Infotainment,navigation,technology,convenience,adaptive Cruise,7-pass,pano Roof! on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Audi updates A3 with Virtual Cockpit, more goodies

Audi has announced a series of updates to the A3 family. And though we're still waiting for confirmation on its arrival here in North America following its introduction back in Europe next month, the revisions bode well for Ingolstadt's baby. Chief among the enhancements for the latest A3 is the inclusion, as promised, of the company's Virtual Cockpit infotainment system. One of our finalists for 2016 Tech of the Year, the Virtual Cockpit moves many of the controls and menus you'd expect to find in the center console display into the instrument cluster to make them easier for the driver to navigate (albeit at the expense of a co-pilot's assistance). Audi also used the occasion to install some of its latest driver assistance systems, including active lane assist, pedestrian protection, and available traffic jam assist that helps the vehicle crawl along in bumper-to-bumper conditions. The revised A3 also features new front and rear fascias, incorporating a sharper grille and new head- and taillights, with available Matrix LED units up front. Globally speaking, Audi is offering the updated model with six different engines – three gasoline and three diesel – including a 1.0-liter inline-three for the first time. There's the hybrid E-Tron model as well, and the flex-fuel G-Tron model that can run on natural gas. More enticing though is the new S3, which benefits from a ten-horsepower boost to produce a more substantial 310 hp and as much as 295 pound-feet of torque. With sedan, convertible, and three- and five-door hatchback bodystyles, that makes for a lot of combinations, though not all engines will be offered in all forms. Watch this space for word on US availability. In the meantime, you can scope out all the details on the various variants in the press release below and the high-resolution images in the exhaustive gallery above. Related Video: Technology Update for the Compact Bestseller – the new Audi A3 - New engines: 1.0 TFSI and newly developed 2.0 TFSI - Infotainment and assistance systems from the full-size class - First deliveries in summer The successful model from Audi is now even more attractive: The Audi A3* approaches the starting line with new driver assistance systems and engines as well as newly designed headlights and taillights. Also new on board is the innovative operating and display concept, Audi virtual cockpit. The new A3 is available in a three-door version and as a Sportback, a sedan and a Cabriolet.

Audi boss: no to minivan

Well done to you, Rupert Stadler. We salute you. The Audi exec went on record during an interview with Automotive News and basically shut the door on the idea of a Audi-badged minivan. When asked by AN, Stadler pointed to the high conquest rate enjoyed by crossovers and SUVs compared to minivans. On top of that, Stadler argued against vehicles like the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer by pointing out that customers tend to shy away from minivans because of the image they put forth. "Consumers are more likely to switch to an SUV and are more likely to pay a premium price because SUVs are considered more emotional," Stadler told AN. "We would rather be the emotional choice than the rational choice." It's not all good news, though. Stadler gave a resounding "no" to an A8 wagon, based on the Prologue Avant Concept, as well as a BMW 6 Series rival. Instead, Audi will focus on the upcoming Q8 SUV, which the exec said was "more likely to be a winner than a large coupe." The company is also hard at work on additional Sportback models, although Stadler didn't elaborate on which models could get the five-door treatment. Related Video:

Audi promises next A8 on sale by year's end, LED Matrix lamps to be available [w/video]

Audi has just released details about its new Matrix LED headlamps, but just as illuminating as the new lighting technology is confirmation that the next A8 will appear "on the market at the end of 2013." While Audi is calling the model new, expectations - and the spy shots above - suggest more of a traditional mid-cycle refresh.
Audi says that its new A8 Matrix lights are comprised of 25 high-beam LEDs, clustered in groups of five paired with reflectors. Unlike traditional automatic high-beam setups, the Matrix array is so precise that it "blanks out light that would shine directly onto oncoming and preceding vehicles" while continuing to use full high-beam power on other sections of the road and shoulder not occupied by other vehicles. Further, the camera- and electronic brain-governed system can dim or extinguish LEDs as necessary to deal with traffic. The active system also differs from today's adaptive headlamps by not requiring servo motors to direct light, yet they can still function as cornering headlamps - ones that can predict a road's trajectory because they are linked with the car's GPS system. Interestingly, the system also works with Audi's optional night vision system. When the latter detects a pedestrian in the dark, it automatically flashes a batch of LEDs to put both the driver and pedestrian on notice about each others' presence.
Only one problem in all of this trick lighting business: they aren't legal here in the US, at least not yet. Audi and other automakers are currently petitioning the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, trying to sell the government agency on the technology's safety benefits. For the moment, Matrix headlamps are likely to remain forbidden fruit, but you can check them out and see what you might be missing in the video below. As for the 2015 A8, we're guessing it'll surface at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.