Audi S5 Sportback, page #17

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Audi SQ7 could come to US with TDI power

When Audi released the new SQ7 TDI, we couldn't help but wonder whether it would ever see an American road or showroom. And the answer is: maybe. When reached for comment on the prospect of the new diesel performance ute making its way to North America, Audi USA spokesman Mark Dahncke told Autoblog that "the SQ7 is not officially signed off on for the US, but we are optimistic." Those are encouraging words, even if they stop short of official confirmation. For those who missed the announcement in the wake of the Geneva Motor Show last week, the new Audi SQ7 TDI is a technological tour de force. It packs a 4.0-liter V8 diesel engine, augmented by two turbochargers and an electric compressor to produce 435 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque. It debuts a new 48-volt electrical system that powers one of the compressor and the electromechanical adaptive suspension. And just for good measure, it also features an eight-speed automatic transmission, a four-wheel steering system and all-wheel drive. The vehicle represents the first time Ingolstadt has applied the S performance badge to its largest model, and though initially announced for Europe, Dahncke's optimism leaves us hopeful in turn that it could steam its own way to American shores. If that optimism proves justified, the next big question is whether it will stick with the diesel engine or switch to a similarly powerful engine burning gasoline to more closely match American preferences – much as it did in bringing the smaller SQ5 to the US. But Dahncke tells us they "expect it to be a TDI if it does come." The decision to market a powerful diesel SUV in America would be a bold move on Audi's behalf, particularly in the wake of the diesel emissions scandal. The debacle is still fresh on the public's mind, having rocked the entire Volkswagen Group of which Audi is part – and historically a major proponent of diesel propulsion. If approved for the US market as proposed, the SQ7 TDI would far outshine the diesel versions of the Mercedes GL-Class, Porsche Cayenne, BMW X5, and Range Rover currently available – not to mention the 3.0-liter V6 TDI with 240 hp and 428 lb-ft of torque in many of Audi's models (which are, at the time of this writing, affected by a stop-sale in the US). Related Video: Featured Gallery Audi SQ7 TDI View 27 Photos Image Credit: Audi Green Audi Crossover SUV Diesel Vehicles Luxury Performance audi sq7

VW execs didn't think diesel problem would be so serious

Volkswagen Group has admitted that former chairman Martin Winterkorn received two memos about the diesel scandal in 2014. Top execs ignored the problem because they didn't think it was a serious issue. VW disclosed these details to counter allegations in a German shareholder lawsuit that alleged the automaker violated the law by withholding the info from investors. A memo on May 23, 2014 first advised Winterkorn about emissions cheating. A memo on May 23, 2014, first advised Winterkorn about the study from the International Council on Clean Transportation, which identified the emissions cheating. According to VW, the document was part of the exec's weekend mail, and the company's investigation didn't discover whether Winterkorn actually read it. A rumor last month alleged this memo existed. Another memo for Winterkorn on November 14, 2014 was about several defects, including the diesel engines. The document estimated it would cost 20 million euros ($22 million US at current rates) to fix the problem. The chairman learned about the issue again on July 27, 2015, during a meeting on product issues. "Mr. Winterkorn asked for further clarification of the issue," according to VW's statement. Things got serious at the end of August 2015. Things got serious at the end of August 2015 when technicians explained the diesel issue to the legal department. VW came clean to the California Air Resources Board and the Environmental Protection Agency on September 3. A memo told Winterkorn the next day, which was also previously alleged. According to this investigation, management didn't believe the diesel problem would affect the stock price, and they estimated the cheating might cost at most a few hundred million dollars in fines. The execs were clearly wrong. The share price dropped after the scandal broke last September, and the problems have started to affect its divisions. According to Reuters, Audi reported it suffered 228 million euros ($249 million) in costs in 2015 from the emissions issue and repairing Takata's faulty airbag inflators. Volkswagen still doesn't know the exact costs of the scandal, but the automaker's law firm, Jones Day, plans to release a report in the second half of April to explain the whole affair. By that time, we might also know how VW plans to fix the problem because a judge recently gave the company until March 24 to outline a fix for the 2.0-liter TDI. CARB started evaluating a repair plan for the 3.0-liter TDI in early February.

Audi SQ7 TDI packs 48V electric compressor, 664 lb-ft

Take a look at the new Audi SQ7 TDI. It's the first time Audi has done an S performance version of its flagship sport-ute, and packs under the hood a 4.0-liter V8 turbo diesel engine mated to an eight-speed automatic and all-wheel drive. It produces a potent 435 horsepower, and an absolutely bonkers 664 pound-feet of torque. The Audi SQ7 TDI produces a massive 664 lb-ft of torque. Impressive as it is, though, that doesn't even tell the full story. That's enough to make us forget it wasn't there in Geneva. It's also more torque than just about anything the Volkswagen Group makes – short of the Bentley Mulsanne Speed and the new Bugatti Chiron. Not even the Lamborghini Aventador SV or Bentley Continental GT Speed can touch that torque figure. Nor can competition like the Porsche Cayenne S Diesel (with its 385 hp and 627 lb-ft) or the BMW X5 M50d (381 hp and 546 lb-ft). It may not surpass the old twelve-cylinder Q7 6.0 TDI (with its 493 hp and 738 lb-ft), but still trounces the VW Touareg V10 TDI (309 hp and 553 lb-ft) – which was strong enough to tow a jet airplane, while the new SQ7 is fast enough to out-drag one (as you can see from the video below). Impressive as it is, though, that headline-grabbing torque figure doesn't tell the full story. To get there, Audi employed two conventional, sequential turbochargers and a third compressor that – in an industry first that's been a long time coming – is powered electrically. The engineers in Ingolstadt installed a beefier 48-volt electric subsystem to power the electric compressor (among other systems) and its latest valvetrain tech for the first time in a diesel. The result, Audi says, is a lack of any perceptible turbo lag – and a 0-62 time quoted at 4.8 seconds, en route to the typical electronically limited top speed of 155 miles per hour. As if that weren't enough, Audi also equipped the SQ7 TDI with an optional suspension package that coordinates the activities of three systems. There's a differential, a four-wheel steering system, and a clever electromechanical roll stabilization system that employs an electric motor (made possible once again by that 48-volt system) and a three-stage planetary gearbox to keep it all level and improve ride quality over rough surfaces. The sum total is an impressive technological tour de force on Audi's part, but one that we may just have to admire from afar.

Watch Stanford's self-driving Audi hit the track

Sending a self-driving race car around a track with nobody inside seems pointless – there's no driver to enjoy the ride, and the car certainly isn't getting a thrill out of it. But the students performing research with Stanford University's Audi TTS test rig "Shelley" (not to be confused with Audi's own self-driving race cars) are getting a kick out of the numbers generated by the machine. "A race car driver can use all of a car's functionality to drive fast," says Stanford Professor Chris Gerdes. "We want to access that same functionality to make driving safer." The teams push the car to speeds over 120mph and the computers have executed lap times nearly as fast as professional drivers. However, they also spend a lot of time maneuvering at 50 to 75 mph, the speeds where accidents are most likely to happen. That way, the students can figure out how to incorporate braking, throttle and maneuvering to develop new types of automatic collision avoidance algorithms. Better technology, for instance, could have saved Google from a recent slow-speed accident where its vehicle was struck by a bus. During race days, students break into teams to perform different types of research. "Once you get to the track, things can go differently than you expect. So it's an excellent lesson of advanced planning," says Gerdes. In the latest rounds of testing, for instance, one PhD student developed emergency lane-change algorithms, while another recorded a skilled human driver in an attempt to convert his behavior into a driving algorithm. The main goal, of course, is to prepare students for something they may not have expected -- an automotive industry that is adopting self-driving technology at breakneck speeds. This article by Steve Dent originally ran on Engadget, the definitive guide to this connected life. Green Audi Technology Coupe Autonomous Vehicles Racing Vehicles Performance Videos racecar research

2017 Audi S4 Avant is what forbidden fruit looks like

Take a good look at this lemon yellow Audi S4 Avant at the Geneva Motor Show, because you're not going to see one on the road in the US. That's really a shame, too, because for a family that wants to combine performance and utility, this seems like a great package. The S4 Avant takes the wonderful aspects from the latest S4 Sedan and adds just a little more to sweeten the deal. Drivers still get a turbocharged V6 and eight-speed transmission. Plus, Audi's famous all-wheel drive system and torque vectoring provide tons of traction whether motoring through a snow storm or taking a corner. In addition, customers get up to a massive 53.3 cubic feet of cargo space in the wagon, versus 17 cubic feet in the sedan. The only downside of the extra room is that the 0-62 sprint takes 4.9 seconds in the long roof versus the 4.7 seconds of the sedan. We'd take that trade-off. The Avant even looks better. Neither version is ugly, but the longer roof flows beautifully to the raked rear hatch. The result looks more elegant than the four-door. Unfortunately, these advantages simply add to the S4 Avant's status as very sweet forbidden fruit. American tastes might turn from crossovers to wagons someday, but until that unlikely prospect happens, enjoy these great shots of an enviable vehicle. Related Video: From 0 to 100 km/h (62.1 mph) in 4.7 seconds with fuel consumption of less than 7.4 liters of fuel per 100 km (31.8 US mpg) – the new Audi S4* and the new Audi S4 Avant* are advancing to the peak of the competitive field with strong performance and exemplary efficiency. Its newly developed turbo V6 engine outputs 260 kW (354 hp). New solutions in networking and assistance systems round out its features. Audi is transferring many technologies from the full-size class into the mid-size class. Lightweight and strong: the 3.0 TFSI The strong heart of the two new S models from Audi is a newly conceptualized 3.0 TFSI engine. The direct gasoline injection engine with turbocharging has an output of 260 kW (354 hp) and produces a hefty torque of 500 Nm (368.8 lb-ft) from 1,370 to 4,500 rpm. In terms of power and torque, it surpasses the previous model while achieving considerably lower figures in weight and fuel consumption. The turbo V6 engine accelerates the Audi S4 from 0 to 100 km/h (62.1 mph) in 4.7 seconds, and on up to an electronically governed top speed of 250 km/h (155.3 mph). The standard sprint takes two tenths of a second longer in the S4 Avant.

Does faster charging make you want an Audi Q7 PHEV?

Don't let the image of a heavy diesel-powered plug-in hybrid SUV fool you. The Audi Q7 E-Tron will be a quick thing when it goes on sale in Europe this summer. And the SUV will be able to be recharged at a pretty good clip as well, says Automotive News Europe. A full charge of the Q7 E-Tron can provide a range of as much as 35 miles in all-electric mode, using lenient European specifications. One of the model's bells and whistles will be battery-recharging technology that allows the SUV to be recharged at up to 7.2 kilowatts. That means that the battery can be fully recharged in about two and a half hours. Not exactly Tesla Supercharger territory, but not bad. How much a faster recharging option impacts demand for a plug-in vehicle is open to interpretation. For instance, an Idaho National Laboratory study released late last year estimated that about 85 percent of the recharging activity for the Chevrolet Volt extended-range plug-in and Nissan Leaf EV happened at home, implying that how long it takes your plug-in to fill up may not be a huge factor. So, how much would this option of faster recharging sway your decision in buying a plug-in hybrid? The Q7 E-Tron's V6 diesel engine and electric motor, which operate in a parallel hybrid setup, combine to deliver 373 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque. That combination can propel the SUV from 0 to 60 miles per hour in about six seconds. Of course, test that out a few times, and your all-electric range is likely to drop a bit. Audi is expanding its batch of E-Tron plug-in vehicles to better compete with German brethren BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Audi's first E-Tron, the A3, sold almost 12,000 units in Europe last year, about the same as BMW's all-electric and range-extender variants of the i3 in Europe combined, Automotive News says, citing JATO Dynamics. Audi will debut its Q5 E-Tron later this year and the A8 E-Tron in 2017. The Q7 E-Tron will be priced at about $88,000 in Europe. As for US sales of that model, questions remain about whether the SUV will have a diesel or gas-powered engine paired with the electric motor, but Americans should start getting access to it in either 2017 or 2018. Check out our Quick Spin here. Featured Gallery Audi Q7 E-Tron 3.0 TDI Quattro View 40 Photos News Source: Automotive News Europe-sub.req.Image Credit: Copyright 2016 Sebastian Blanco/AOL Green Audi Diesel Vehicles Hybrid PHEV e-tron

Winterkorn kept diesel scandal secret, letter claims

Former Volkswagen Group CEO Martin Winterkorn allegedly kept quiet for two weeks about emissions defeat devices in the company's models. US officials eventually made the automaker's deception public on September 18th. "In the conversation on 03.09.2015 with the regulator CARB (California Air Resources Board), the defeat device was admitted," an employee told Winterkorn on September 4, according to Reuters citing Germany's Bild am Sonntag. Based on this information, Winterkorn had plenty of time to admit the problem. Evidence like this letter continues to suggest top figures knew about the emissions problem. In addition, a separate Bild am Sonntag report recently claimed that an employee emailed Winterkorn in May 2014 to tell him US regulators could discover the cheating. In the lower echelons of the company, the deception was allegedly an open secret among engineers as early as 2006, and people kept quiet even after workers tried to admit what was happening. This culture of secrecy seems to go even deeper than just the diesel emissions scandal. For example, engineers admitted that they cheated on CO2 tests to meet the company's strict standards. According to Green Car Reports, these problems also affected the US. In 2004, an Audi worker in America allegedly discovered an issue with the exhaust gas temperature sensor in some vehicles, but a German executive said not to admit the problem to US regulators. It's not clear whether any high level employees tried to fix the diesel emissions issue or if they simply kept the problem hidden. The company's internal report, which is due in the latter half of April, might address that concern. So far, the VW Group has said only a small group of people caused the scandal. However, these many allegations to the contrary make that claim difficult to believe. Related Video:

Audi Q2 is coming soon to a city center near you

For a company that exploded into modern consciousness through its Quattro all-wheel-drive technology, delivering a crossover with just two-wheel drive could be a big leap for Audi. While some models offer all-wheel drive, Audi will deliver the entry-level versions of its all-new segment-stealing Q2 baby crossover SUV with just front-wheel drive. All Q2 models will run as front-wheel-drive cars most of the time anyway, with the all-wheel drive doled out by an electronically controlled, multi-plate differential. Fitted as standard only to the range-topping 2.0-liter petrol and diesel models, and optional on the 1.4-liter petrol and less-powerful 2.0-liter diesel models, the system only moves torque to the rear axle when the front end has run out of grip. Looking past which wheels are driven, there are more reasons to be positive than negative about the Q2. First, where the Prologue concept was the first car from new(ish) design boss Marc Lichte to wear an Audi badge, the Q2 will be his first production model. No more sausages cut to different lengths, he insists, and you can tell he means it when you look at the huge, chamfered cut they've taken out of the top of the doors at the tornado line. Designed and conceived for a younger, more urban audience than any Audi before it, the Q2 will also deliver buyers a full Mini-style level of individualization for its five-seat cabin. View 47 Photos Audi will launch the car with six different engines and the teasing promise of plug-in hybrid power "one day" in its life cycle. At 13.7 feet long, the Q2 is 7.67 inches shorter than the Q3 and far lighter, too. At just 2,657 pounds, it's light enough that Audi felt comfortable giving it a 114-horsepower, 1.0-liter, three-cylinder engine as its entry powerplant. From there, Q2 buyers can step up to a 1.4-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder engine with direct injection, variable valve timing and lift, and cylinder-on-demand technology, with 148 hp. The top petrol-powered variant will have the 2.0-liter, four-cylinder turbo motor, with both direct and indirect fuel injection and 190 hp. A 114-hp version of the 1.6-liter, four-cylinder turbodiesel provides the step-in point to the diesel range (in Europe, anyway), followed by a 148- and 190-hp versions of the 2.0-liter turbodiesel.

Recharge Wrap-up: Chevy Volt promos, Audi e-gas partnership

GM is offering promotions on the 2017 Chevrolet Volt. As dealers receive the first shipments of the new model year of the Volt, the automaker is giving customers in certain areas (California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Vermont) $1,000 cash back on their purchase. GM Financial is also offering lease discounts for a limited time, and trade-ins may be eligible for even more money back. State and federal incentives could add up to make the new Volt quite the bargain for the right customer. Read more at Clean Technica. The UK's potential exit from the European Union could mean tighter emissions regulations, potentially even in the UK. While Britain has fought against the EU on stricter rules, the "Brexit" could leave officials in Brussels free to strengthen air quality laws. The UK, despite giving up its seat at the table, would still be beholden to some rules as a member of the European Economic Area free trade agreement. British voters vote on a referendum to leave the EU on June 23. Read more from Bloomberg Business. Daimler will refrain from investing in battery pack production with other automakers for the time being. Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche cites an overabundance of battery production, saying, "Contrary to the expectation four or six years ago when everyone thought that the cells would be a rarity that could even be used as a tool of industrial policy, there is de facto a massive overcapacity in the market today and cells have become a commodity." Daimler recently shuttered its own lithium-ion battery production due to high costs and low demand. Read more from Automotive News. Audi is partnering with the Viessmann Group to increase e-gas production using a new biological process. Audi has been making the renewable fuel through a two-part process of electrolysis (splitting water into oxygen and hydrogen) and methanation (reacting hydrogen with CO2 to make synthetic methane). The new biological process uses microoganisms to absorb hydrogen and CO2 to make methane. The process requires lower temperature and pressure, and doesn't require high concentrations or purity of CO2. Read more in the press release below.

Audi Q7 honored with IIHS Top Safety Pick + rating

Audi's new, second-generation Q7 crossover is officially one of the safest vehicles on the road, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The non-profit has named the revamped CUV to its Top Safety Pick + list, making it the fourth Audi branded product to be so honored. As we've said before, the TSP + rating is no laughing matter for automakers. Getting it requires not just top-of-the-line crash-test ratings, but at least an "Advanced" rating for its crash-prevention systems. Audi went a step above, though, scoring a "Superior" for its safety systems, alongside an entire array of "Good" ratings on the physical crash testing. This is something of a unique case, though. See, IIHS doesn't typically test vehicles as large as the Q7. The only reason it did was because Audi "nominated" it and even paid for the test vehicles. The last time a "Large SUV" – which is what the Q7 is categorized as – even made a IIHS list was 2013, when General Motors Lambda-based CUVs and the Volkswagen Touareg were honored. Of course, the reason you all probably click on these stories is to see the crashing. Check out how the Q7 fared in the small-overlap test at the top of the page – there's gratuitous slow-mo, so enjoy. Related Video: