2001 Audi A6 Quattro Avant Wagon on 2040-cars

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Audi has new Q5 and Q2 crossovers coming this year

Update: Audi has released a teaser video for the Q2 crossover ahead of its debut in Geneva. That video is above. The original post from December continues below. Before the new year is done, Audi will introduce two new crossovers. The announcement comes as part of a planned ˆ3 billion investment plan for 2016, and will include a new Q5 as well as the addition of a new Q2 model into the range. That's pretty ambitious considering the company hadn't produced its first SUV until ten years ago. The replacement for the Q5 should be fairly straightforward, replacing a model that already exists. The current Q5 was launched in 2008 and underwent a refresh in 2012. Expect the new model to offer similar dimensions and specifications, but with improvements to help it fend off the likes of the Mercedes GLC, BMW X3, and the Porsche Macan which shares its MLB underpinnings. The arrival of the Q2, however, promises to take Audi's crossover range further downmarket. With the existing Q3 already taking on Mercedes GLA and BMW X1, the Q2 could go a size smaller to rival the next Mini Countryman. Whatever form it takes, we'll find out within the year, according to Audi. Beyond next year, Audi says it will build its first volume electric vehicle in 2018. The vehicle will take the form of a battery-powered crossover, previewed by the E-Tron Quattro concept (pictured) at the Frankfurt Motor Show this past September. With these and other additions, Audi aims to expand its range to 60 models by 2020. Audi launched into the crossover market with the debut of the original Q7 in 2005. It has since expanded its high-riding lineup with the arrival of the Q5 in 2008 and the smaller Q3 (in overseas markets at least) in 2011. The Q2 is one of several new crossovers said to be in the works at Ingolstadt, including a potential slant-back crossover coupe to be dubbed Q6 and a Q4 to put the TT Offroad concept into production. Audi Group invests in the future - Capital expenditure of more than ˆ 3 billion in 2016 - Audi CEO Rupert Stadler: "Continuing with high levels of investment in future technologies to enhance strong position" - Axel Strotbek, Board of Management Member for Finance and Organization: "Gaining financial scope through further cost optimization" - Audi Board of Management Member for Human Resources Thomas Sigi: "Looking for experts in areas important for the future" Audi will lay the foundations for future growth in 2016.

Next Audi A7 redesign will include more traditional rear end

A report in Automobile says that Audi is rethinking the design of the next A7. Audi told Car and Driver that owners "have trouble with the radical tail of the A7," so its model-defining rear end will give way to something more traditional. Automobile is light on specifics of the redesign, but the general direction is "a lower, wider, and more expressive shape." The philosophy behind the dimensions and styling is a "C/D shift," meaning Audi wants to give its C-segment hatchback the bearing, gravitas, and visual delight of a D-segment vehicle. That would help the A7 stand out from its in-house competition, and could make for higher transaction prices. Having heard about different design directions from Audi for years without much in the showroom to back it up, we could define what we'd love to see in two words: more Prologue. This is Audi, so you know the next A7 will be packed with tech. We expect an emphasis on touchscreen interfaces, a digital dash cluster a la the TT that moves with the steering column, a HUD with night vision, and an MMI system a few more steps down the evolutionary trail. Engines will see some upgrades like the addition of a plug-in hybrid, the excellent 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder getting a 74-horsepower e-boost assist to 326 horsepower, the 3.0-liter V6 slated for the S7 rising to 500 hp, and the 4.0-liter V8 in the RS7 pumping out 575 hp.

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.