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2018 Audi SQ5 will use 48-volt electric supercharger

It seems like 48-volt electric systems and electric compressors are becoming relatively mainstream, and Audi will be adding another vehicle powered by this emerging technology in 2017, according to comments Audi powertrain chief Oliver Hoffman made to Autocar. Hoffman said the upcoming SQ5, probably a 2018-model-year vehicle, will use a version of the electric compressor technology that debuted on the SQ7. While the SQ7 uses two gas-driven turbochargers and one electric compressor, the SQ5 will likely only use one conventional turbo and one e-compressor. That should allow it to make 365 hp, but 390 hp is possible from the system and may hint at room for a more powerful SQ5 Plus down the road. Remember, the European SQ5 uses a 3.0-liter TDI engine, and that's the same basic engine that will power the new SQ5 with the addition of the new forced induction system and 48-volt electrics. And also remember that the US-market SQ5 uses a supercharged 3.0-liter gasoline engine, not the TDI unit, which is one of the reasons it's still on sale in the wake of the TDI scandal. Torque is the real differentiator: the current US-market SQ5 makes 354 hp and 347 lb-ft of torque, while the current Euro-market SQ5 Plus makes a massive 516 lb-ft. No word yet on how the dual-compressor system on the upcoming SQ5 will affect torque numbers, but expect the new engine to again have considerably more twist than its gas-powered US-market counterpart. Related Video: News Source: Autocar Green Audi Technology Emerging Technologies Crossover SUV Diesel Vehicles Performance audi sq5 48-volt system

2017 Audi Q7 starts at $55,750

The second-generation Audi Q7 debuted last winter, and we already drove it in the spring in Europe. Audi, however, kept US pricing for this lighter, more stylish luxury SUV a secret – until now. The 2017 Q7 starts at $55,750 (including the $950-destination charge), and that's over $6,500 more than the $49,225-base cost for the last-gen 2015 model (there was no 2016 version in the US). Buyers get some big updates when they pay the extra cash for the 2017 model. The switch to the MLB platform helps cut 475 pounds, and aluminum suspension components reduce unsprung mass. Audi's Pre Sense City safety system comes standard and can automatically begin braking the seven-passenger SUV if a crash seems imminent below 52 miles per hour. Three-zone automatic climate control and a panoramic sunroof are also on the normal features list. The options include high-tech upgrades like the company's virtual cockpit system, a color head-up display, and a 23-speaker Bang & Olufsen stereo. Audi's 3.0 TFSI V6 with 333 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque and an eight-speed automatic is the only available powertrain combo for the Q7 in the US. Audi originally planned to offer the 3.0-liter TDI V6, but emissions problems nixed that. The second-gen Q7 is available in three trim levels here: Premium, Premium Plus for $59,750, and Prestige for $65,250. Company spokesperson Amelia Fine-Morrison tells Autoblog the first 2017s will arrive at dealers in January. Audi of America announces pricing for the new dynamic and technological benchmark in the luxury SUV segment – the all-new 2017 Audi Q7 November 11, 2015 | HERNDON, Virginia New portfolio of available driver assistance systems includes adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assist to help take the stress out of stop and go traffic Sport sedan-like driving experience and space for up to seven passengers, latest technology and exceptional design are just some of the highlights of the all-new Audi Q7, on sale at the beginning of 2016 SUV boasts innovative suite of technologies and connectivity features, including Audi virtual cockpit, Q7 specific app for Android and Apple integration as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration With striking design and lightweight construction, the all-new 2017 Audi Q7 sets a new standard in the luxury SUV segment. The second generation of the seven-passenger SUV also adds benchmark connectivity, infotainment systems and driver assistance technologies.

Automakers paying Chinese dealers for lower-than-expected sales

The Chinese dealers vs. foreign manufacturers story won't quit. It began with a story on the struggles faced by FAW-Toyota joint venture dealers, with supposedly 95 percent of the showrooms losing money, and 10 percent of them doing so poorly that they'd have to exit the business. The problem is mandated sales targets, most set when the country's economy was racing. Now that things have slowed, China's dealers are swimming in unsold cars and the costs to keep them. In the case of FAW-Toyota, dealers asked Toyota to hand over 2.2 billion yuan ($355 million) to help address the situation. That was followed by a report noting the issues that Honda, BMW, and Nissan dealers are having with the same issue, revealing that the Chinese Automobile Dealers Association (CADA) had taken the highly unusual step of writing to the Chinese government to complain. Now Reuters reports that CADA is not only pressing its case even harder, it's being open about it: it announced that BMW agreed to pay dealers 5.1 billion yuan ($820 million) to alleviate poor profits last year. Unnamed sources said Audi has thrown 2 billion yuan into the kitty for subsidies, and Daimler has contributed "about 1 billion yuan" to its dealers. The battle isn't just about 2014, but how business will be run in 2015 as well: Chinese Porsche dealers have requested the automaker lower its 2015 target of 64,000 cars, which would be a 40-percent increase on its 2014 sales of 46,931 vehicles. One analyst called it "shocking" that the CADA has taken its fight public, while CADA comments continue to imply that dealers have been railroaded to the cliff's edge without recourse. "Due to the difference in status," it's deputy secretary said, "individual dealers are not willing to, or don't dare to, talk frankly with the carmakers...." Both parties need one another, so they'll figure out a way to make it work – but that could mean acknowledging the Chinese market is behaving more like a mature one, not an emerging one. News Source: ReutersImage Credit: Lintao Zhang/Getty Images Earnings/Financials Audi BMW Porsche Toyota Car Dealers Luxury