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Mercedes considering Audi Allroad rival

The Audi Allroad is something of an anomaly in the automotive world. Its competitors are limited to the recently released Volvo V60 Cross Country and perhaps the far cheaper Subaru Outback. The lifted premium wagon hasn't exactly done great for Audi, only selling a few hundred examples each month. Its best sales year was 2013, and even then, only 5,300 left US showrooms. Despite these limited prospects, word from Australia is that Mercedes-Benz is looking at launching its own competitor to the Allroad. "We are looking at every single niche, so we are studying this [Allroad] at the moment, but it is not confirmed," Matthias Luhrs, VP of sales and a member of the product management at MB, told Motoring.com.au. "We are looking obviously at C-Class and E-Class, but no confirmation at the moment." Fortunately, Luhrs recognizes that the Allroad isn't exactly a smash in the US. "In the US, no matter how long, short, high ... they don't like station wagons," Luhrs said, while adding that the Allroad concept is "developing quite successfully" in Italy and southern Europe. And for those hoping for a lifted C- or E-Class sedan, Luhrs also put the kibosh on that, saying, "We are not studying that." So what does this tell us? Well, it's still far from a sure thing that Mercedes will launch a lifted C-Class or E-Class Estate. And even if the company does go ahead with it, like the rest of the brand's long roofs (E-Class aside), don't expect to see it on US roads.

VW confirms Audi's emissions test transmission anomalies

Just a week after reports that the California Air Resources Board (CARB) found an emissions cheat in some Audi automatic transmission software programs, parent company Volkswagen has come clean. As reported by Reuters, VW's response to an article by Munich's Sueddeutsche Zeitung stated that the adaptive shift functionality can "lead to incorrect and non-reproducible results." Adaptive shift programs alter the characteristics of a vehicle's transmission to suit different driving styles. Gentle driving will result in earlier shifts and lower engine revs, while hard-charging on the pedals and steering will make the transmission more responsive and hold gears longer. That adaptation can change over time or even on a short-term basis. And it can save fuel. The difference in this case is that is seems that the Audi transmissions were specifically programmed to detect emissions test conditions. As we explained in a previous article, one of those test conditions is keeping the wheel straight. Turning more than 15 degrees shuts the test mode off. According to Reuters, the US government is trying to determine whether this classifies as an emissions cheat device, although VW, Audi, and the EPA have not commented on the record. This latest accusation is separate from the larger VW diesel emissions scandal. Related Video: Image Credit: Getty Editorial Government/Legal Green Audi Volkswagen Emissions vw diesel scandal

Audi will launch electric line with E-Tron SUV

With BMW and Mercedes both building electric sub-brands, one automaker has been left out of the electric conversation: Audi. However, information from Autocar helps shed some light on the Audi electric situation, and it starts with an SUV. Autocar spoke with Audi chairman Rupert Stadler, who said Audi's new electric SUV will be called the E-Tron. He told the publication the naming scheme would be similar to how Audi introduced Quattro all-wheel drive with a car named after the feature. Also like Quattro, Stadler said other Audi models with electrified powertrains will receive E-Tron suffixes. In a way, it will be like BMW's naming scheme with the i sub-brand; some models are just referred to by the i designation, while normal models with hybrid or electric powertrains have names such as iPerformance. Autocar also revealed that other electric-only E-Tron models will come later, probably in the forms of a hatchback and a sedan. This news also shows that Audi hasn't given up on electric car development. Just last week, the company killed off its R8 E-Tron electric supercar. While the move raised some eyebrows here, since the R8 E-Tron could have been a great electric halo car for the new brand, it seems Audi is more interested in mass-market electric vehicles. The R8 E-Tron, which cost $1,000,000, sold fewer than 100 units and could only be purchased by getting in touch with Audi directly, didn't really fit that bill. Related Video: Featured Gallery Audi E-Tron Quattro: Frankfurt 2015 View 10 Photos News Source: AutocarImage Credit: Copyright 2016 Jonathon Ramsey / AOL Green Marketing/Advertising Audi SUV Electric e-tron quattro r8 e-tron