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Piloted driving technology demonstrator successfully negotiates Berlin traffic to convey celebrity couple to Film Festival red carpet event

  • Piloted Audi A8 provides VIP transport for actor Daniel Brühl at Berlinale Film Festival (February 11-21)
  • Audi technology platform masters complex traffic situation in Berlin
  • Controlled driving style like a professional chauffeur

The kind of awe that would normally strike onlookers as a glamorous film star steps onto the red carpet from an Audi A8 has also been elicited by the car itself this week - a completely driverless version of the luxury saloon has whisked movie star Daniel Brühl to a gala event at Germany’s Berlinale Film Festival, posting another milestone on the path to Audi piloted driving in the process.

Dispensing with a ‘conventional’ driver, the twelve-cylinder, long-wheelbase A8 L W12 picked up the internationally renowned actor and his girlfriend Felicitas Rombold from their hotel in Berlin and drove them directly to the Berlinale Palast. It travelled in a suitably smooth and stately fashion by registering prominent architectural features along the driving route, comparing this logging with precise mapping and synchronising the information with data from its own calculation of its movements.

“We are developing and testing our technologies for piloted driving under all conditions”, says Dr. Ing. Stefan Knirsch, Audi Board Member for Technical Development. “We have already proven that we can have piloted cars drive safely on a race track and on the expressway. At the Berlinale, we have now mastered a complex urban traffic situation with maximum ease.”

The aim was to make the grand entrance to the red carpet similar to the way an experienced chauffeur would drive – a very gentle and smooth approach and progressive, carefully modulated braking to a stop at the kerbside.

For years now, Audi has been testing its systems for piloted driving under increasingly more challenging conditions. The first tests were conducted in 2009 at a salt lake in the USA. One year later, an Audi TTS conquered Pikes Peak in the Rocky Mountains without a driver. In 2013, Audi test platforms performed piloted driving for the first time on public roads in Nevada.

In the same year, the brand demonstrated piloted parking – the driver exited a car at the entrance to a parking garage, and the car parked itself autonomously. Later, the driver ordered the car back to the garage exit with a smartphone app.

Demonstrating just how dynamic piloted driving can be, an Audi RS 7 Sportback drove a lap at race pace on the grand prix circuit in Hockenheim in October 2014. The following year, Audi sent piloted test platforms onto public roads near the CES and CES Asia consumer electronics trade shows – from Silicon Valley to Las Vegas and in the urban traffic of Shanghai. In October 2015, engineers demonstrated automatic emergency evasive manoeuvres in a test vehicle with moving obstacles in the urban environment

Piloted systems can make a valuable contribution to safety in the future - when used to temporarily assume driving tasks, the predictive technology makes driving more efficient, reduces stress and enhances comfort. In addition, it gives the driver greater freedom to organise time in the car.

Article source: www.audi.co.uk

First UK deliveries of the best-selling Audi Avant are now underway, bringing more space, more technology and more versatility.

  • New A4 Avant models available to order now priced from £27,300 OTR
  • UK deliveries began in January - 1.4 TFSI examples expected from April 2016
  • Class-leading 505 litres of seats-up luggage capacity, with a power operated tailgate and electrically retracting luggage cover as standard on all models
  • Standard equipment highlights include 17-inch alloy wheels, Xenon or LED headlights with LED DRLs, Audi smartphone interface, Audi drive select, three-zone climate control and 7-inch colour MMI monitor
  • Technology options include the Audi virtual cockpit, Matrix LED headlights and numerous new driver assistance systems
  • Wide four and six-cylinder engine range with outputs from 150PS to 272PS
  • Line-up includes new 2.0 TFSI with revolutionary combustion system and 2.0 TDI ultra efficiency champion with CO2 from 104g/km in SE and Sport models
  • All-new platform and redeveloped six-speed manual, seven-speed S tronic and eight-speed tiptronic transmissions

Space may be the final frontier, but for customers exploring the all-new, and newly available, Audi A4 Avant it is likely to be one of the first and foremost considerations. Fortunately the five-door version of What Car? Magazine’s 2016 Car of the Year proves to be a star in this respect, offering the most expansive seats-up luggage capacity in the premium compact executive sector to complement the quality, technological ingenuity and optimal efficiency for which the A4 is already renowned.

The even more versatile A4 can now be ordered at prices ranging from £27,300 OTR to £40,350 OTR, and retention of these original values is likely to be another important consideration for prospective purchasers. Here, too, the A4 Avant doesn’t disappoint, with leading trade guide CAP Monitor predicting that the majority of versions will achieve residual values that are either strongest in the premium compact estate class or unbeaten in the class. As an example the A4 Avant 2.0 TDI ultra Sport 190PS – the expected best-seller in the range – is predicted to retain 40 per cent of its value after three years or 60,000 miles, ahead of its key premium sector rivals.

Class-leading luggage capacity

The all-new A4 Avant intelligently integrates a class-leading 505 litres of luggage capacity – extending to 1,510 litres with the seats folded – into a capacious interior that now affords even more head and shoulder room for front seat occupants and offers an increase in overall rear leg room compared to its predecessor.

All this can be enjoyed in remarkably hushed tones thanks to numerous aerodynamic and aeroacoustic advances, and in surroundings that exude a degree of quality and technological sophistication that far exceeds even the outgoing car, which was renowned in its own right for its outstanding fit and finish.

All-digital Audi virtual cockpit

Among the technological highlights are the optional Audi virtual cockpit with its fully digital, absolutely flicker-free display, and optional Matrix LED headlamps capable of establishing and tracking multiple road users and illuminating the appropriate corridors of lights either side of them to maintain maximum visibility without dazzling other drivers.

Highlights of the options list also include a 19-speaker, 755-watt Bang & Olufsen audio system with 3D sound, Audi Entertainment mobile incorporating two detachable touch-screen tablet computers built into the rear seats, the Audi phone box bringing two separate Bluetooth connections and wireless smartphone charging* and MMI Navigation plus with a larger 8.3-inch monitor complemented by the MMI Touch fingertip-responsive touchpad built into the rotary controller.

These can be added to the three ‘core’ specification levels SE, Sport and S line, each of which offers either Xenon or LED headlamps with LED daytime running lights, along with features including three-zone climate control, cruise control, rear parking sensors and the Audi smartphone interface, which supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto platforms and displays smartphone contact and information such as navigation mapping on the A4’s seven-inch colour MMI screen.

There are also plenty of premium features that greatly enhance everyday use, particularly in the Avant which offers powered tailgate operation and an electrically operated luggage cover as standard.

Helped by outstanding drag coefficients of as little as 0.26 and a weight advantage of as much as 120kg compared with its predecessor, the all-new A4 Avant is appreciably more refined and up to 21 per cent more fuel efficient than its predecessor.

The Avant engine line-up will initially include a wide choice of 2.0 litre and 3.0-litre TDI engines with outputs starting from 150PS and rising to 272PS. The refined and responsive 1.4-litre TFSI petrol engine at the entry point to the A4 Saloon range will also become available to Avant customers slightly behind the first phase in April 2016.

Twelve ultra variants

As in the Saloon, two versions of the 2.0-litre TDI engine with 150PS and 190PS power a total of 12 front-wheel-driven ‘ultra’ variants offering up to 70.6mpg with CO2 output of as little as 104g/km – their frugality can be enjoyed in conjunction with both SE and Sport specification incorporating 17-inch alloy wheel designs.

The V6 TDI contingent starts with the 218PS version which played such a key role in securing What Car? Magazine’s Car of the Year Award for the saloon – here it returns up to 64.2mpg with a 114g/km CO2 output when combined with Sport specification and front-wheel-drive.

To fully exploit the economy potential of this absolutely up-to-the minute engine technology, the powertrain and chassis of the A4 Avant have also been completely redeveloped. The six-speed manual transmission, the seven-speed S tronic twin-clutch (now also available for front-wheel drive) and the eight-speed tiptronic have been reworked, and in the process the automatic transmissions have incorporated a fuel-saving freewheeling function.

The inherent agility of the A4 Avant with its completely new platform incorporating sophisticated five-link fully independent front and rear suspension can be amplified further by adding a more intelligent and faster-reacting evolution of quattro all-wheel-drive as an option for 2.0 TDI 190 and 3.0 TDI 218 engines. The purely mechanical system with its self-locking centre differential is also a standard feature of the 2.0 TFSI 252PS and 3.0 TDI 272PS versions.

All models are available with suspension in either a comfort-focused state of tune or with a tauter and more sporting set-up – the latter is standard for S line versions but can be ‘deselected’ in favour of comfort suspension at no extra cost. For even greater emphasis on dynamic ability it is also possible to specify a dynamic steering system which varies its ratio according to speed and steering angle and adaptive damper control with a ‘sport’ bias for all versions. Adaptive damper control with a ‘comfort’ set-up favouring suppleness can also be specified for all versions bar the ultra models, which are exclusively equipped with sports suspension.

Where these options are fitted, their operating characteristics are configurable via the Audi drive select adaptive dynamics system, which is a standard feature across the range. Its Comfort, Auto, Dynamic, Efficiency and Individual modes also have a bearing on the response of the throttle, the shift points of the automatic transmissions if specified and the weighting of the steering.

Article source: www.audi.co.uk

Latest Audi compact executive not only tops the billing in its category along with the new TT Coupé but is also voted overall Car of the Year

  • Audi A4 Saloon is named What Car? Car of the Year 2016
  • 3.0 TDI 218PS model also takes home the award for best compact executive car
  • ‘Best Buy’ awards in the ‘£25,000 - £35,000’ and the ‘More than £35,000’ categories also go to the Audi A4 Saloon
  • Win for TT Coupé takes total number of What Car? Coupé category awards across the generations to eight
  • Multitude of Best Buy class wins also achieved by a broad cross section of the Audi range

The compact executive saloon which has played a pivotal role in the success story of Audi across five generations has been richly rewarded with one of the automotive industry’s most highly prized awards: the all-new Audi A4 Saloon is What Car? Magazine’s Car of the Year for 2016. The compelling newcomer took the top honour, along with the Best Compact Executive Car category award, at the magazine’s annual presentation event, staged last night in London. The latest TT also notched up its second award in the Coupé category, and in the process took the total number of category trophies bestowed by What Car? on the three generations of the much loved Audi sports car to eight.

In the What Car? awards issue the magazine’s road test team praises the advances made by the all-new mid-size saloon, and singles out the mid-range 218PS V6 TDI model with its six-cylinder sophistication and remarkable frugality as the version which secures the top honour.

In its awards citations for the A4 the road test team points to the new ground that has been broken by the latest A4 as a key contributor to its win, writing: “Audi deserves congratulations for the new A4. It brings new standards of refinement, interior quality and technology to the compact executive class.”

Manners like an A8

According to the New European Driving Cycle its fuel consumption is around one kilogram of hydrogen per 100 kilometres (62.1 miles). The Audi h tron quattro concept achieves not merely zero local emissions, but zero global emissions if the hydrogen it runs on has been produced with green power. The brand with the four rings realises this at the Audi e gas facility in North Germany.

The team goes on to applaud the benefits the new A4 reaps from a multitude of cutting edge aerodynamic, aeroacoustic and operating efficiency measures which are brought into especially sharp relief in the V6 versions: “With fuel economy and CO2 emissions barely any worse than those of smaller-engined models, the A4 3.0 TDI 218 is the most impressive car we’ve tried of late. It’s only fractionally less efficient than the 2.0 TDI 190 model (officially and in the real world), and delivers the sort of creamy performance and whisper-quiet driving manners that would shame some luxury limos. Put simply, it feels more like a baby A8 than a 3 Series rival.”

The impressive showing for Audi, which began with a total of 14 category nominations, also includes an award that has become something of a tradition – the Coupé class accolade for the latest TT. This is the newcomer’s second from What Car?, but collectively the three generations of the acclaimed sports car have been honoured by the magazine a total of eight times, underscoring the enduring appeal of this Vorsprung durch Technik brand hallmark.

The What Car? team succinctly pinpointed the reasons for the TT’s evergreen appeal by writing: “Yes, there are plenty of other sleek-looking offerings in this class, but all of them demand some form of compromise from you – either in the way they drive, how easy they are to live with or how much they’ll cost you to buy and run. In contrast, the TT is not just the best coupé on the market, it’s one of the best cars you can buy, full stop.”

Commenting on this important recognition for the scope of the advances made by the all-new A4, Director of Audi UK Andre Konsbruck said: “ The compact executive class is arguably still the hub of the market in terms of the sheer pace and scale of progress, so for the A4 to be ranked most highly in this environment is gratifying enough in itself; for it then to be elevated above every other car the What Car? team tested last year is a truly momentous achievement of which we are all extremely proud.”

He went on to acknowledge the What Car? editorial team’s unerring support of the TT: “For a title such as What Car? that is so inherently trusted and respected in its judgement to be so firmly and consistently behind one of our cornerstone models is an incredible endorsement that is highly valued by Audi UK,” he said. “The TT has won an outright category or price point award, and mainly the former, for the past ten years and that’s a run of success to which only a very select few models can lay claim.”

Article source: www.audi.co.uk

Double victory for the most advanced Audi saloon ever, securing even more industry acclaim

  • Audi A4 Saloon is picked as the overall number one in the Contract Hire and Leasing Car of the Year 2015 Awards
  • Executive Car of the Year also awarded to the Audi compact executive
  • A4 Avant now also available to order, soon to be joined by the latest A4 allroad quattro and S model variants boasting up to 354PS

Appreciably more accomplished, significantly more intelligent and now multi-award winning – the widely lauded Audi A4 has added the top Car of the Year accolade in the Contract Hire and Leasing Awards for 2015 to its already impressive cache of honours. The all-new compact executive star also secured the Compact Executive Car category award as part of the annual review of star cars conducted by respected UK car finance site ContractHireandLeasing.com.

Citing its 'sharp looks, improved driving dynamics, greater efficiency', and in particular applauding the 'stunning' Virtual Cockpit, the judges added: “The A4 has what it takes to edge ahead of its incredibly talented rivals. In this competitive segment, praise doesn’t come any higher.

“Any car good enough to beat such talented opponents would always be in the running for the overall win, but the A4’s success was ensured by its strong residuals and appealing lease deals.”

The new A4 continues a legacy that can be traced back as far as the Audi 80, which laid the groundwork for the brand’s reputation for exceptional quality and solidity, as well as its rise to prominence in the UK premium segment. Since then, consistent technological breakthroughs and advances in refinement have characterised the Audi best-seller. This all-new model is the greatest example of Vorsprung durch Technik yet, underscored by a vast array of driver assistance and safety systems, intelligent construction methods and infotainment options that are benchmark in the class.

Katie Purcell, Audi UK Product Manager for A4, commented: “To put it simply, everything about the A4 is new except the name, so it is enormously gratifying to see the exceptional effort a ground-up redesign like this entails being acknowledged by important awards like these. The fact that our wins are also based on the strength of the A4’s accessibility from a financial perspective makes them all the more valued.”

Available to order now with a combination of TFSI and TDI engines that break new ground in terms of sophistication, performance and running costs, the latest A4 saloon can also be specified with a raft of innovative options, from Matrix LED headlights to Audi traffic jam assist and a Bang & Olufsen 3D sound system, making this the most technologically advanced Audi saloon to date. Prices start from £25,900 OTR for the 150PS 1.4 TFSI six-speed manual, rising to £40,350 OTR for the 272PS V6 TDI Avant with quattro and eight-speed tiptronic transmission.

Article source: www.audi.co.uk

Fuel cell-based e-quattro concept with zero global emissions capability marks another Audi milestone along the path towards future mobility  Fuel cell drive with additional lithium-ion battery for boosting and recuperation Range of up to 372 miles (600km) on one tank of fuel, consumption around one kilogram of hydrogen per 62 miles (100km) Refuelling takes approximately four minutes Up to 110 kW (can be temporarily boosted by a 100 kW battery), 550 Nm of system torque, 0-62 mph in under seven seconds, 124 mph top speed Electrified quattro layout with one electric motor front and rear World’s largest in-car solar roof, up to 320 watts output or additional range of up to 620 miles (1,000km) per year Ingolstadt/Detroit, January 11, 2016 – The next step towards the long-term Audi goal of CO2-neutral mobility is being presented at this year’s NAIAS in Detroit in the form of the Audi h-tron quattro concept car – a striking SUV that uses a highly efficient fuel cell with an output of up to 110 kW, and a further on-demand power boost of 100 kW courtesy of a lightweight lithium-ion battery. The car can be fully refuelled with hydrogen in around four minutes, and is then ready to drive for up to 372 miles (600 km).  Whether with purely battery-powered drive, plug in hybrid, combustion engine or fuel cell – Audi has a command of all alternative drive technologies and offers tailor made solutions for its customers worldwide.  In another major step, Audi will go into production with its new technologies for piloted driving and parking in 2017 along with the next generation of the luxury A8 saloon. The technology study already provides a glimpse of things to come. The Audi h tron quattro concept is closely related to the Audi e tron quattro concept, a purely electric SUV first showcased by the brand with the four rings at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show. Both are based on the second-generation modular longitudinal platform (MLB evo). This concept is especially flexible. For example, both cars use a virtually identical floor assembly despite their different technology. The Audi h tron quattro concept presents the fifth generation of fuel cell technology from Audi and Volkswagen. Lighter materials reduce the weight and improve performance, responsiveness, service life and efficiency. With an efficiency rating in excess of 60 percent, the fuel cell now surpasses any combustion engine. The “stack” comprising 330 individual cells is housed in the forward structure.  The three hydrogen tanks are located beneath the passenger or luggage compartment but do not impinge on the interior. At a pressure of 700 bar, they store enough hydrogen for a range of up to 372 miles (600 km).  Every tank is made up of several layers – the inner tank from gas-tight polyamide is wrapped in carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) and glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP). Like a car with a combustion engine, refueling takes about four minutes.  Powerful booster: battery supplies up to 100 kW of power  Ideally complementing the fuel cell that develops up to 110 kW, there is a compact lithium-ion battery designed for optimum power output. The battery, weighing less than 60 kilograms, is located beneath the passenger compartment to optimise the centre of gravity. It supplies up to 100 kW of power, ample for a temporary, forceful burst when accelerating. When the car is braked it stores the recovered energy. With 550 Nm (405.7 lb ft) of system torque, the Audi h tron quattro accelerates from 0 to 62 mph in less than seven seconds; its top speed is governed at 124 mph.  The power from the fuel cell and the high-voltage battery drives two electric motors – one located on the front axle and with an output of 90 kW, the other on the rear axle and developing 140 kW. This concept makes the technology study an electrified quattro. An intelligent management system controls the interplay between them as appropriate for the situation, placing maximum emphasis on efficiency. A heat pump for the interior air conditioning and a large solar roof that generates up to 320 watts, equivalent to adding up to 620 miles (1,000 km) to the range annually, also boost efficiency.     Zero global emissions with renewably produced hydrogen from the Audi e gas facility in Werlte, Germany  According to the New European Driving Cycle its fuel consumption is around one kilogram of hydrogen per 100 kilometres (62.1 miles). The Audi h tron quattro concept achieves not merely zero local emissions, but zero global emissions if the hydrogen it runs on has been produced with green power. The brand with the four rings realises this at the Audi e gas facility in North Germany.  Since 2013 the world’s first power-to-gas plant has been using electricity generated by wind power to break water down into oxygen and hydrogen by electrolysis. In a further process, this gas reacts with CO2 to produce Audi e gas, or synthetic methane, for the Audi A3 g tron and the A4 g tron with CNG drive.  Many customers are already using the e gas fuel card to buy Audi e gas via the existing natural gas network at conventional CNG filling stations, enabling them to drive almost CO2-neutrally. But in future it will be possible to tap into this hydrogen source so that fuel cell cars can run on this climate-friendly fuel.  Elegant and streamlined: the exterior  The exterior design of the five-door technology study blends aesthetic appeal with aerodynamics. The Audi h tron quattro concept is 4.88 metres long and 1.93 metres wide but just 1.54 metres high. Its silhouette has an extremely flat greenhouse that tapers strongly toward the rear lends it the dynamic character of a coupé. The flowing shoulder line forms distinctive blister contours above the wheels in an expression of the electrified quattro drive. Wide wheel panels and angular side sills underscore the robust character of the car.  The Cd value of 0.27 makes a major contribution to maximising range and efficiency. Aerodynamic elements down the flanks, on the underbody and at the rear improve the way air flows around the car at higher speeds. Cameras take the place of exterior mirrors, further enhancing aerodynamics and efficiency.  The headlights of the technology study are divided into two sections. The upper section generates the light using the new, extremely high-resolution Matrix laser technology. The lower section, which corresponds to the slats in the Singleframe grille, forms the lighting signature.  In addition to the white daytime running lights signature, flat OLED (organic light emitting diode) elements radiate a homogeneous blue light to the sides and upwards. Beneath the lights there are two large air intake slots.  The sills incorporate a light strip in Matrix LED technology which again emits white light when the driver approaches the technology study with the remote control key. When the car is driving in piloted mode, this is signalled by blue horizontal lines lit up down its sides. Mirroring the front configuration, the rear lights likewise consist of two elements. Each of the upper zones features nine red OLED units that handle the tail light function, with three more below.  Fusion of architecture and operating concept: the interior  The package of the Audi h tron quattro concept enables a spacious, comfortable interior for four persons and 500 litres of luggage. Intelligent software provides assistance when loading up: two small sensors scan the items of luggage and display the optimum loading order on a monitor mounted on the rear cutout.  The interior of the Audi h tron quattro concept has a light and open feel to it; its architecture merges harmoniously with the operating and display concept. The three large displays in front of the driver are designed using OLED technology – their wafer-thin films can take on virtually any shape. There are also two touch displays in addition to the central Audi virtual cockpit curved OLED. The driver controls the lights and the systems for piloted driving with the left one. The large display on the right is for managing media and navigation, and also displays the drive system’s operating statuses. The steering wheel serves as a further control level. Its spokes are equipped with contoured touch surfaces.  The selector lever for the driving mode is mounted on the console of the centre tunnel. In front of it, there are two further OLED displays – for the drive status, the air conditioning and for freely programmable information functions. The front one offers gesture controls. The curved displays in the front section of the doors serve as digital exterior mirrors.  The two rear passengers sit on comfortable individual seats. They can share data with the driver via the Audi tablets, which again have OLED displays. The tablets are designed as a mobile Rear Seat Entertainment system.  Nerve centre for piloted driving: the zFAS  The Audi h tron quattro concept comes equipped with all the technologies that the brand has developed for piloted driving – radar sensors, a new kind of video camera, ultrasonic sensors and a laser scanner.  The driver assistance systems are now usually managed by spatially separate control units. In future, Audi will be implementing this function in a central domain architecture: All available sensor information is processed by a central driver assistance system (zFAS). It computes a complete model of the car’s surroundings in real time and makes this information available to the assistance systems and the piloted driving systems. They can assume driving tasks during parking or in stop and go traffic on motorways at speeds of up to 37 mph.  Audi has been performing pioneering work in this domain for many years and in 2017 will be taking this technology into production for the first time ever with the next generation of its Audi A8 Saloon. 

Article source: www.audi.co.uk