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World Car of the Year finalists announced

To say the 2014 Geneva Motor Show was packed full of news is an understatement as big as the show's home at the Palexpo convention center. Despite everything that we were able to cover during this year's show, there's still more coming out of Switzerland, including the announcement of the finalists for the 2014 World Car of the Year Awards.
We reported on the original list of finalists over three weeks ago, and now, that initial list has been pared down to three finalists for each of the five awards. The finalists were announced at a press conference by frequent Autoblog contributor and co-chair of the awards, Matt Davis (above).
The finalists for the overall title of 2014 World Car of the Year are the Audi A3, the BMW 4 Series and the Mazda3. The World Luxury Car of the Year will be either the Bentley Flying Spur, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class or the Land Rover Range Rover Sport, while the Performance Car of the Year will be awarded to the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, the Ferrari 458 Speciale or the Porsche 911 GT3 (which, um, yeah...).

2014 Audi A6, A7 and Q5 TDI diesel models get pricing and fuel economy figures [w/videos]

Last year, Audi announced that it was expanding its lineup of TDI models for 2014 with the Q5, A6 and A7 joining the diesel-burning Q7 and A8 L models already in existence. The Q7 TDI has been out for a few years now and we recently drove the A8 L TDI, but now Audi has released the pricing, performance and fuel economy details for the 2014 Q5 TDI, A6 TDI and the ever-stylish A7 TDI. Down the road, Audi has also promised a TDI version of the next-generation A3 that will debut for 2014.
Until the new A3 TDI shows up, the Q5 will be the most affordable diesel model in Audi's lineup, with a starting price of $46,500 to go with fuel economy estimates of 24 mpg city and 31 mpg highway. The closely related A6 and A7 will get identical fuel economy numbers of 24 city and 38 highway in diesel form, with the A6 TDI starting at $57,500 and the A7 TDI starting at $66,900. In the three new TDI applications, Audi's 3.0-liter V6 produces 240 horsepower and 428 pound-feet of torque, and all models are paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. Scroll down for videos (stock running footage) and more information on the Q5 TDI, A6 TDI and A7 TDI, all of which go on sale in late summer.

2017 Audi Q7 First Drive

Automotive evolution rarely makes a great leap, instead creeping along from new model to new model at a predictable pace. Audi's new Q7, though, is like handing a Bic lighter to a Cro-Mangon man smashing rocks. In Europe the new version drops 700 pounds, almost enough to reclassify its species. Audi's fire-machine will arrive in America in early 2016, as a 2017 lighter model. We spent some time in the Swiss Alps flicking the 2017 Audi Q7. As far as revolutions go, the 2017 Q7 certainly looks new. It resembles a tall station wagon more than ever, at least in European trim. A little tweaking of the design wand has left the rear end boxy and angular. Our test models use an adaptive air suspension, and the the "all-road" setting lifts the Q7 about an inch, to the normal ride height for US models. Thus raised, the big Q looks more like an SUV. This Q7 represents the first of the Volkswagen Group's MLB-platform cars. Lighter and said to be more dynamic, MLB will underpin everything from the next-gen A4 to performance and luxury SUVs like the Porsche Cayenne, and Bentley Bentayga. With the structural improvements comes a diet heavy in aluminum, the prime reason for the previously-mentioned weight savings. When outfitted for our content and crash-safety specification, US-bound models will still be about 500 pounds lighter than before. But dramatic weight-savings isn't the Q7's only trick. The adaptive air suspension significantly changes the character of the Q7, especially in the sportiest Dynamic model. There's an optional all-wheel steering feature that improves turning radius, and helps with high-speed stability. This is not to be confused with Audi's Quattro all-wheel drive, which along with a panoramic sunroof and seven seats, comes standard on all stateside models. Under the hood, things aren't so different. Both available engines are reworked but largely the same. The supercharged 3.0-liter gas engine still makes 333 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque, but it's not as thirsty as it used to be. Expect a two or three mile-per-gallon bump once official EPA ratings arrive. That engine, as well as Audi's reworked 3.0-liter V6 TDI – good for 260 hp and 443 lb-ft once outfitted for the US – are mated to the ubiquitous ZF eight-speed transmission. The Q7's driving character greatly depends on where it is pulling power from. While the diesel model is capable, turbo lag cuts back on the satisfaction we normally derive from oil burners.