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Audi A3-based people mover in the works

We have yet another announcement of yet another new Audi, including yet another obligatory quote from Audi research and development chief Wolfgang Dürheimer that there's room for it in the Audi range. On the sidelines of reports about the diesel-hybrid sports car, derived from the R18 endurance racer, there have been remarks about a possible MPV. Now Auto Express reports that said MPV "is on the way" and will be based on the A3 Sportback.
Previous speculation has posited either a six- or seven-seat people carrier; if the AE report is to be believed then five seats is the number that's been settled on. Planned to rest on a stretched version of the A3 platform, its wheelbase would be nearly eight inches longer than that of the A3 Sportback and it would compete against the Mercedes-Benz B-Class and the production version of the BMW Concept Active Tourer.
Audi is not going to dally about it, either, with a concept said to be ready for debut next year. Should it come, it would mean the A3 range comes pretty close to hitting for the cycle.

Audi, Fiat squabbling over numbers and letters

There have been rumors and speculation and prognostications about a Nissan Juke- and Mini Cooper-fighting Audi Q2 since 2012. There have been the same for a performance-oriented Q4 since 2011, perhaps previewed by the TT Offroad concept shown last year at the Beijing Motor Show. Turns out that those two alphanumeric combos are the only ones missing from the series Q1 to Q9 in Audi's trademark stable, and the Ingolstadt company wants to get them to make its badge sequence and crossover lineup complete. But Fiat owns them, and rumor is, CEO Sergio Marchionne appears to have no interest in selling them. Fiat has used the Q2 and Q4 like trim badges, identifying whether a company product has two-wheel or all-wheel drive. They did it with the Alfa Romeo 159 sedan, and they do it now on the Maserati Quattroporte S and Ghibli S Q4 sedans. Car magazine says Marchionne "may not be categorically opposed to selling the rights," but he absolutely won't do it to any fiefdom in the Volkswagen empire, which would leave Audi a jilted suitor. Why is Sergio being so serious? VW Group CEO Ferdinand Piech first starting waving torches on the bridge between the two companies when he said Alfa Romeo could sell four times as many cars if Volkswagen owned it, then burned the bridge when it continued to publicize its desire to buy Alfa Romeo. VW followed that up by throwing salt on the land around the destroyed bridge with its aggressive pricing in Europe during the worst of the car sales slump there, which Marchionne said was causing a "bloodbath." VW's final flourish was to set the river itself on fire, when a press officer said Marchionne wasn't qualified to head the European Automotive Manufacturers Association (ACEA) and VW would quit the organization if he did take the top spot. That is why, putting it optimistically, Audi looks to have a grim chance of getting the Q2 and Q4 marques from the Italian. So long as he is in power, at least: Marchionne said he's walking away from the job in 2018. Audi might have a better chance bending the knee to, and generously rewarding, his successor. Featured Gallery Audi TT Offroad Concept: Beijing 2014 View 16 Photos News Source: CarImage Credit: Live images copyright 2015 Chris Paukert / AOL Government/Legal Audi Fiat Volkswagen Crossover Luxury Sergio Marchionne trademark volkswagen group

Audi service tech joyrides customer car, allegedly takes drugs on the way [UPDATE]

UPDATE: We've received and added an official statement from Audi Palo Alto. Dealerships get a bad rap. Stories about sleazy salespeople and overpriced service procedures abound, even though the reality is that most dealers are run by and employ honest, fair folks. But just because the bulk of dealers and their employees are good people, it doesn't mean some bad eggs won't slip through the cracks. Audi Palo Alto, in the heart of Silicon Valley, is finding this out the hard way after dash cam video of a service tech abusing a customer's car started blowing up on YouTube. In the video, which you can watch above, the unnamed service tech took YouTube user Carrera Chris's Audi – it's not clear what model, but it sounds like one of the company's higher-performance 3.0-liter, supercharged V6 models – for a rather spirited test drive. There are plenty of wide-open-throttle runs mixed in with some speeding – the dash cam's lower display shows 90 miles per hour at one point on the freeway – and you can hear the driver laughing throughout. None of this is too remarkable on its own, and maybe not enough to get the tech fired. Until, that is, he pulls into a parking lot and begins snorting something. The dash cam doesn't show the technician, so it's impossible to determine what substance – if any – the driver is allegedly taking. It could be coke, could be crushed up pills, or, hey, it could be a prescription nasal spray (it is allergy season, even in perpetually lovely northern California). Carrera Chris does say he found white powder in the seams of the driver's seat, so take that for what it's worth. There are five videos that include 12 minutes of footage – the one up top is a summary, while the four below show the alleged drug use and some more mundane footage. We've reached out to Audi Palo Alto's general manager, Jason Mattia. He wouldn't answer our questions over the phone, but did forward an official statement from the dealer. An unfortunate incident was brought to our attention earlier this week. We immediately began our investigation and have already taken action. We are working with the customer involved and have thanked them for bringing this matter to our attention. At Audi Palo Alto, we are proud to be a part of the San Jose community. We value and respect our customers, and our team of 75 employees strives to deliver the highest level of customer service.