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IIHS bestows 2015 Audi A3 with Top Safety Pick+ [w/video]

There's some good news for Audi today, as the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has named the all-new A3 one of its Top Safety Pick+, the institute's highest award for safety.
While there are no shortage of cars that can handle the standard IIHS trial, the tough small overlap test needed to earn TSP+ has flummoxed more than a few vehicles from prestigious, safety minded manufacturers. In the A3's case, though, it handled the small-overlap tests well.
According to the IIHS, there wasn't much intrusion into the cabin from the impact, which simulates a 40-mile-per-hour impact on 25 percent of a car's front end. The crash test dummy was held in place, with just a low risk of injuries. You can view the crash test video below, as well as read a brief press release from the IIHS.

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

Porsche, Audi team up for tech: autonomy, EVs, hybrids and more

Porsche and Audi have been working on a number of important technologies for future vehicles. The two luxury automakers, both part of the Volkswagen Group, have mostly appeared to guard the space between their brands despite some shared engines and a platform. While their goals may not always overlap – Porsche has shied away from fully autonomous driving, for instance ­– the two brands have decided they could move more quickly into their respective futures by putting their heads together. In that spirit, Audi and Porsche are partnering up for a "shared vehicle architecture strategy of the future." This collaboration will focus on future mobility, including the development electrification, digitization, and autonomous driving technology. And the teams have knowledge and resources to share with one another. Porsche is moving fast with electrification, adding more hybrid systems to its models and preparing to launch the ultra-fast-charging Mission E electric car. Audi has been pursuing autonomous driving, connected vehicle and V2X tech, and Shared Fleet programs. Combining the best and brightest of both companies should help accelerate R&D. Even if one or the other company doesn't put all of the co-developed technologies into its vehicles, they'll both be learning the lessons, and sharing resources should help keep costs in check. "We will cooperate wherever it makes sense," says Porsche Board of Management Chairman Oliver Blume. "But we will also be very careful to maintain the differentiation between our brands. A Porsche is always a Porsche, and that will remain so in the future." Detail are still scarce, but Audi and Porsche will pin down a more a more specific sharing strategy as they develop their plan through 2025. While the cars continue to look and drive differently, expect Porsche and Audi to share more components and digital capabilities moving forward. Related Video: