2009 Audi A4 2dr Cabriolet 2.0turbo Clean Car Clean Carfax on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2016 Audi SQ5 TDI Plus a quick sprinter with 35 mpg

Not only does Europe get cool diesel-powered models, but occasionally, some of those oil-burners are of the high-performance variety. Take the Volkswagen Golf GTD, Audi Q7 V12 TDI, and now this, the new Audi SQ5 TDI Plus. In this new form, the 3.0-liter, turbodiesel V6 is very nearly as powerful as the supercharged V6 available in the US-market SQ5, producing 340 horsepower. That's 27 more than stock, for those keeping track at home. In terms of torque, of course, the diesel-powered SQ5 just embarrasses the gas-powered CUV. Torque is up 37 pound-feet to a thumping 516 lb-ft. We'll go ahead and classify that as a lot. This extra output allows the SQ5 TDI Plus to hit 62 miles per hour in just 5.1 seconds, matching the supercharged model we have access to here in the US. The top speed, as with the gas-powered model, is limited at 155. Unlike North America's CUV, though, fuel economy is very impressive. European drivers can expect the equivalent of 35.6 miles per gallon, compared to just 24 mpg with the gas engine. We have a full set of images of the new SQ5 TDI Plus from the floor of the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show. Scroll up and check them out. Related Video: Even more power and top-of-the-line equipment: The Audi SQ5 TDI plus with 250 kW (340 hp) - The SQ5 TDI plus will launch on the German market in October 2015 - 700 Nm of torque; from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.1 seconds - On request, exclusive equipment package from quattro GmbH Audi is further expanding its range of S models. In October, the new SQ5 TDI plus* will arrive at German dealerships with more power and driving pleasure and even more extensive equipment – with 250 kW (340 hp), sport differential and 21-inch wheels. Even in its basic version, the successful Audi SQ5 TDI* comes as an SUV with the performance of a sports car. The plus version has an even higher power output. The biturbo V6 TDI produces 250 kW (340 hp) from its three liters of displacement by way of increased injection pressure. This results in 20 kW/27 hp more power compared to the SQ5 TDI. Its peak torque is increased by 50 (36.9 lb-ft) to 700 Nm (516.3 lb-ft). The powerful diesel SUV accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (62.1 mph) in just 5.1 seconds; the top speed is electronically governed to 250 km/h (155.3 mph). In the NECD cycle, it merely requires 6.6 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers (35.6 US mpg) with emission of 174 g CO2/km (280.0 g/mi).

BMW reclaims US luxury sales crown from Mercedes

The numbers, they are in: BMW has reclaimed the luxury-sales crown from Mercedes by a margin of 9,347 cars. Mercedes donned the king's headgear in 2013 after a strong final quarter of 2013 when the new CLA and S-Class poured out of dealerships. This year, led by the 3 Series/4 Series and X5, BMW sold 339,738 units – a 9.8-percent increase year-on-year. Mercedes, led by the C-Class and M-Class, saw its sales go up by 5.7 percent to 330,391 units. We'll have to wait a bit to see if there's another registrations-vs-sales challenge as in 2012, when BMW was anointed US luxury ruler. Behind them, a dark horse named Lexus nudged closer to the leading Teutons, selling 311,389 cars. The Japanese luxury automaker also had the biggest gain among the top three, its sales rising by 13.7 percent compared to 2013. Audi had the biggest sales of anyone among the top five, though, with a 15.2-percent gain to 182,011, which moved it a spot ahead of Cadillac; the Wreath-and-Crest brand dropped 6.5 percent to 170,750. Acura (167,843), Infiniti (117,300), and Lincoln (94,474) took the final positions. Speaking of Lincoln, sales at the once-mighty luxury marque stand as the mightiest jump of any on this list, up 15.6 percent. That's the power of Matthew McConaughey... and better cars and a new crossover, sure. So now that we're back to Round One of 2015, in case no one else has said it yet: "Ok, fight!"

2016 Audi TTS Quick Spin

So, this is awkward. Last week, you (hopefully) read my Quick Spin on the Mercedes-Benz C450 AMG, a vehicle that I argued was dynamically very good, but wasn't so much better than the standard C300 to make it a worthwhile buy. Now I'm going to voice a similar opinion. The Audi TT has always been a vehicle you bought for the style, rather than the performance. If you wanted an athletic two-seat German, you just bought a Porsche Boxster. But the TT, that's a car you bought for the way it looks. And the way it looks remains the strongest argument against the car you see here, the TTS. In short, it's quick, agile, and more aggressive looking, but none of those qualities are so dramatically better than the plain-jane TT. Another Autoblogger came to this conclusion while tracking the new TTS – now I'll explain where this car misses the bull's eye on the road. Driving Notes Audi will probably never match the design impact of the original 1998 TT, but the third-gen feels like a more mature, cohesive evolution of the handsome second-generation car. The front and rear fascias are sharper, more muscular, the headlights/taillights chiseled and emotive, and the front grille significantly more powerful. Even in the subdued Daytona Gray shown here, this is a car that can get people staring almost as easily as that original model. The interior of the third-generation TT is as much a design triumph as the first TT's exterior. It's a master class in clean, simple, elegant design, but it's also extremely disorienting. Buttons for the HVAC system are hidden on the vents themselves and not having a central display of any kind is jarring. Once you get used to the layout and embrace the absolutely exceptional Virtual Cockpit – seriously, I'm convinced this is the finest piece of in-car technology on the market – the cockpit layout just starts making sense. This is a compact cabin, but it's a wonderful place to spend time. In addition to Virtual Cockpit, the S Sport seats (optional on the standard TT) are supportive and perfectly snug. Even for the big boned, the flat-bottomed steering wheel is a delight. The material quality is high across the board. Perhaps the biggest complaint is the charitably named backseats. Audi should just go with an R8-style shelf back here – those tiny buckets aren't fooling anyone. It'd make for a more versatile interior. Audi's current TT engine line is restricted to 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinders.