2009 Audi A4 on 2040-cars

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Audi will build E-Tron Quattro in Brussels in 2018

Audi will begin assembly of the production version of the E-Tron Quattro concept crossover in Brussels, Belgium, in 2018, and the company will also build the vehicle's batteries there. Introducing its first electric CUV will be an early step in the German automaker's goal for 20 to 25 percent of US deliveries to be EVs by 2025. The E-Tron Quattro concept previewed the electric crossover's angular styling at the 2015 Frankfurt Show, and Audi was clear that production would start in early 2018. The vehicle should have ample get-up from three electric motors – one in front and two at the back – for a total output of 429 horsepower but brief jolts up to 496 hp. Audi also claimed that the 95-kWh battery could offer over 311 miles of range on the European cycle. The company already signed a deal to use battery cells from LG Chem and Samsung SDI on the final model. Some rumors suggest Audi might call the production version the Q6. The company supports that possibility in its press release by saying: "The sporty SUV will fit between the Audi Q7 and the Audi Q5 in the product portfolio." However, Audi of America president Scott Keogh hinted to Autoblog before the LA Auto Show that it could carry a different name. Audi's development of the E-Tron Quattro is an example of Volkswagen Group's strategy to take EVs more seriously. For example, improved batteries will soon boost the e-Golf's range. Further in the future, Porsche will launch a production version of its Mission E electric sedan around 2020, and VW will reportedly make an electric Phaeton at some point next decade. Related Video: AUDI PRODUCTION NETWORK: READY FOR ELECTRIC MOBILITY Premium manufacturer to produce large series of electric cars in Brussels as of 2018 New models for Martorell (Spain) and Gyor (Hungary) Audi CEO Rupert Stadler: "We are increasing our efficiency and bundling key competencies" January 20, 2016 | Ingolstadt/Brussels/Gyor/Martorell -- Audi is preparing its international production network for the mobility of the future. Large-series production of the first purely electric-driven SUV from Audi will begin at the site in Brussels in 2018. The plant will also produce its own batteries. The company will transfer production of the Audi A1 from Belgium to Martorell in Spain. The Audi Q3, which is currently produced in Spain, will be built in Gyor (Hungary) in the future. The model rotation will benefit all the sites of Audi's global production network.

2017 Audi S4 First Drive

For all its power and easy performance, the best thing about the last Audi S4 was its uncanny ability to act like a normal (but very high-spec) A4 for most of its life. Then, when you needed or wanted a bit more speed or a bit more grip, you pushed a button or opened the tap and it became something else. It became a thing with more grip, more poise, more focus, and more gristle, but the changeover between the two S4 characters was seamless. That doesn't seem to be the case with the new one. The latest, B9 A4 has been well received and is probably the best mid-sized premium car out there, so that should have left the S4 a simple job to become the best warmed-up premium mid-sizer. It hasn't quite happened like that. The spec sheet suggests the S4 should come out on top in the fight with the BMW 340i and the Mercedes-AMG C43, but the numbers aren't everything. The engine seems impressive on paper; the all-new EA838 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 was jointly developed with Porsche (and it's closely related to Porsche's next V8, with which it will share non-internal bits like the camshaft chain). The 60-degree V6 weighs 31 pounds less than the old S4's supercharged V6, and it's replete with variable valve timing and lift, centrally mounted fuel injectors, and both direct and indirect fuel injection. That gives it 354 horsepower at 5400-6400 rpm (up 6.5 percent) and 369 pound-feet of torque from 1,370 to 4,500 rpm. That gives it a peak 44 lb-ft higher than the old one, spread across a band 600 revs broader. At 2,000 rpm, where drivers live every traffic light, it has another 74 pound-feet. That's enough motivation to move to 62 mph in 4.7 seconds. There's a new all-wheel-drive system that usually shoots 60 percent of the torque to the back but can ramp that up to 85 percent when it needs to, or it can swing it around to fire more than 70 percent to the front axle. The category benchmarks suggest turbocharged 3.0-liter gasoline sixes are the thing to have, with the Mercedes-AMG C43 using one, the 340i BMW having one (though it's straight), and Maserati's Ghibli also using one. The oddball is Jaguar's XE S, which uses a supercharger. You know, like Audi just ditched. The S4 trumps all but the C43 on power (the nine-speed Benz has 362 hp). While it ties the Ghibli for torque, it again trails the Benz (by 15 lb-ft) though its torque peak hits far earlier (the Benz waits until 2,000 rpm).

Audi recalls 850,000 A4 models globally for airbags that won't deploy

Audi has announced that it will be recalling 850,000 A4 sedans, wagons and Allroad models across the globe due to a software problem that could prevent the front airbags from deploying. All 850,000 vehicles were built after 2012.
Audi has already adjusted production of new A4s to eliminate the software glitch. Meanwhile, the German manufacturer was quick to emphasize that Takata did not manufacture the affected airbags.
According to Reuters, 250,000 of the affected A4s were built for the Chinese market, while another 150,000 were sold in Germany. Audi didn't provide a breakdown beyond those two countries, although it'd be a surprise if there weren't at least some affected airbags in the US market.