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Will Audi's e-tron SUV's range match the Tesla Model X?

Tesla may soon get some competition from across the Pond when it comes to battery-electric SUV supremacy. Volkswagen's Audi division is preparing an SUV sized between its Q5 and Q7. And the company is suggesting that the model's single-charge range may challenge that of the Model X. Audi's battery-electric SUV, which was first shown off in a concept version at the Frankfort Auto Show in 2015, may start sales as soon as next year. More importantly, the model could have a single-charge range of more than 300 miles, UK's Autocar says, citing an interview with Audi executive Dietmar Voggenreiter. Granted, that estimate is likely for Europe's more generous NEDC cycle, which would put the range at closer to 250 miles by US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards. Still, 250 miles would beat the 200-mile range of the base-model Tesla Model X and would be in spitting distance of the 100D model's 295 miles. What that means for US customers - price, on-sale date, and range - is unclear. Audi spokesperson Amelia Fine-Morrison, in an e-mail to Autoblog, said it was "too soon to confirm the details," and that the automaker would disclose more information closer to the official launch date. Still, Audi has said it looks to have as much of 25 percent of its global offerings be electrified by 2025, so this will likely be a big step towards that goal. Then there's the question of how big the domestic market will be (not to mention how much the Audi SUV EV will cost). During the three months ended Dec. 31, 2016, Tesla delivered a quarterly-record 9,500 Model X vehicles, so there will obviously be high-end demand for an electric SUV from an established brand like Audi. Related Video:

Best and worst car brands of 2022 according to Consumer Reports

It's that time again, Consumer Reports this morning lifting the curtain on its 2022 Annual Car Brand rankings and its 10 Top Picks in the car, crossover, and truck category. Drumroll, please: This year, Subaru climbs two spots to claim the winner's circle, having come third the last two years. Last year, Mazda climbed three spots from 2020 to take the crown. This year, Mazda slipped to second, BMW taking the last spot on the podium, also a one-spot drop from 2021. Six automakers in the top 10 hailed from Japan, which is one more than last year, and five luxury makers occupied the top 10, which is two more than last year. And South Korean representation didn't crack the top this year, after Hyundai managed tenth last year. The seven makes after BMW are: Honda, Lexus, Audi, Porsche, Mini, Toyota, and Infiniti.  The magazine and testing concern says its Brand Report Card "[reveals] which automakers are producing the most well-performing, safe, and reliable vehicles based on CR’s independent testing and member surveys," and that "Brands that rise to the top tend to have the most consistent performance across their model lineups." The domestics also took steps back among the 32 OEMs ranked on the 2022 card. Chrysler and Buick were the domestic carmakers who made last year's top 10 in eighth and ninth, respectively. This year, Buick dropped to eleventh, Chrysler to thirteenth. Dodge went from fourteenth to sixteenth. CR continues to ding Tesla's yoke steerer, the not-exactly-natural handhold responsible for the electric carmaker going from sixteenth last year to twenty-third this year.

Audi's lunar rover is nearly ready for the moon

Last year, Audi announced it was working on a lunar rover with a group called the Part-Time Scientists. Now the company says the design of its Lunar Quattro is complete, and all that's left is final testing before it's ready to head for the moon. Since Audi and its 16 engineers became involved with the project, the rover has actually increased in size, as have its tires. The company says this is for added stability. Despite the added size, the rover is now lighter, bringing it down from 38 to 30 kilograms (what we'd call 66 pounds). Otherwise, the rover is generally the same as it was last year. All four wheels are still powered by electricity, so Audi touts it as being both a Quattro and an E-tron vehicle. Cute. The rover will undergo final testing in the Middle East where it will run through simulations of the mission. For those unfamiliar, the mission parameters were set by Google for the Google Lunar XPRIZE. The prize is worth $30 million and will go to the first team to land a privately funded lander and rover on the moon, drive the rover 500 meters, and send back photos. If the mission is successful, we should get some great 3D and 360-degree shots of the lunar rover left behind by the Apollo 17 mission in 1972, since the proposed landing site is nearby. The Part-Time Scientists team that Audi partnered with has also booked a launch for its ALINA lunar lander, which will carry a pair of the Lunar Quattro rovers to the moon's surface. The launch was scheduled with Spaceflight Industries and is set for the end of 2017. Spaceflight Industries has managed 11 rocket launches with different companies and rockets between 2013 and 2015, and will also launch a probe from Israeli XPRIZE competitor SpaceIL sometime next year on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Related Video: