug-in, and the car has already been named a "Wertmeister." That's the "value champ" designation that Auto Bild hands out every year. Audi says the A3 e-tron has the "most stable residual value in its class," and is expected to retain more than 57 percent of its original value four years after rolling off the dealership lot. That gives the plug-in hybrid bragging rights to the "Wertmeister" award for the Compact Car category. Audi also won second place in the Full Size category with its Audi A6 Avant 3.0 TDI The German automaker started sales of the A3 e-tron last summer in Germany, pricing the model at about $51,500. The cars has 204 horsepower, can go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in less than eight seconds and has an all-electric range of up to 31 miles. Check out Audi's press release below, and take a look at our First Drive impressions of the model here. Audi A3 Sportback e-tron is "Wertmeister 2015" Auto Bild crowns Audi A3 Sportback e-tron "Wertmeister 2015" Audi A6, Audi A7 and Audi Q3 also awarded top-three places Ingolstadt/Berlin, February 5, 2015 – the Audi A3 Sportback e-tron* is the car with the most stable residual value in its class. That was the conclusion drawn by Auto Bild and market research institute Schwacke. The A3 e-tron stands out with the best residual value forecast among the compact cars, receiving the title "Wertmeister 2015". Every year, Auto Bild and Schwacke select the cars in each class that are expected to depreciate the least during the following four years. The winners take the "Wertmeister" title. The Audi A3 Sportback e-tron is the winner in the "Compact Car" category with a residual value of 57.3 percent. The Audi A3 e-tron is the first plug-in hybrid from Audi. It combines sporty power with impressive efficiency and abundant driving enjoyment with unrestricted everyday utility.