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Audi to blitz 1.5M sales goal two years ahead of schedule

Audi doesn't seem to be having any trouble of hitting its relatively audacious sales goal of two million units by 2020 - it's already on pace to eclipse 1.5 million sales two years ahead of schedule. According to Reuters, the Volkswagen-owned brand rode a wave of sales in China and the US to pace the early goal, with 780,500 deliveries at the halfway point of 2013. Particularly hot models include the Q5 crossover seen above and A4 sedan. Unless things go poorly in the second half of the year, 1.5 million sales shouldn't be an issue.
That leaves it trailing BMW by just 24,000 units for the global luxury sales crown. If sales trends keep up, Audi will succeed in hitting its goal of two million units and besting its cross-country rival in Munich. Audi CEO Rupert Stadler smells blood, telling German newspaper Handelsblatt, ''We have overtaken Mercedes-Benz and we are now closer to BMW than ever before."

2017 Audi A5 First Drive

It might not look it, but behind the 2017 Audi A5's evolutionary styling update there's a new platform and a host of mechanical and technological upgrades that make it the most advanced offering in its class. We got to sample the new A5 on the windy roads outside of Porto, Portugal, which gave us an in-depth look at the car underneath the unremarkable exterior. The A5 may no longer be the haute couture choice in this segment Í­– that title goes to the Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe – but there isn't a bad line on the new car, and it's more creased and toned than before. Given the bulging hood and chunky C-pillar, we'd say its gym membership is paying off. This might look more like a mid-cycle update, but what's underneath is new: a scalable architecture known internally at VW Group as MLB Evo, an optional seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, and the third-generation EA888 2.0-liter, four-cylinder turbocharged gasoline engine. This engine debuted in the A6 and is rated at 252 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque. That's a healthy 32 hp and 15 lb-ft more than the 2016 A5's 2.0-liter offered, and it showed on our spirited drive through Portugal's grape-growing region. A handful of A5s will leave the factory with six-speed manuals, but most buyers will find a new seven-speed dual-clutch transmission in place of last year's eight-speed conventional automatic. Audi worked hard to improve initial throttle response to eliminate the clunkiness endemic to torque-converter-free transmissions. In urban slogging, the gearbox does a very convincing impression of a traditional automatic. In sport mode, the transmission livens up and delivers the rapid-fire shifts we expect from this type of gearbox. We did not have the opportunity to sample the stick. Our test car had Audi's Euro-spec version of this engine, which utilizes both direct and port fuel injection. American models will forgo the latter. Brisk acceleration is matched by a subtle growl piped in from under the hood at higher rpm – about the only noise you'll hear. The A5 is astonishingly quiet. In fact, it was that quietness that encouraged us to leave the coupe in the Drive Select's comfort setting for much of our drive. Drive Select tweaks the car's steering, throttle response, and, on cars so equipped, the optional adaptive suspension. Truth be told, Comfort rides a little too plush and Dynamic a little too firm.

Audi introduces Q7 E-Tron 2.0 TFSI in Shanghai

Audi made a name for itself with its Quattro all-wheel-drive system, and is rapidly expanding its range of E-Tron hybrids. And now it's bringing the two together for the first time with the new Q7 E-Tron 2.0 TFSI. The company's first vehicle to combine a turbocharged engine, hybrid assist and all-wheel drive, the Audi Q7 E-Tron 2.0 TFSI boasts all the enhancements wrought on Ingolstadt's new flagship crossover, but with a range of over 633 miles – nearly 33 of them on electric power alone. The powertrain pairs a 2.0-liter turbo four with an electric motor that combine to deliver 367 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque. That's said to be enough to send the hybrid luxury crossover to 62 in 5.9 seconds and on to a top speed in excess of 136 miles per hour, while boasting fuel efficiency of a claimed 94 miles per gallon. Unfortunately, however, the Q7 E-Tron is earmarked only for specific Asian markets – namely China, Singapore and Japan. So don't count on seeing this hybrid crossover in US showrooms any time soon – at least not in this specification. Ingolstadt, 2015-04-16 Great class, minimal emissions – the new Audi Q7 e-tron 2.0 TFSI quattro - First TFSI plug-in hybrid with quattro all-wheel drive - Best-in-class: up to 53 kilometers (32.9 mi) electric range - Maximum efficiency with hybrid management and heat pump - Available for Asian markets The Audi Q7 e-tron 2.0 TFSI quattro marks the first time that Audi has combined a TFSI plug-in hybrid with quattro all-wheel drive. Audi developed it specially for Asian markets (China, Singapore and Japan). It is sporty, comfortable and at the same time supremely efficient. It accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (62.1 mph) in under six seconds while consuming just 2.5 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers (94.1 US mpg) according to the measurement method specified in China for plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEV). Audi is presenting the Q7 e-tron 2.0 TFSI quattro at Auto Shanghai. According to the measurement method specified in China for PHEVs, the large SUV can cover up to 53 kilometers (32.9 mi) solely on the electricity stored in its lithium-ion battery – quietly, powerfully and with zero local emissions. Total range is 1,020 kilometers (633.8 mi). The Audi Q7 e-tron 2.0 TFSI quattro will be available beginning in 2016. Sporty power and minimum consumption The Audi Q7 e-tron 2.0 TFSI quattro has sporty power.