Audi A4 Avant received a tuning package from the German tuner Avus Performance. Called Black Arrow is painted in gloss black finish and is powered by a 2.7-liter TDI engine that thanks to an ECU upgrade delivers 230bhp and 358 lb/ft of torque (up from a standard 190bhp and 295 lb/ft).
The car is also equipped with coilovers and lowering springs. It sits on massive 21 inch wheels. The car can be also ordered in matte black or white.
The ‘Billboard War’ between Audi and BMW has taken a new life of its own, thanks to the latter’s new Billboard in Ingolstadt, which incidentally, is the home turf of Audi.
If you recall, the two European automakers engaged in a ‘can-you-top-this?’ billboard duel in California, USA last April. The first salvo was thrown by Audi, which created a billboard for the Audi A4 with the tag line ‘Your move, BMW’ at its dealership along Santa Monica Boulevard. Not to be outdone, BMW commissioned Juggernaut Advertising, which came up with a brilliant response to Audi’s billboard. Across the street from the Audi billboard was put up, BMW produced a bigger billboard of its BMW M3 with the simple tag-line of ‘Checkmate’ – a direct reference to Audi’s slogan.
The German automaker Audi has just announced prices for the 2010 A4 and A5 sedan and coupe as well as the Q5 compact crossover. In the appropriate Vorsprung das Tecnik fashion, each of the luxury vehicles have been improved for next year. The A4 and A5 now feature LED tail lights as part of the Premium Plus and Prestige trim packages, the sporty A5 will also receive, for the first time, the same fuel efficient 2.0 Liter TFSI direct-injection four cylinder engine that is offered in the A4. The larger Q5 Prestige will also offer an optional Luxury Package to make customers feel like their money was well spent.
The 2010 Audi A4 will start at $31,450 equipped with the TFSI 2.0 Liter driving the front wheels and goes all the way up to $42,250 for the quattro version when they start to make their way into showrooms. The sporty A5 will start out at $36,000 for a 2.0 TFSI powered quattro Coupe with a manual transmission and will go all the way up to $45,500 for a Tiptronic. The Audi Q5 SUV is not only the heaviest of the bunch, but will also tip the monetary scales the most with a starting rice of $37,350 that climbs to $48,850 depending on how luxurious a packages you prefer.
Audi is offering new entry-level engines for both the Audi Q5 and Audi A4 Allroad. The Q5 gets the 2.0 TDI and the 2.0-liter TFSI, both in conjunction with the 6-speed manual transmission. The diesel engine is also available for the A4 Allroad.
Both engines are in-line four-cylinder engines with direct injection, with the diesel version developing 143 hp and the gasoline one 180 hp.
Watch out Bugatti, because someone has just has just recorded a land speed record, for an alternatively fueled vehicle. This gas powered Audi A4 sped its way into the pages of the Guinness Book Of World Records with a 225+ MPH run. Under the hood, the four door Audi uses a modified turbocharged 3.0 Liter V6 running on compressed natural gas. An added advantage of the alternative gas is its rating of 120 octane, allowing Hohenester, the tuners which prepared the vehicle, to pile on the boost without worrying about detonation. Although the twin turbo motor makes closer to 800 HP, it was restricted to only 700 ponies for the record setting 226.55 MPH run.
What we want to know is, where to get some CNG for our test fleet.
Audi launched the most fuel efficient A4 in the line-up: the A4 2.0 TDI e with a fuel consumption of 4.6 liters of diesel per 100 kilometers (51.13 miles per U.S. gallon) and CO2 emission of 119 g/km.
The e version delivers 136 hp and can sprint from 0 to 62 mph in just 9.5 seconds and can hit a top speed of 133.59 mph.
It was no big surprise when Audi confirmed at the Geneva Motor Show that its wagon/crossover A4 allroad would not be part of the U.S. lineup. The limited market and the failure of the A6 allroad seemed like an easy decision to keep the car off the wagon-fearing shores of North America. But now that Subaru has a new Outback on the way, everything may have changed.
The Truth About Cars has a source within Audi North America who said, “Audi believes there’s a large number of U.S. Outback owners who’re tired of the brand. Customers who want the same sort of vehicle, only better.” Now the A4 allroad mat be in U.S. showrooms as early as September.
Audi sells the A4 allroad in Europe starting at €37,100 (about $49K at direct current rates), and the current Outback starts at $22,295. Last year Subaru sold 44,280 Outbacks, so is this market big enough for Audi to skim the cream off the top?
Not all of us can get to Ingolstadt, Germany to watch Audi build an A4, so the next best thing is to see Audi’s video from the factory. We’re sure Audi didn’t plan ahead when making this video, and its assembly line is just littered with attractive blondes. Hmmmmm.
It’s a wagon...It’s an SUV...It’s the Audi A4 allroad quattro. Audi will officially unveil the A4 allroad quattro in March at the Geneva Motor Show, but it is already letting the details out. The car will go on sale in early summer at a base price of €37,100. That’s about $47,500 at current rates, but Audi has confirmed the A4 allroad will not make it to the U.S. Audi sold the original A6-based allroad North America, but it was pulled in 2006 due to weak sales.
The A4 allroad quattro will be offered with a choice of three engines: 211 hp 2.0-liter TFSI, 170 hp 2.0-liter TDI diesel, and 240 hp 3.0-liter TDI diesel.
These are available with either a six-speed manual transmission or dual-clutch S tronic transmission depending on engine choice.
The A4 allroad shares a resemblance with the Audi A4 Avant on which the allroad is based. Some distinguishing elements include the higher ride height, wider stance (less than an inch more than the A4 Avant), and two-tone paint created by the body cladding. For lovers of crossover vehicles, the allroad is one of the first and best examples. It combines the car and SUV together in a package that’s more car (and thus, more fun) than almost anything else out there.
Audi is creating a ‘will they or won’t they’ saga that no one asked for. It showed of the first A4 allroad at the Geneva Auto Show, but we didn’t pay too much attention, because the company confirmed it wasn’t scheduled for the U.S. That didn’t surprise too many of us here because the original A6-based allroad wasn’t a hot seller and was discontinued in 2005.
Now Audi may be too quick with its own decision. In an interview with Automotive News, Peter Schwarzenbauer, Audi AG board member for sales and marketing, said the company is seriously considering bringing the wagon/SUV/crossover to the USA market because regular SUVs are becoming less popular.
"When we launched the A6 allroad the first time, it was still the high time of big SUVs," he said. "And I think it was hard for a new concept to compete against the SUVs. This might have changed in the last 12 months, so we probably have to reconsider what we do on the allroad side, whether it is A4 or A6."
In Europe the A4 allroad quattro will be offered with a choice of three engines: 211 hp 2.0-liter TFSI, 170 hp 2.0-liter TDI diesel, and 240 hp 3.0-liter TDI diesel. Sales in there will begin in early summer at a price of €37,100 euros (or about $46,500 at the current direct rates.) knowing America’s fear of diesel, if the price remains well above $40k for North America, it’s likely a larger gasoline engine will be offered.
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