2011 Audi A4 Premium Plus on 2040-cars

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Germany to accept diesel software fix rather than retrofit millions of cars

BERLIN — The German government will not force the car industry to make costly changes to engines to cut diesel emissions but will settle for software updates for around 2 million vehicles, industry and government sources said on Tuesday. The sources were speaking before a summit of politicians and car executives scheduled for Wednesday to discuss ways to cut inner-city pollution to try to head off bans on diesel cars — a sensitive issue ahead of national elections next month. The summit must also start to restore the reputation of one of Germany's major industries which has been badly tarnished since the Volkswagen emissions scandal broke in September 2015. The auto industry has agreed to software updates for around 2 million cars that will cost around 300 million euros ($354 million), a government source said. An industry source said foreign car makers had not agreed to participate for now. The deal suggests the industry has headed off demands for hardware upgrades that would cut more pollution but would also be much more expensive — with the potential costs as high as 10 billion euros. The deal also foresees a range of other measures to reduce emissions, the sources said, such as subsidies for electric buses, taxis and other municipal vehicles, as well as a commitment to increase the number of charging stations. The sector and the government will each contribute half to a 500 million euro fund aimed at helping local governments reduce pollution, blamed for causing respiratory diseases. CITY BANS The compromise might not cut emissions enough to stop bans of diesel cars in German cities - like the one in Stuttgart confirmed by a regional court last week. DUH, the environmental lobby group that brought the Stuttgart case, has said it wants moves to go beyond voluntary software updates or it will take further legal action. Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives have come under fire from consumer and environmental groups as well as opposition lawmakers for their close links to carmakers. "The car industry can always rely on the support of the government when things get difficult," said Timo Lange, a campaigner with LobbyControl, a non-profit group. Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt rejected suggestions on Tuesday that he is too closely tied to the industry. The Environment Ministry has already made clear that software improvements can only be a first step as they reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by about 25 percent on average.

2016 Audi A6 to start at $46,200*, A7 begins at $68,300*

Audi has announced pricing on the new A6 sedan and A7 four-door coupe, with the former starting at $46,200 for a 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder and front-wheel drive. Of course, things can and do climb rapidly from there. Adding Quattro all-wheel drive to the four-cylinder model bumps the price up $2,200, while moving from the base Premium to the mid-level Premium Plus trim will add $3,700, regardless of the drivetrain. Speaking of that Premium trim, it's only available on the 2.0-liter A6. Every other variant starts with the Premium Plus. At that point, the cheapest six-cylinder you can get is the $57,400 model, while the diesel-powered A6 TDI starts at $59,500. Moving up to the top-end Prestige trim bolsters the price by $4,200, for both engines. If you fancy the sleeker lines of the A7, the entry-level 3.0-liter Premium Plus can be had for $68,300, while the TDI runs $70,400. While the starting price is higher than the A6, adding the Prestige trim is more reasonable, with both engines demanding $2,650 for the top-tier equipment level. And of course, we can't get away without mentioning Audi's high-performance models. A base S6 Premium Plus begins at $70,900, while the Prestige is $75,300. The S7 and RS7, both of which are limited to the Prestige trim level, start at $82,900 and $108,900, respectively. None of the above prices include the standard $925 destination charge. Scroll on down for the official press release on the pricing changes for the new Audi A6 and A7. Related Video: Audi announces pricing for the new 2016 A6 and A7 model lines April 17, 2015 | Herndon, Virginia Award-winning vehicles get more dynamic designs, improved technology and greater power and efficiency New 2.0 Liter TFSI engine – the most powerful engine in its class, with greater performance and efficiency Standard next generation of MMI® with Audi connect® and rapid 4G LTE connectivity Audi today announced pricing for the 2016 A6 and A7 model lines. With new engines and updated design, all Audi A6 and A7 models now offer more power, greater fuel efficiency and class-leading technology for two of the Audi brand's top-selling vehicles. The 2016 A6 and A7 sedans boast more athletic design as well as new headlights and driver assistance systems. New infotainment systems provide even higher levels of interior luxury and refinement.

Leaked Audi product roadmap may confirm R8 with V6 engine

About a year ago, we reported that Audi was considering downsized engines for the new R8, which launched in V10 form. This is partially due to the Chinese market's desire for smaller displacement engines, and partially due to R8 technical lead Roland Schala's statement that a "V6 is a perfect engine for this car." This leaked upcoming product schedule, passed on by our friends at Autobahn.eu, seems to confirm these rumors. Based on the information in the image above, the R8 V6 is due in 2018. The rest of the product map seems to square with vehicles we know are in the pipeline. We spied the SQ7, A5, and R8 Spyder about a year ago, and the TT RS a few months ago. We told you in December a new Q5 is on the way, too. We just heard a credible rumor that the RS3 is on the way in 2017 as a 2018 model, and may even come to America, which squares with what we're seeing here. And we drove the Q7 E-Tron in 2015 – it's going on sale in Europe soon. This graphic puts the on-sale date as October 2017; that could be for the US market. Puzzlingly, this graphic doesn't discuss the Q2, which Audi just teased today. We're not sure what to make of that. Now onto the fun stuff. 2018 should be when Audi reveals a new A8 (featuring, most likely, a version of the futuristic Virtual Dashboard seen at CES) and A7, an RS 5 Coupe launching a few months after the A5/S5, a new A6, and the already-confirmed Q8 SUV. All expected or already confirmed. What about the cryptically-named "C-BEV?" If we extrapolate that to mean C-segment EV, if could be the Audi version of the stand-alone EV that VW is reportedly developing, and no, it's not the next E-Golf. We expected this MEB-based vehicle to debut in 2018, before the next-generation Golf, so again our rumors square nicely with what this roadmap tells us. Let's leave it at this: if you're an Audi fan, the next few years are going to be quite exciting. Expect some of these rumors to be confirmed in Geneva, so keep your eyes here for more Audi and VW info. Related Video: