In addition to the fire-burning RS 5, Audi also has two new green cars on display at the Geneva Motor Show. Looking to balance its corporate conscience perhaps?

Audi A1 e-tron

Based on the Mini-sized A1 hatchback, the A1 e-tron is what Audi calls a Mega City Vehicle. Following up from the e-tron concept which debuted at Frankfurt 2009, the two-door A1 e-tron seats four and is driven by an electric motor mounted transversely up front. Continuously, it produces 61hp of power and 150Nm of torque, though peak values stand at 102hp and 240Nm respectively.

Powering the motor is a T-shaped battery pack mounted below the vehicle’s floor. Comprising of 96 prismatic cells, the 380V lithium-ion battery has a nominal energy content of 12kWh. A full charge of a depleted battery can be accomplished in three hours from a 380V grid, giving the A1 e-tron a 50km cruising range, beyond which a 254cc rotary engine steps into the picture.

The rear-mounted petrol engine does not directly drive the wheels, so Audi has set it to run at a constant 5,000rpm – the engine’s peak efficiency speed. From its miniscule 12-litre tank, the engine helps extended the A1 e-tron’s range by around 200km. Quoted fuel consumption is an impressive 1.9 l/100km, while CO₂ emissions stand at 45 g/km.

Audi A8 Hybrid

The other car in Audi’s stand is the significantly larger A8 Hybrid, which sees the famous 2.0 TFSI engine of the VW Group teaming up with with a 45hp/211Nm electric motor in a parallel hybrid system. With 211hp and 350Nm coming out of the petrol engine, the combined system outputs a total of 245hp and 480Nm.

Joining the two motors is a hydraulically operated wet clutch to ensure smooth and seamless interchange and combinations between them. An 8-speed tiptronic auto sends power to the front wheels. Providing juice for the electric motor is a rear-mounted lithium-ion battery pack. Brake energy regeneration further helps with improving economy.

The A8 Hybrid’s powertrain setup, Audi claims, endows the 1,885kg vehicle with the performance of a larger six-cylinder engine. Zero to hundred is dealt with in 7.6 seconds, while max speed is a respectable 235kph. Consumption and CO₂ emission are, as expected, impressive – 6.2 litres/100km and 144 g/km respectively.

KON

Pictures: Official Audi Release.

Read also:
- Autoworld Blog >> Blog Archive >> Audi marks centenary with new A8 – KON (3/12/2009)
- Autoworld Blog >> Blog Archive >> Audi moves into hatchback market with A1 – KON (11/2/2010)
- Autoworld Blog >> Blog Archive >> Audi RS 5 set to debut in Geneva – KON (23/2/2010)

We just had a feeling that it was bound to happen, and happen it did, as Audi is now set to introduce an RS version of the A5 coupe at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show. Developed by Audi’s quattro division, the RS 5 receives power from a high-revving 4.2-litre V8 channeled to a rear-biased all-wheel drive system by the 7-speed S-tronic (DSG) gearbox.

Audi RS 5

Up front, the naturally aspirated 4,163cc V8, which in various forms have seen action in the Q7, RS 4, and R8, is renowned for its high-revving characteristics despite its long-stroke design (bore × stroke: 84.5mm × 92.8mm). Fuel is delivered by the VW Group’s FSI direct injection system operating at 120 bar injection pressure. That’s 1,740psi for those of you who operate in imperial.

Thus far, Audi engineers have managed to squeeze up to 414hp out of this engine as seen in the RS 4 and R8. For the RS 5, the ante has been upped to an impressive 450hp, produced at a stratospheric 8,250rpm. Its high-revving characteristic is further underlined with its maximum torque of 430Nm being spread over between 4,000 and 6,000rpm.

High-revving 4.2 FSI V8 under the hood.

Linking the engine to the famous quattro drivetrain is the 7-speed twin clutch transmission of the VW Group, dubbed S-tronic in Audi applications. The standard setting on the RS 5 sees a 40:60 front/rear torque distribution, but a self-locking crown-gear centre diff can vary it anywhere from 70:30 to 25:85 as and when needed. Electronic torque vectoring is also integrated into the system, appropriately decelerating the inner wheels during cornering. Available as an option is a sport differential installed at the rear axle to help actively distribute torque between the rear wheels.

Claimed performance figures are, as expected, impressive, whether or not you take the 1,725kg mass into account. Top speed is limited to 250kph, but raisable to 280kph by request. From a standstill, only 4.6 seconds is needed to break into the triple-digit range. Fuel consumption is claimed at 10.8 litres/100km. Even if we know this is not realistically achievable in day-to-day driving, what’s the worse that it can be? 15? 16? Certainly acceptable for this kind of performance.

No mistaking it for the vanilla-flavoured A5.

Sitting 20mm lower than a standard A5, the RS 5 is shod with 265/35 R19 rubber as standard, but bigger 275/30 R20 donuts can be specified at cost. Braking is performed by vented discs all-round, with 380mm carbon-fibre front discs optionally available over the standard 365mm rotors.

Sales of the RS 5 will begin in spring, with a starting price of €77.7k.

Sporty Interior

KON

Pictures: Audi Press Release.

Audi has recently announced two new limited-edition packages for the RS 6 – the RS 6 plus Sport and the RS 6 plus Audi exclusive. Restricted to a run 500 units, each unit of the RS 6 opted with either of these two packages will wear a numbered badge inside, emphasizing their exclusiveness.

No official pictures of this variant has been released (pictures you see here are of the standard variant), and neither did Audi indicate the proportion of sedan and Avant variants to be made available. The official press release from Audi did publish prices of these equipment packages though, with the Sport package available for €3,250 and the Audi exclusive package going for €8,310, which would mean that these packages are simply add-ons to be specified when you order your “run-of-the-mill” RS 6.

Both packages bring a Carbon design package for the engine bay, 20″ 5-spoke alloys, and a sports suspension. Crucially however, unlike the standard RS 6, these special edition models are de-restricted, capable of reaching a V-max of 303kph. The Sport version features leather-covered instrument-panel hood and centre console, wherease the Audi exclusive package gets a custom paint job in addition to special coloured interior trim.

Propulsion remains unchanged, with the magnificent 5.0-litre FSI V10 continuing to see service up front. Featuring dry-sump lubrication, the twin-turbo engine is rated to produce 580hp @ 6,250 – 6,700rpm and 650Nm @ 1,500 – 6,250rpm. From rest, the century mark can be reached in a mere 4.5 seconds, with the double ton coming precisely 10 seconds later.

KON

Pictures: Audi press release.

In the upcoming Geneva Motor Show, Audi is set to unveil its eagerly anticipated new A1 hatchback. Hailed within the company as the ‘next big Audi’, the honchos at Ingolstadt is no doubt hedging a great deal on the success of this model. Putting their money where their mouths are, they have invested around €100 million to bring the company’s plant in Brussels up to scratch to manufacture the new car.

Measuring 3.95m(L) × 1.74m(W) × 1.42m(H), the A1 is much closer to MINI territory than to the 1-series, though the three-door Audi comfortably dwarfs all versions of the former except the Clubman. But not in engine capacity though. The A1 will be launched with four engine options – two petrol and two diesel – all with turbocharging and direct injection. Also lumped in as standard are auto start/stop and brake energy recuperation to ensure competitive fuel economy.

The petrol engines start with a 1,197cc 8-valve aluminium powerplant. A notable feature of the engine is that the engine block and cylinder head each has separate cooling loop, improving cooling efficiency. This entry level TFSI engine is good for 86hp and 160Nm. Paired with a good old-fashioned 5-speed manual, Audi claims 12.1 seconds from 0 to 100kph, and a top speed of 179kph, with combined FC at 5.1 litres/100km in the EU cycle.

Next comes the 16-valve 1,390cc engine powering the 1.4 TFSI. Its output is rated at 122hp and 200Nm, which is available from 1,500rpm all the way up to 4,000. Available with Audi’s 7-speed S-tronic twin clutch gearbox, the A1 1.4 TFSI does the century sprint in 9.1 seconds heading to 200kph flat out. The 6-speed stick shifter shares the same top speed, but takes an extra 0.1 second to reach 100kph. In the EU test cycle, the S-Tronic and 6M/T variants manage 5.1  and 5.4 litres/100km respectively.

The oil-burning variants are powered by a 1,598cc 16-valve TDI engine in two states of tune - 90hp and 105hp – both offered with 5-speed manual transmission as standard. The lower powered version twists out 250Nm of torque from 1,500rpm to 2,500rpm, doing 0-100kph in 12.2 seconds and has a top speed of 179kph. The claimed FC figure is astonishing, a remarkable 3.8 litres/100km.

Opting for the higher powered diesel variant brings an extra 20Nm of torque, also available in the same rev range. This one does the century sprint in 10.8 seconds and records a slightly higher top speed of 187kph. Fuel consumption penalty for this more powerful variant is also minimal, being just 0.1 litres/100km higher at 3.9.

Audi has made no mention of quattro variants of the A1, which would be seriously wicked, but a great amount of attention has been paid to the A1’s weight distribution. Depending on engine, the front MacPherson struts take only between 61 and 63% of the vehicle’s weight. This was achieved by migrating certain components, such as the battery, to the rear end of the vehicle.

More Pictures:

Exterior

Interior

KON

Picture Credits: Audi official release.

Earlier this week in Miami, Audi’s 100th anniversary was celebrated in style with the world premiere of the all new A8 sedan. Bearing the internal chassis code name D4, the third generation A8 moves the game on from its predecessor with lightweight aluminium construction, an improved Multi Media Interface (MMI) system, full LED headlights, and an array of electronic driver aids to match the best from Stuttgart and Munich.

Set to go on sale worldwide in 2010, the A8 is introduced with two 4.2-litre V8 engines – one petrol (FSI) and one diesel (TDI). A 3.0-litre TDI engine will follow later, in two states of tune – 250hp and 204hp, the latter being front wheel drive and tested in the EU cycle to consume 6.0 l/100km, and emit 159 g/km of CO₂. The 4.2-litre motors are claimed to offer improvements in FC by 13 – 22% from their predecessors.

As per current trend in the increasing number of gears offered with auto transmissions, the new A8 comes standard with an 8-speed tiptronic semi-auto gearbox sending power to its quattro permanent AWD system. Standard on the 4.2 TDI, but optional on the rest is a sport differential which dynamically distributes torque between the rear wheels, sending more power to the one with more grip.

The all-new Audi A8.

Shape & Styling

Official press photos from Audi show a matured and elegantly styled vehicle. It isn’t very adventurous though – it could pass off as a mere facelift of the outgoing A8 rather than an all-new model. The unmistakable Audi family look is maintained, as it convincingly resembles an enlarged A4, which is a very handsome car in our books. It is, of course, very much larger than an A4, measuring 5,137mm long, 1,949mm wide, and 1,460mm tall. Its wheelbase is nearly 3-metres long, measuring at 2,992mm.

Dominating the front styling is Audi’s now-trademark giant one-piece radiator grille. Eight louvres run across it horizontally, with the famous four rings and number plate appearing to float in the midst. Flanking the grille are a pair of all-LED headlights, a feature first seen in the R8 5.2 FSI unveiled earlier this year. Now, if you think those headlights are just headlights, you’re quite wrong.

Audi’s trademark grille

The technological galore on the new A8 starts with the headlights and continue to the rest of the car. It is controlled by an adaptive head lamp system which swivels the bulbs to illuminate corners, and lowers your high beam when oncoming traffic are detected. It’s even connected to the sat nav system, so anticipates the upcoming corners, and move your headlights accordingly. Gone are the fog lights, replaced with what Audi calls the all-weather lights, housed in the headlamp unit.

Headlights are all-LED

There are more LEDs on show at the back – 72 LEDs each side are arranged to form a harmonious trapeziodal shape illumination similar to what’s now seen in the A4 and A6. The brake lights are housed inside the trapezoid, with the signal and reverse lamps below.

Taillights are LED too.

Body & Chassis

The very first generation of the A8 served to pioneer the Audi Space Frame (ASF) aluminium chassis technology. For the latest A8, the ASF sees a 25% increase in torsional stiffness over the previous model, whilst at the same time recording some savings in weight, thanks to the use of a new high-strength aluminium alloy. For drag coefficient, Audi quoted a figure of 0.26, specifically attaching it to the 4.2 FSI only. It’s an impressive figure, though we have no idea why it should be different for the 4.2 TDI or 3.0 TDI.

Audi Space Frame

Under the skin, the suspension components are built mainly of aluminium. The control arms of the five-link front suspension are made of forged aluminium, whereas the rear trapezoidal links are made of the same metal in cast grade mounted on a steel subframe. The air-filled struts of the adaptive air suspension system are electronically controlled, being connected to the Audi Drive Select system, featuring three modes – comfort, auto, and dynamic, with the option for the driver to programme a fourth.

The steering system also features a heavy use of electronics. Dubbed dynamic steering, it is a speed-sensitive system which is tied to the car’s stability programme, even making unnoticed steering corrections for the drivers when the car is being pushed to the limits.

Interior

A lot of good things were printed on Audi’s press release about the new A8’s interior, but perhaps  the most eye-catching feature of them all is the shift-by-wire lever of the 8 A/T, located on the driver’s side of wide centre console. Inspired by the thrust lever on yachts, it is also shaped like the top of a walking stick, it also reminds us of an aircraft’s throttle control.

What does it remind you of?

Indeed, the unfamiliar might even be forgiven if they do mistake the new A8’s cabin for that of an aircraft. Just further north of the gear selector lever is a panel of switches to operate the climate control and Audi MMI system for which an 8-inch LCD screen rises upon activation, displaying info in full-blown 3D imagery. Other standard features in the cabin include a start/stop button, two zone climate control (four-zone an option), and 12-way electric adjustment front seats (22-way optional).

Cabin is tech-laden

Engine & Drivetrain

As mentioned earlier, the new A8 goes into the market with two 4.2-litre V8 motors on offer, to be followed by a 3.0-litre diesel V6s. All of the engines feature direct injection, and are equipped with various fuel saving features, termed ‘modular efficiency system’ by Audi. Among systems mentioned under this package include brake energy regeneration and computer controlled thermal management.

While the 372hp 4.2-litre FSI is a properly powerful motor, the highlight of the range is actually the 350hp 4.2 TDI, which twists out an astonishing 800Nm @ 1,750 – 2,750rpm. En route to a capped 250kph top speed, the 4.2 TDI demolishes the century sprint in 5.5 seconds, yet consuming only 7.6 l/100km of fuel, and emitting 199 g/km CO₂.

Diesel V8 motor is the gem.

The 3.0 TDI is no slouch either. Displacing 2,967cc, the engine is good for 250hp and 550Nm @ 1,500 – 3,000rpm. It’s marginally slower than the 4.2 TDI, 6.6 seconds to hit 100kph from rest, but it’s also more economical, taking in only 6.6 l/100km, and emitting 174 g/km CO_2. Helping it with these commendable economy figures is a start-stop system which deactivates the engine during standstill. A detuned 204hp version of this engine will then be added in a front-wheel drive variant of the A8.

Sending power to the quattro all-wheel drive system is an 8-speed Tiptronic semi-automatic transmission, for which Audi promised smooth and seamless gear change. The brains of this transmission is what Audi calls the Dynamic Shift Program (DSP). Besides the usual changing of shifting modes available to the driver, the DSP is, get this, actually tied in to the car’s navigation system, and hence plans its gearchanges based on the car’s projected course.

To rein in the 4.2 TDI’s mountainous reserves of torque, that  variant is equipped standard with an electronic sport differential, optional on others, continuously varies driving force between the rear wheels. As expected, the differential’s controller has three selectable programming modes – auto, comfort, and dynamic.

Audi Drive Select

The Wired Stuff

Like the S-class and 7-series, Audi’s flagship luxo-barge is pumped full of electronics. First of them is the pre-sense system, which upon detection of skidding via the ESP sensors, and I paraphrase this from the press release, ‘activates the hazard warning lights, closes the side windows & sunroof, and tensions the front seat belts’.

As an option, pre-sense can be tied to the adaptive cruise control with stop & go to form Audi pre-sense front, which monitors traffic in front via radar and warns the driver first by signal, then by jerking the brakes. If the driver ignores those warnings, the system takes matters into its own hands and proceeds to slow (but not stop) the car down, once again ‘activating the hazard warning lights, closing the side windows & sunroof, and tensioning the front seat belts’.

Going for the full monty Audi pre-sense plus sees the car braking with full force when it determines that a collision is imminent. Audi claims that this feature reduces the speed at impact by about 40kph. Finally, the pre-sense rear monitors for impending rear-end collision, upon which it closes all the glass areas, tightes the seat belts, and straigthens the optional memory seats.

The aforementioned ACC Stop & Go system sees the world with a pair of radar sensors mounted in the front air inlets. In stop-and-go traffic, it has the ability to bring the A8 to a halt, and then get it moving again when the car in front gets going. Linked in to the on-board navigation system, it has the ability to ‘detect complex scenarios and make anticipatory decisions in support of the driver’. As you read on, you’re probably wondering if one of these days, cars will render even drivers obsolete.

Further assistance comes in the form of the Audi lane assist, which warns the driver when he/she makes inadvertent lane changes. Like rival luxo-barges, the A8 also features night vision assistant with thermal imaging technology and the pedestrian identifying algorithms.

The MMI system also moves things on, with the introduction of touchpad interface to replace the  now standard  rotary knob system. It allows you to  draw letters or numbers with your fingers, recognizing Cyrillic, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean characters.

Availability

The new A8 is widely expected to hit the market in early 2010, though no official dates have been given by Audi yet. I don’t expect the car to go on sale (in Europe at least) any later than March 2010.

On our shores, I doubt Audi is in any hurry to bring this new A8 here, considering that the outgoing A8 sells in limited numbers, thanks definitely to its RM900k price tag.

It’s probably gonna be too expensive when it comes…

KON

Pictures: Official Audi release

Recently, BusinessWeek and leading brand consultancy firm Interbrand published their annual Best Global Brands list ranking the world’s top 100 trade marks. For the ninth successive year, Coca-Cola has been ranked the world’s top brand, with IBM, Microsoft, and GE trailing in its wake. The biggest growths were made by Google, Amazon, and Zara, with their brand values increasing by 25%, 22%, and 14% respectively. Not every one had it good though. Notable names such as Merrill Lynch, AIG, and ING were even wiped out from the list altogether.

The world’s most valuable brand.

Perhaps due to the current climate of economic uncertainty, the overall value of the top 100 brands has declined by 4.6% compared to 2008. Brands in the food industry, such as McD, Kellogg’s, and Nestle, registered growth, whereas banks and automakers were hit the worst. You know the news is bad when Hyundai prides itself for having the lowest decline in brand value at 5%. Ferrari registered 0% decline, but everyone else’s brand value took a hit, averaging a 7.4% decline.

The least declining auto brand

Toyota continues to top the list among auto manufacturers, sitting at 8th place with a brand value of US$31b, declining by 8% from 2008. German giants Mercedes-Benz and BMW follow closely at 12th and 15th placing. Toyota’s arch-rivals, Honda, sit three places below the propellor badge at 18th place, with a brand value of US$17.8b.

Still the world’s top auto brand.

American giants Ford, more than US$10b less valuable a brand than Honda, is the 5th biggest auto brand at 49th place. Volkswagen and its subsidiary, Audi, are seperated by ten places at 55th and 65th spots respectively. At 69th place is Hyundai, at US$4.6b, is a more valuable brand than Porsche, Ferrari, and Lexus. Hyundai debuted in this ranking list in 2005 at 84th place, and has been making steady annual growth since then.

“Thanks to eye-catching products like Genesis and the innovative marketing such as the Assurance program, Hyundai is making a big splash in the world market,“ Interbrand said.

Products like the Genesis has helped raise Hyundai’s profile.

BusinessWeek’s “Best Global Brands” special report is featured in the September 28, 2009 issue, on newsstands Friday, September 18th. Expanded content, including full (more) methodology, is available on BusinessWeek.com at www.businessweek.com/go/brand and on Interbrand.com at http://www.thebestglobalbrands.com.

KON

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The upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA) will see Audi present three new models said to embody ‘Audi’s conviction that dynamics and efficiency are not mutually exclusive’. Unlike past editions which saw the debut of the Q7 (2005), B8 A4 (2007), and C6 RS6 (2007), Audi’s pavilion in IAA 2009 will see cars with familiar bodies housing new engine combinations. The model ranges of the A3, A4, and A5 will each be joined by one new variant – the A3 1.2 TFSI, A4 3.0 TDI, and S5 Sportback respectively.

A3 1.2 TFSI & A3 Sportback 1.2 TFSI

The new 1.2-litre petrol engine brings the total number of engine options available in the A3 to ten. Designed from scratch, the new engine’s crankcase is constructed from aluminium, endowing it with a slim 89.5 kilos of mass. Its four cylinders displace 1,197cc, with entry and exit from the combustion chambers regulated by eight valves and a single overhead camshaft.

Air and fuel are fed by means of a turbocharger and common-rail injection, giving it output figures exceeding 1.6-litre NA engines. Its 105hp power output is impressive, but its torque, 175Nm @ 1,500 – 3,500rpm is nothing short of astonishing. Result, the speedos of both the A3 and A3 Sportback in this engine enter three digits in a little over eleven seconds, with a top speed of 190kph (claimed figures, of course). Consumption is claimed to be 5.5 litres/100km, while CO₂ emission stands at 127 g/km.

Sales will commence in Q1 2010, with front-wheel drive and a 6-speed manual transmission the only available drivetrain combination in the initial stages.

A3 range to be joined by new 1.2-litre TFSI variant.

A4 3.0 TDI

While the A3 received a smaller, perkier motor, the A4 got itself one extracted from the Q7 SUV shoe-horned into its engine bay together with the quattro system and the 6-speed Tiptronic transmission. The figures of interest? Six-cylinders, 2,967cc, 240hp @ 4,000 – 4,400rpm, and a glorious 550Nm @ 2,000 – 2,250rpm. Migrating from the massive Q7 to the compact A4 has allowed the engine to slash both its consumption figures and 0-100 sprint times, with Audi claiming those said numbers at 6.7 litres/100km and 6.2 seconds respectively.

A4 receives 3.0-litre TDI motor from Q7.

S5 Sportback

There are two variants of the S5 – Coupe and Cabriolet. They may wear the same badge, but not exactly the same heart. The S5 Coupe features a 354hp 4.2-litre V8 powerplant, but the Cabriolet makes do with 120cc and two cylinders less. Powering the topless S5 is a 3.0-litre TFSI engine taken from the S4. It produces the same 440Nm of torque like the Coupe’s V8, but has 21 fewer horses. Now, a third brother joins the picture in the form of the S5 Sportback.

Going into the engine bay of the S5 Sportback is the motor from the Cabriolet, paired with the 7-speed S-tronic twin clutch (DSG) transmission and quattro all-wheel drive as standard. Optionally available is a sport differential, which varies power distribution between the rear wheels during cornering. At the corners, 245/50 tyres wrap around 18″ aluminium wheels. Speed-dependent servotronic power steering is included as standard equipment.

The new S5 Sportback will go on sale by Spring 2010.

Audi S5 Sportback

KON

A month ago, Audi released a couple of teaser images for their upcoming A5 Sportback model, which we featured here on 17 July 2009. Recently, the full details has just been released ahead of its scheduled launch for the European market in September. Five engine options are offered, with prices set to start at €33,650 for the 180hp 2.0 TFSI.

Audi A5 Sportback

Depending on engine, the A5 Sportback can be had with either manual, Multitronic CVT or the seven-speed S-Tronic twin-clutch transmissions sending power to only the front wheels or all four via Audi’s trademarked quattro all-wheel drive system. On top of the range, the 3.0 TDI and 3.2 FSI can be optioned with a sport differential that counters understeer by varying power distribution to the rear wheels.

A5 Sportback 2.0 TFSI

The A5 Sportback comes with a lengthy list of equipment which can be stretched further by ticking the appropriate option boxes. Like the M-Sport and AMG Sport packages offered by BMW and Mercedes respectively, customers can also specify the A5 Sportback with Audi’s very own S-Line package that brings with it all the skirtings, sports seats, sports steering, and firmer springs.

Decked in S-Line package.

Engines & Drivetrains

As of launch, the Audi A5 Sportback will be available in five highly-efficient direct injection engines – two of them petrol, three diesel. The two petrol-powered engines displace 2.0-litres and 3.2-litres respectively, with the smaller unit force-induced by turbocharging. The award-winning four-cylinder 2.0-litre turbocharged fuel-stratified injection (TFSI) engine displaces 1,984cc, and is available in two states of tune: 180hp and 211hp.

Top of the petrol range is the 3,197cc naturally aspirated V6 FSI engine. Unlike the torquey nature of the 2.0 TFSI, the V6’s character is more of a rev-happy variety. Its peak torque of 330Nm is delivered high up the tacho’s reach at between 3,000 and 5,000rpm. As a result, with quattro and S-Tronic, it does no better than the 6.6-second century sprint managed by the equivalent 2.0 TFSI.

The three diesel engines on offer consist of one four-cylinder and two V6 powerplants. The four-pot motor found in the 2.0 TDI comes in two power ratings. In its lower state of tune, the 1,968cc turbodiesel produces 143hp of power and 320Nm of torque, routed to the front wheels by the Multitronic CVT. The more powerful version is rated at 170hp and 350Nm. Paired with a good old six-speed manual transmission and front-wheel drive, it makes do with only 5.2 litres of diesel for every 100km travelled.

Completing the diesel line-ups are the 2.7 and 3.0-litre V6 engines, both pumping out astonishing amounts of torque. The smaller of the two motors produces 190hp and 400Nm (@1,400 – 3,250rpm) from 2,698 cubic centimetres of displacement. It is only available with front wheel drive and manual transmission, though Multitronic will be added to the list of options soon enough. The 3.0-litre V6 twists out 500Nm of torque from 1,500rpm up to 3,000rpm. This propels the flagship diesel variant, with S-Tronic and quattro drivetrain, from zero to hundred in 6.1 seconds, and a top speed of 248kph, while keeping consumption down to an impressive 6.6 litres/100km.

In addition to the abovementioned models, three new engine options are set for introduction by 2010, one of them being a 160hp 1.8-litre TFSI engine. This engine will be paired with either the Multitronic CVT or the six-speed manual in a front wheel drivetrain. If at all the A5 Sportback even makes it to Malaysia, this will be the version that comes.

The quattro system on the A5 Sportback is defaulted to a 60% rear bias in power distribution, though this can vary from anywhere between an 85% rear bias and a 65% front bias. Optionally available on the 3.0 TDI quattro and the 3.2 FSI quattro is a sport differential fitted to the rear axle. By varying the power distribution between the rear wheels, the sport differential is able to cancel out both oversteer and understeer just miliseconds after the system senses things are going out of order.

Chassis

To ensure optimum handling balance for the A5 Sportback, a lot of work was done by Audi on the car’s body stiffness and weight distribution. Unsprung mass is greatly reduced by extensive use of aluminium in the suspension components. Both the quattro and front wheel drive models feature identical suspension designs, with a five-link axle up front and a self-tracking trapezoidal link behind.

Front-wheel drive versions of the A5 Sportback come standard with Audi’s latest ESP which includes an electronic differential lock to help cancel out understeer and improve road-holding at corners. The system is fully electronic, and actually works by lightly braking the inner front wheel, thus sending excess torque to the outer wheel, and keeping the vehicle on track.

Various electronic trickery keep the A5 Sportback in line.

Body

According to Audi, the A5 Sportback is a FIVE-door coupe, with four passenger doors holding a frameless window each and a rear hatch. The resultant side-profile, with its sloping C-pillar, at this moment is only closely resembled by the up coming BMW 5-series GT and to a (very) far extent, the Porsche Panamera. The massive rear hatch opens to unveil 480 litres of cargo space, a volume that can be swelled to 980 litres thanks to its split folding rear seatbacks. With the seatbacks up, the A5 Sportback takes in only four passengers.

A side profile like no other: Audi’s five-door coupe.

480-litre luggage capacity can be expanded to 980 thanks to split folding rear seats.

Availability

The A5 Sportback is set to hit showrooms in Europe by September. Until the 1.8 TFSI arrives next year, prices will start at €33,650 for the six-speed manual 2.0 TFSI going all the way to €47,000 for the S-Tronic 3.2 FSI.

Top of the range diesel – 3.0 TDI

Best New Engine of the Year

The category of newcomer engines, which included two from BMW was won by Porsche with their new 3.8-litre naturally aspirated flat six. It is rated at an impressive 385bhp max power, but that was not the factor that clinched its award. What impressed the judges most was how Porsche also got the engine to sip less fuel than its predecessor.

According to Marc Noordeloos of Automobile magazine, “Leave it to Porsche to build a near-400bhp engine that returns such impressive fuel economy. Enthusiasts should take comfort in the fact that the naturally aspirated engine may not be dying after all.”

Porsche attributes the impressive economy of this engine to the fact that it uses direct injection, brought over from the Cayenne. That, and a 200cc increase in engine capacity saw the 3.8 gain a healthy 30bhp over the outgoing 3.6 but emit 15% less CO₂.

Green Engine of the Year

VW introduced the 1.4-litre twincharged EA111 engine back in 2006, but today the engine is still good enough to fend off challenges from Mercedes and BMW diesels in addition to hybrids from Honda and Ford.

The 1.3-litre IMA from  Honda pushed it real close, but ultimately lost out because of its massive power deficit in comparison to the TSI, which can be tuned to output as much as 178bhp.

FC and emission figures ultimately clinched it for the VW. When used in the Golf, the TSI emits 144 grams of CO₂ for every kilometre traveled and consumes 6.2 litres of petrol for every one hundred. The Insight betters both these figures, but falls way short of the TSI’s impressive power output.

Best Performance Engine

Taking the title of the Best Performance Engine is none other than the famous 6.2-litre V8 M156 of Mercedes-AMG, which powers everything currently slapped with the 63 AMG badge.

This naturally aspirated high-revver (7,200rpm redline) had to beat two BMW engines, and one each from Jaguar, Porsche and Ferrari to claim its prize.

Best Performance Engine: Mercedes-AMG M156 6.2 V8.

Sub 1-litre

The Sub 1-litre category is actually the best place for Japanese manufacturers to cari makan in these awards. As the Europeans tend to look at the bigger capacities, it leaves room for the Japanese to attack this segment unhindered.

Look no further, the only Japanese winner in this year’s award is here – Toyota’s 1.0-litre three-cylinder 1 KR-FE, which it also shares with the PSA Group. After narrowly winning this segment last year, the three-potter returned to trounce smart’s 799cc diesel into a distant second place.

Sub 1-litre: Toyota 1KR-FE

1-litre to 1.4-litre

The 1.0-1.4 segment sees a VW one-two finish, with two of its 1.4 TSI powerplants occupying the top two berths in this category. The very same engine that took home the Green Engine of the Year award, the EA111, now bags the 1.0-1.4 category as well.

1.4-litre to 1.8-litre

A piece of news that is certain to excite our 308 forummers in Autoworld, the turbocharged version BMW-PSA Prince 1.6-litre engine under their hoods havs won this segment for the third year running, comfortably beating the Toyota Prius 1.8-litre hybrid.

For this award, the version of the engine tested churned 175hp of power and 260Nm of torque, which is the specification level for the 308 GT and the Mini Cooper S.

Third place is taken by another engine that has also seen a reasonable amount of action in Malaysia, Audi’s 1.8-litre TFSI found in the likes of the A4, TT, Skoda Superb and VW Passat.

1.4-litre to 1.8-litre: BMW-PSA Prince

1.8-litre to 2.0-litre

Last year’s winner of the 1.8-2.0 category, Audi’s EA 113 2.0-litre TFSI engine, was finally deposed of its crown, ironically by its successor, the EA 888, another 2.0-litre TFSI engine available in power outputs ranging from 178 to 208bhp, and capable of up to 350Nm of torque.

The EA113, meanwhile, occupies third place, with the BMW N47 2.0-litre twin-turbo diesel of the 123d sits between the two Audi powerplants at second. A special mention goes to Subaru for having its first diesel engine even nominated in the category.

1.8-litre to 2.0-litre: Audi EA888 2.0 TFSI

2.0-litre to 2.5-litre

Winning in the 2.0-2.5 category was the new 2.1-litre diesel from Mercedes-Benz introduced in the W212 E-class. Featuring twin-turbos, piezo-electric direct injection, Stuttgart’s latest oil-burner is available in three states of tune – 134bhp, 168bhp and 201bhp.

In second place is the 2.5-litre five-pot motor found in the Audi TT RS, recently previewed here in Autoworld Blog, capable of producing 340bhp and 450Nm. Also among the nominees, but finishing last, is the Honda 2.4-litre K24 engine, which in Malaysia’s market sees action in the Accord and Odyssey.

2.5-litre to 3.0-litre

Here is a category dominated by BMW for the past three years. Two time overall winner of the International Engine of the Year Award (in 2007 and 2008), the BMW N54B30 3.0-litre direct injection twin turbo engine continues to dominate this category for the third year running.

The N54 was BMW’s first turbocharged petrol engine since 1980, but it certainly was worth the wait. Lag free turbo response ensures a healthy 302bhp on tap with 400Nm of peak torque available pretty much all the time.

A distant second is another BMW 3.0-litre twin turbo engine, but a diesel powered variant, one that has seen action in the 335d, 535d, 635d, X3, X5 and X6, the M57. In the 35d state of tune, this engine outputs 282hp peak power and a whopping 580Nm of peak torque.

2.5-litre to 3.0-litre: NMW N54

3.0-litre to 4.0-litre

After being upstaged by the Mercedes-AMG 6.2-litre monster in the Best Performance Engine category, the S65B40 4.0-litre V8 of the BMW M3 redeems some pride by comfortably beating two Porsche 3.8-litre flat six engines to take the 3-to-4 litre category.

Producing 414bhp at its 8,250rpm redline, the S65 replaces the highly successful S54B32 of the E46 M3. The S54 has left a tough act to follow, having walloped this category for no less than six times during its career. For the S65, this is its second victory in this category after winning it in 2008, ensuring BMW’s continued dominance in this segment.

3.0-litre to 4.0-litre: BMW S65B40

Above 4.0-litre

Mercedes and AMG reassume centerstage for the Above-4 category, with the 6.2 V8 M156 returning to shrug off challenges from two BMW powerplants, a Jag, a Cadillac, and a somewhat darkhorse in the form of a Lexus hybrid.

INTERNATIONAL ENGINE OF THE YEAR 2009

After deciding the respective categories, judges then form a shortlist from the winner of each category to ultimately decide the winner of the International Engine of the Year award.

For 2009, the tiny 1.4-litre EA111 TSI powerplant from Volkswagen took on defeated the mighty N54 from BMW, ending the Bavarians’ four-year monopoly of the top prize. It wasn’t easy for the little guy though, as the defending champion fought it all the way, in the end losing only by four judging points.

INTERNATIONAL ENGINE OF THE YEAR 2009: Volkswagen EA111

Back in the 20th century, the car industry was a lot more clear cut in defining its products. Sedans had four doors and a boot while hatchbacks, depending on variant, were either three or five-doored. Growing bigger, we had pickups and SUVs, which were proper four-wheel drives. Then, to transport goods or a lot of people, most usually resorted to vans.

In recent years, the lines between the segments became muddled, thanks no doubt to the brilliance of the marketing and product planning guys, who started inventing new market segments. This brought us products like the soft-roader, for people who want the height and looks of a four-wheel drive, but still want it to drive like a car. Then came the multi-purpose vehicle, which had the awesome cargo/people carrying capacities of vans, but fused with some creature comforts and style, that a van obviously does not have.

The insanity has gone even further in the last couple of years as the manufacturers started to introduce niches between niches, coming up with products that overlapped two (or more) segments. Many such products are usually some sort of cross over between a coupe and/or SUV and something else. In older times, most of us conjure up images of two-doored vehicles when we think of the word coupe. Not any more.

Mercedes got the ball rolling with its now famous four-door coupe – the CLS. It’s arch nemesis in Munich came up with something even more outrageous – the X6, which they brand as a Sports Activity Coupe, essentially a fusion of a four-door coupe with an SUV. Now, the coupe door-count is set to increase to five, with Audi introducing the new A5 Sportback, penciled to go on sale in Europe this September. Initial images released by Audi, which consist only of a sketch showing the body shape and an upclose shot of the tailgate, shows inspiration being drawn from the BMW 5-series GT.

Designer’s sketch of the Audi A5 Sportback.

While BMW stopped short of officially labeling the 5 GT as a coupe, only describing it as a car with a coupe-like silhoutte, Audi had no such hesitation. As far as Ingolstadt is concerned, the A5 Sportback is a five-door coupe. Its brief is to combine the elegance of a coupe, the comfort of a sedan, and the practicality of an avant (as Audi calls its estates) into one stylish and shapely package.

Audi claims that the A5 Sportback has comparable leg and headroom with the A4 sedan, providing figures to back up their claims. The A5 Sportback has a roofline 36mm lower than the A4 sedan, and a wheelbase measuring at 2,810mm like the A4. Figures like these can be misleading, so we’re not buying into Audi’s claim just yet. Do not forget that the lowered roofline would also need to accomodate the hinge mechanism of the tailgate, which a saloon would not have.

Roofline is only 36mm lower than A4 sedan.

There will be five powerplant options available for the A5 Sportback upon launch – two petrol and three diesel, all of which feature direct fuel injection and comply with Euro 5 emission standards. For the petrol variants, we have the famous 211hp 2.0 TFSI engine along with the 265hp 3.2 V6, both of which are offered together with Audi’s quattro all-wheel drive system.

The 2.0 TDI, which is the entry level model of the Sportback range, features the same 170hp/350Nm turbodiesel powerplant as the VW Golf GTD mated with a six-speed manual transmission and fitted with a start/stop function. Moving up the range, we have a 2.7 TDI good for 190hp & 400Nm. On top of the diesel range is the 3.0 V6 TDI quattro, which produces 240hp & 500Nm.

Optionally available on the A5 Sportback is the Audi drive select system, which allows the driver to choose between three different modes determining throttle response, gear shifting points (for S-tronic or multitronic), and steering response. It must, however, be ordered together with any one or more of the following: adaptive shock absorber control, continuously variable assistance dynamic steering, and quattro with sport differential, with the latter applicable only to the 3.0 TDI and 3.2 FSI.

The A5 Sportback will go on sale in Europe this September with the entry level 2.0 TDI offered at a starting price of €36k. By mid-2010, a new entry level model, presumably a 1.8 TFSI will go on sale as well, making the Sportback the entry model of the A5 model range.