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Premium compact hatchback wins Best Lower Medium Car in the fleet magazine’s annual awards

  • Audi A3 commended for its ‘sheer quality’ and luxury feel
  • Engines range from ultra-efficient 1.2 TFSI to 1.8 TFSI with 180 PS and 7-speed S tronic transmission
  • New A3 available to order now in SE, Sport or S line specification, priced from £17,905 OTR to £28,165 OTR
  • A3 Sportback priced from £18,525 OTR to £28,785 OTR

Executive level quality and technology and compact class financial viability combine to award-winning effect in the new Audi A3, which has just been voted Best Lower Medium Car in the 2013 Fleet World Honours.

The team behind the renowned industry magazine and its website fleetworld.co.uk staged its annual awards in London’s Pall Mall yesterday. The highly experienced editorial staff presided over the judging, factoring into the process residual value, maintenance and reliability data from respected providers including ALD Automotive, Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions, Lex Autolease, LeasePlan, EurotaxGlass, VIPDATA and Arval.

Steve Moody, Editor of Fleet World, said: “With the A3, Audi has taken an already-winning formula and refined it still further. It has low emission engines, as you would expect, and highly competitive running costs, but it is the sheer quality that impresses most. It might be a hatchback, but it feels like a luxury car.“

James Douglas, Head of Fleet Sales at Audi UK, commented: “In terms of showroom appeal the new A3 makes a very strong case for itself with its acute focus on quality, technology and efficiency – this award recognises these attributes but also emphasises that the A3 stacks up financially as a highly cost effective tool for business users. We’re honoured and greatly encouraged to have received it.“

New engines and technology
With its strong residual values and low running costs the A3 makes perfect sense as a company car, particularly in recently launched 1.2 TFSI petrol and famously frugal 1.6 TDI forms. What the 1.2 TFSI lacks in capacity it more than compensates for with enthusiasm and efficiency, combining surprisingly peppy performance from a 105PS output with 57.6mpg fuel economy potential and a CO2 output of just 114g/km. With an identical power output to the 1.2 TFSI, the 1.6 TDI maximises miles-per-gallon with a combined figure of 74.3mpg, while CO2 output drops to 99g/km in the six-speed manual version. The perennially popular 2.0 TDI model and the forthcoming 1.4 TFSI with fuel-sparing Cylinder-on-Demand technology (CoD) are also among the highlights with particular significance for business drivers.

The A3 is also a highly effective business tool in terms of its in-car technology, a fact which is emphasised by equipment options such as the enhanced ‘Technology package with Mobile phone preparation - High with Audi connect’, an online portal which allows users to access an array of interactive features. These include text message and email alerts, flight and train information, up-to-date fuel station pricing and locations, Facebook and Twitter interaction and online news feeds, which can be individually tailored via a myAudi account configurable from the audi.co.uk home page.

High mileage corporate drivers will also appreciate the fact that the A3 offers the no-cost option to combine the suppleness of standard suspension with the higher specification Sport and S line trim levels, and also now the opportunity to further boost long distance comfort without sacrificing handling composure by specifying Audi magnetic ride.

This adaptive suspension system uses dampers containing synthetic hydrocarbon oil with tiny magnetic particles. When a voltage is applied, a magnetic field is generated in which the particles realign perpendicular to the direction of flow of the oil, and allow the forces of the damper to be constantly adapted within milliseconds. In comfort mode, oil viscosity is high for a more cushioned and comfortable ride. In dynamic mode – when the oil is less viscous – the suspension tautens for a more engaging drive.

Another innovative driver aid is the new Progressive steering option. This variable ratio system reduces the driver’s steering effort whilst also providing a more precise feel, which is particularly useful when parking. In driving conditions where a quicker steering input is required, the weighting firms up for improved response and more communication with the driver.

The Audi A3 is currently available in three-door and five-door Sportback forms, and will be joined later in 2013 by the A3 Saloon, the Vorsprung durch Technik brand’s first ever compact class saloon.

 
Article source: www.audi.co.uk

Augmented reality mobile app breathes new life into paper brochures by adding illuminating new multimedia elements

The words ‘brochure’ and ‘price guide’ will no longer do justice to the latest Audi model literature as the Vorsprung durch Technik brand fittingly becomes the first car manufacturer to bring its material vividly to life through augmented reality.

The new Audi Vision app will enable customers to point their camera-equipped mobile devices at the latest spring 2013 Audi price and specification guides, and ‘unlock’ the static pages of the brochure, triggering additional content such as video, sound, hotspots and additional pictures and text.

As high quality explanatory film and imagery brings each car and its technology to life, customers will of course also still have access to all the necessary background pricing, specification and technical data to help them make an informed purchase decision.

Once the Audi Vision app has taken a ‘grab’ from a particular brochure using the device’s camera, it no longer requires a data connection (although wi-fi is required for streamed video), unlike other generic cloud-based augmented reality platforms, so users can access elements of the additional content wherever and whenever they choose.

The Audi Vision app has been designed exclusively for Audi by global mobile marketing specialist Somo, and is available for the iPhone, the iPad and Android-based devices. The app will be compatible with all the Audi model range brochures.

Hugh Fletcher, National Digital Manager for Audi UK, says: “Audi Vision is the most innovative digital project we’ve undertaken to date, and applying this technology to our brochures is just the beginning. In the coming years we’ll be using the Vision platform across a broad spectrum of marketing channels, augmenting printed matter, digital content and other materials used by our Audi Centres to allow Audi fans to really get under the skin of our cars.”

Article source: www.audi.co.uk

  • Global deliveries since January at around 503,000 units, up 6.7 per cent
  • UK cumulative sales reach almost 50,000, a 9.6 per cent increase over the previous year
  • UK April sales figures reach 10,205, up 9.4 per cent on April 2012
  • Sales chief Luca de Meo: "Dynamics in North America and Asia support worldwide growth impetus

  • Market launch of locally produced Q3 and new-generation Q5 in China

Audi has marked the start of the second quarter with further sales growth. The Ingolstadt-based premium manufacturer sold around 133,500 cars in April, representing an increase of 6.6 per cent compared with the same period in 2012. UK demand for Audi models remains particularly strong - 10,205 sales were recorded here, representing a 9.4 per cent increase on April last year. In total, around 503,000 customers worldwide have chosen a new Audi since the beginning of this year, an increase of 6.7 per cent.

This is the first time that Audi has exceeded the threshold of half a million deliveries after just four months. In particular demand for the new A3 family and the Q3, Q5 and Q7 SUV models strengthened business for the brand with the four rings.

"Given the extremely difficult market situation in Europe, we see our global sales result for April as positive. Especially the USA and China are currently setting the pace for Audi," says Luca de Meo, Member of the Board of Management for Sales and Marketing at AUDI AG. And: "We are further strengthening our position in China with the launch of the locally produced Audi Q3, in a very dynamic segment. Already today, more than every third customer in the Chinese premium market decides in favour of an SUV."

The Q3 went into local production a few weeks ago at the Changchun site as Audi's fourth locally produced model alongside the A6 L, A4 L and Q5. The first units of the compact SUV became available in Chinese dealerships in April. Also the new generation of the Q5, an extremely popular model in China, went into the showrooms last month. Together with the Q7, Audi's SUV sales in China increased by 31.3 per cent to 11,784 units already in April. Also sales of the locally produced A4 L saw strong growth of 19.5 per cent to 10,426 units. Across the entire model range, Audi recorded a growth of 13.1 per cent to 38,710 cars delivered last month. From January to April, Audi handed 141,520 automobiles over to Chinese customers, an increase of 13.9 per cent.

Other markets as well contributed to Audi's continued dynamic growth in the Asia-Pacific region with strong double-digit growth in April. In Japan for example, the brand with the four rings expanded its business by 36.3 per cent to sales of 1,858 cars, in South Korea by 35.7 per cent to 1,711 units and in India by 37.0 per cent to 770 automobiles.

In Europe, however, Audi was also not able to escape the general economic situation: In April, sales in this region decreased by 1.9 per cent to around 65,500 premium automobiles. In France, where Audi had achieved sales growth of 13.7 per cent in the prior-year month, deliveries this April decreased by a similar percentage (-10.2 per cent to 5,648 cars). In Italy, the dip for Audi accounted for 19.4 per cent last month, corresponding to 3,920 units sold. In comparison to the same period last year, this result reflects the negative overall market condition as well as the fact that in April 2012, two new models in the Audi portfolio, the A1 Sportback and the Q3, had just become fully available in this market.

In Germany sales tailed off by 3.7 per cent to 23,411 cars, while Russia (+11.1 per cent to 3,651 cars) and the UK bucked the trend, posting particularly impressive growth among the major European sales markets. In the United Kingdom, the 9.4 per cent increase in demand for Audi models was strengthened by the successful start of the A3 Sportback and the new-generation Q5. In total, European sales for the Audi model range in the first four months of 2013 matched the same period in 2012, with 253,050 units delivered (+/- 0 per cent). This means that the business of Audi AG in Europe is developing in a much more stable way than the region's overall market.

In the USA, Audi of America continued its strong performance of the previous months with substantial growth of 14.2 per cent to 13,157 deliveries in April. The brand was again particularly successful with its full-size models: 467 customers took delivery of a new Audi A8, 30.4 per cent more than in April 2012. This month, the diesel powered version of the brand's flagship became available at US dealers for the first time. As the year progresses, Audi will expand its TDI offensive in the USA with the A6, the A7 and the Q5. Audi's second full-size sedan, the A6, also made good headway in the USA last month, with growth of 21.7 per cent to 1,905 units sold. Also the brand's SUVs continue to be extremely popular with US customers: Audi of America recorded 1,183 deliveries of the Q7 in April (plus 33.4 per cent), and 3,241 of the Q5 (plus 31.6 per cent).

Meanwhile, Mexico has established itself as another growth driver for Audi in North America. With growth of 54.7 per cent to 3,553 units sold from January through April, Audi is the leading premium brand in the Mexican market. In April alone, unit sales climbed by 74.8 per cent compared with the prior-year month, boosted for example by strong demand for the new A3. As of 2016, Audi will produce the Q5 for the world market in the Mexican city of San José Chiapa; last Saturday, the Board of Management of AUDI AG laid the foundation stone for the new car factory there.

Article source: www.audi.co.uk

When you’re stuck in traffic or stopped at traffic lights, your idling engine still uses fuel. Our start-stop technology switches off the engine when you’re not moving and out of gear.

The starting procedure is triggered as soon as your foot depresses the clutch and you’re up and running by the time you’ve selected a gear. Simple. This saves on energy, CO2 emissions and up to 0.4l of fuel for every 100km.

 
Article source: www.audi.co.uk
  • TT ultra quattro concept destined for the Worthersee festival sheds 300kg (compared with closest equivalent production model) and benefits from a power boost for its 2.0-litre TFSI engine
  • 310PS, 400Nm between 1,900rpm and 5,000rpm
  • 1,111kg weight yields 279PS per ton, 0-62mph in 4.2 seconds, 173mph top speed
  • Extensive use of Carbon Fibre-Reinforced Polymer (CFRP), Fibreglass-Reinforced Polymer (FRP) and magnesium reduces bodyshell weight by 100kg

Audi engineers are waging war on excess weight, and their latest victory is a TT 2.0 TFSI Coupe which has shed an incredible 300kg and gained a power upgrade to 310PS, giving it a 4.2-second 0-62mph sprint time and a top speed of over 170mph.

The TT ultra quattro concept is, as its name suggests, essentially a study developed for next month's annual gathering of Audi enthusiasts in Wörthersee, Germany, but it demonstrates how an intelligent mix of materials can bring about considerable weight savings even in existing series-production models. Work on the deployment of these materials could conceivably inform the development of future low-volume Audi model series.

The showcar tips the scales at a lean 1,111kg, an impressive achievement considering it combines its potent petrol engine with quattro all-wheel-drive. With 310PS and 400Nm of torque to propel this pared back mass via a six-speed transmission, the result is a highly impressive power-to-weight ratio of 279PS per ton, a blistering 4.2-second 0-62mph acceleration time and a top speed of 173mph.

The four-cylinder engine raises its game thanks to modifications to the crankcase, the crankshaft, the balancer shafts, the flywheel, the sump, the bolts and certain ancillary units that help to reduce the unit's weight by 25 kilograms.

No detail was too small to escape scrutiny during the optimisation process that culminated in the TT ultra quattro concept. With its innovative hybrid body shell the fully fledged production TT already boasts a low body weight of 206 kilograms (excluding detachable body parts amounting to 98 kilograms) which bears testament to Audi engineers' desire to account for every last gram.

The concept's body structure sheds another 43 kilograms, and with the help of optimised detachable body parts achieves a total weight saving of 100 kilograms.
The use of carbon fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) in the rear end, the centre tunnel, the B-pillars and the roof contributes to this significant saving, as do magnesium components in the floor and in the hinge reinforcements.

The front brakes with their ceramic discs and aluminium fixed calipers also make a contribution, and there are savings to be found in the titanium exhaust system with its single centrally mounted tailpipe and the CFRP wheels with their high-strength aluminium spokes, which shave off a particularly impressive 20 kilograms.

Fibreglass-Reinforced Polymer (FRP) springs

Fibreglass-reinforced polymer (FRP) also replaces more conventional steel for the coil springs in the suspension, helping to further reduce unsprung masses. The core of the all-new springs consists of long glass fibres twisted together and impregnated with epoxy resin. A machine wraps additional fibres around this core, which is only a few millimetres in diameter, at alternating angles of plus and minus 45 degrees to the longitudinal axis. These layers support each other and act in either compression or tension. The use of FRP at this point cuts weight by 40 per cent while still permitting good operating characteristics.

To further hone the nimble handling which is already a TT trademark, the developers have also concentrated on distributing the remaining weight as effectively as possible by moving it to the centre of the car wherever it was practical to do so. The lithium-ion starter battery, for instance, is located in the interior under the driver's seat. It is much smaller than a lead battery and weighs just under four kilograms (8.82 lb).

300KG total weight saving

Overall, these lightweight construction measures leave the concept car 300 kilograms lighter than the comparable series-production car, helping to minimise the inertial mass that the TFSI engine has to contend with during acceleration.

The exceptional calibre of the TT ultra quattro concept is reflected in its even more emphatic styling, the focal point of which is the large spoiler which gives a nod to its motorsport genes. The base of the rear wing is manufactured as a supporting component from milled aluminium, while the wing itself is made of visible carbon fibre.

The concept car is painted in the special colour crystal white, which is complemented by CFRP elements in the roof, the flanks and the tailgate. In the interior the same material also adorns the door trim, the centre console and the cross-bracing that replaces the rear seat bench. The standard front seats are also replaced by fibreglass-reinforced polymer (FRP) bucket seats from the R8 GT which help to reduce the all-up weight by a further 22 kilograms.

There are no compromises on equipment behind the headline-grabbing figures - air conditioning, electric window controls and an electromechanical parking brake are all included, and there are even innovations such as compact cameras in the doors which replace the exterior mirrors and transfer images directly into the digital cockpit.

 
Article source: www.audi.co.uk