Audi News

Every year the Green Car Journal presents an award to the top Green Car of the year.  The award is decided by votes from a long list of people that include Jay Leno, Matt Peterson of Global Green USA, and Carl Pop of Sierra Club.  Last year's winner was the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI.  The...

Our editor Marty Padgett is spending the day with Volkswagen, driving new models, learning about advanced technologies, and quizzing executives. Here's his preview of VW's upcoming Touareg Hybrid sport utility vehicle. Volkswagen will launch a hybrid electric model of its Touareg sport utility...

The five finalists for the 2010 Green Car of the Year Award include three hybrid models--two Japanese hatchbacks and one U.S. sedan--and a pair of German clean-diesel cars. The nominations were announced today by Green Car Journal, which has presented the award at the Los Angeles Auto Show for five...

According to Audi of America President Johan de Nysschen, an electric vehicle based on the concept e-tron electric supercar will enter production and is expected to come to the U.S. in only 2 to 3 years.  As de Nysschen said, "I expect we will see running examples in the next 24 months." The...

It's well known in the car industry that a diesel engine costs 10 to 20 percent more to build than a gasoline motor of equivalent output. That's because diesels have to be sturdier, and these days all US-bound diesels are fitted with turbochargers to boost their power. Now a European executive has...

We were going to let it slide, really. Just because the U.S. president of a major automaker calls the buyers of another carmaker's product "idiots" is no reason for us to sink to name calling. But the hoohah has continued, and the misunderstandings seem to be growing. We thought it was time to...

As of November, you'll have two choices if you want a compact five-door hatchback with a clean diesel engine. One is the brand-new 2010 Audi A3 TDI, which was just given a base price of $30,775 today by Audi. It'll start arriving in dealerships in November. Longstanding diesel champ: Golf TDI The...

In late May, we reported on rumors that an electric version of Audi's R8 supercar would be at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Nary a day later, Edmunds Inside Line crushed our hopesand put the rumors to rest, citing an Audi representative who refuted the blogosphere's claims. We're not ready to say "we...

On Wednesday, August 26, 1959, a new type of small car was unveiled in Austin and Morris dealerships across Britain. Many buyers didn't know quite what to make of the Morris Mini-Minor and Austin 7even (yep, that's what they called it--for a very short while). It had seats for four, it was just 10...

The Compact Audi Packs a Lot Of Value

We were once told by an auto writer that "real car people" didn't want green cars. They wanted noise, and roaring engines, and squealing tires. Well, the triumph of diesel-powered race cars at the famed 24 Heures du Mans shows you can have both. The French carmaker Peugeot placed first and second...

"We have to do hybrids in order to show people that we are able to do them," said Wolfgang Hatz, head of powertrain development for the Volkswagen Group, back in January at the Detroit Auto Show. Maybe that explains why Audi has been waffling in their decision to make a hybrid version of the Q5...

A splendid gearbox and neutral roadholding make the A3 TDI appealing to drive, but will buyers go for Audi's small, pricey, diesel hatchback?

Contrary to blogosphere speculation, Edmunds has confirmed that there will be no electric Audi R8 at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. An Audi spokesperson who wished to remain anonymous told Edmunds that rumors starting in the European automotive press (and perpetuated by yours truly) are not...

As part of the same program that will develop an electric Volkswagen Golf, Audi is planning an A3 electric. The program, called VW TwinDrive, has not released any firm release or sale dates, but Audi is hinting at fleet trial target of 2012. AutocarUK is reporting that the hybrid A3 will run on a...

Audi has previous considered entering the hybrid market, and now has finally confirmed it will officially to do aiming to bring a hybrid version of its luxury SUV the Q5 to the US in 2010.. Wolfgang Hatz who is head of Audi's powertrain development said the automaker will build a hybrid to compete...

Economic downturns and small hatchbacks seem to go hand-in-hand.

Audi E2   While BMW's Mini E is garnering all sorts of attention Audi is quietly planning a full line of alternative fuel vehicles ranging from a tiny city car to a speedy sportback. There are five potential vehicles in the works, currently referred to with ambiguous monikers E1 through E5...

Automaker Audi had previously announced intentions to build a hybrid version of the Q5. This would have been their first hybrid model. These plans have apparently been scrapped. A lack of safety of nickel-metal hydride batteries is cited as the reason for the cancellation. Apparently a senior Audi...