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First impressions of Audi's next TT interior and Virtual Cockpit [w/video]

Not content to pummel CES show goers with laser lights and self-piloting vehicles, Audi has also pulled the wraps (well, some of the wraps) off the interior of its upcoming next-gen TT. While the car itself wasn't on hand for us to check out, Audi did mock up the cockpit, complete with its all-new Virtual Cockpit central display and the latest iteration of the company's Multi Media Interface (MMI).
Virtual Display is Audi's new brand name for a completely digital reinterpretation of the instrument binnacle, by way of a 12.3-inch TFT screen. Audi tells us that there are two operable modes for Virtual Display: in the standard mode, an average-sized tachometer and speedometer flank a smaller infotainment portion in the center. Infotainment mode, meanwhile, shrinks the gauges to discreet circles and allows the navigation map, audio controls, or whichever system is being operated by the driver, to fill the remaining screen real estate.
This design, says Audi, allowed engineers to slim down the size of the center console as a whole, without reducing function for the driver. We can say that it looks very impressive as a demonstrator, but we will need some time with it in a moving vehicle before we're convinced it isn't slightly more distracting that a traditional setup.

2017 Audi A4 pricing drops before Detroit debut

With its spring 2016 on-sale date rapidly approaching, Audi confirms the official pricing structure for the new A4 sedan. The four-cylinder-only A4 line starts at $38,250 – a $1,400 increase over last year's model – but like the similarly priced BMW 328i and Mercedes-Benz C300, that figure climbs quickly. For one, unless you're planning on living with a front-wheel-drive Audi, you'll need to add on $2,100 for the automaker's torque-vectoring Quattro all-wheel-drive system. And unless you want the basic Premium trim, plan on tacking on $3,800 for the Premium Plus trim or $8,600 for the range-topping Prestige. What's all this mean? For that, we'll turn to the newly switched-on online configurator. The standard A4 doesn't sound like a terrible deal, offering standard bi-xenon headlights, LED taillights, three-zone climate control, leather seats, a sunroof, and a seven-inch MMI system. Moving up to the Premium Plus switches up to full LED headlights, heated front seats, a 19-speaker Bang and Olufsen 3D stereo, push-button start, and an S-line exterior treatment. Finally, the top-line Prestige's notable standard items include an 8.3-inch, nav-equipped MMI system, Audi's excellent virtual cockpit (an Autoblog Tech of the Year finalist), and a head-up display. If you're balking at the trim packs, rest easy knowing Audi has spread the options around liberally. You can get navigation and heated seats on a base model – they're $2,400 and $900, respectively – and Virtual Cockpit can be added to the mid-grade model. The base can be had with standard 18-inch wheels, while the Premium Plus allows drivers to ditch the 18s and move up to 19s. Even the top-of-the-line Prestige has a few options, including an $1,800 Driver Assistance pack (adaptive cruise, auto high beams, and lane keeping assist ) and a $1,450 Warm Weather Pack (vented front sport seats). While you can get an A4 for $38,250, you can also build one up to $55,375. Look for the 2017 Audi A4 in dealerships this spring. And head over to the online configurator to build your ideal Audi sedan now.

Volkswagen decides to keep Lamborghini and Ducati, transfers Bentley to Audi

Investors in the market for a high-end Italian manufacturer that peddles performance will need to keep looking. Volkswagen announced it will hang on to Lamborghini and Ducati in the foreseeable future. Executives in Wolfsburg, Germany, are making far-reaching changes to the Volkswagen Group to reboot it with a big focus on technology. Credible rumors claimed that the people in charge of the carmaker wanted to carve out Lamborghini — which owns Ducati — and ultimately list it, or at least a chunk of it, on the stock market in order to fast-track the group's electrification strategy. Going electric is expensive, so selling Lamborghini would have helped fund the expansion, and high-octane supercars don't easily go hand-in-hand with zero-emissions cars. "Volkswagen needs to change from a collection of valuable brands and fascinating combustion-engine products that thrill customers with superb engineering to a digital company that reliably operates millions of mobility devices worldwide," summed up Herbert Diess, the group's boss, during a September 2020 meeting. His team ultimately decided not to fully divest both brands. It's too early to tell whether part of Lamborghini will be listed on the stock market, as some insiders have suggested, or if those plans are off the table, too. Changes are coming to Bentley as well. While it's not being spun off either, it will fall under the Audi umbrella starting on March 1, 2021. Volkswagen explained linking the two companies will "allow for synergies to be achieved as part of the electrification strategy of the two premium brands," a statement which suggests they will share a growing number of components during the 2020s. Unverified rumors claim that Bentley will notably get its own version of an ultra-luxurious electric SUV code-named Landjet that Audi is currently developing. We've reached out to Bentley for more details, and we'll update this story if we learn more. Bugatti's future wasn't mentioned in the release; unconfirmed reports suggest it will be traded for a stake in Croatian start-up Rimac. Volkswagen's supervisory board also reaffirmed its support for Diess, who was appointed CEO in 2018 and who has played a significant role in the company's transformation. Finally, the board approved the development of what a statement refers to a future leading electric vehicle sold by the Volkswagen brand that will be developed and manufactured in Wolfsburg.