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Audi A1 TDI 1.6 Review

Published by Servicing Stop in Audi technology on February 8th, 2012 | No Comments »

We have already reviewed the Audi A1 Sportback describing what a great car it is. Today we look into the A1 1.6 TDI variant and discuss why it is such a great car.

Cylinder deactivation

It contains breathtaking technology including a cylinder deactivation system. When travelling at speed, the car’s selected cylinders are able to shut down. This enables the carbon emissions to be kept down to a minimum making the car a wholly efficient diesel.

Five door and three door variants offer identical economic benefits

The five door A1 version of the 1.6 TDI is a whole 25 KG more than the three door variant. Surprisingly it is exactly the same in the emissions that it is able to offer. Both Audi A1’s can offer 74.3 MPG in terms of fuel economy and emit just 99g/km of C02 emissions.

A great drive

Despite it’s economic credentials, the car can still perform wonders on the road. There is a generous amount of speed deriving from the 1.6 TDI engine. It will be hard to forget that you are in a car of such a small size. There is a great amount of agility of the car thanks it’s small size low weight.

However it must be said that the more enthusiastic drivers will prefer the higher and more powerful 1.4 TFSI petrol version which offers more power and push within the drive.

Trims to choose from

There will be three trims to choose from. These include SE, Sport and the S line. The amount of equipment offered upon the SE and Sport are adequate enough we believe.

More spacious within

The five door variant is more spacious within. There is 11 mm of extra headroom as well as 13mm of extra shoulder room.

Boot space remains at being 920 litres with folded seats or 270 litres when the seats are erected.

Styling

The styling between the three door and five door variants are difficult to find. The only difference is that the rear window is positioned in a more upright state.

The sportback is a great choice for those who want a sporty looking type of vehicle with practicality and a decent performance to go with it. The entry level trim will be satisfying enough for most owners.

 

Audi confirms new engine

Published by Servicing Stop in Audi technology on February 1st, 2012 | No Comments »

Audi have confirmed that the V6 TDI engine will be made available within the new A6 Saloon, A6 Avant and the A7 Sportback. The highly anticipated Audi A6 allroad Quattro is also set to feature the brand new engine. This car is due to be released next month.

Cost

The Audi A6 Saloon 3.0 BiTDI Quattro will cost £43,810. The Audi A7 3.0 litre BiTDI Quattro will be more expensive at £53,434.

Most powerful six cylinder

Audi have said that it will be the most powerful six cylinder diesel engine that they have ever produced. Reaching a maximum of 313 BHP it will certainly be a wonderful addition to the UK car market.

Audi A6 performance

The Audi A6 will reach 0 – 62 MPH in only 5.1 seconds with the new 3.0 litre V6 TDI engine installed. Electronically the car will be limited to 155 MPH with a fuel economy of 44.1 MPG. C02 emissions will stand at just 169g/km which is quite a decent figure considering the sporty type of appeal.

Technology

A maximum boost pressure of 3.2 bar can be reached with the two stage turbocharger installed. An engine note is currently being considered for installation. This creates a new sound for the engine which will offer more appeal and attractiveness to the car.

Eco friendly

The new TDI engine will have plenty of green technology implemented upon it to keep it as economical as possible. This includes the likes of start stop along with an energy recuperation system. Audi’s unique thermal management technology will also be included. This particular piece of technology raises the coolant’s and engine oil’s temperature as fast as possible.

Transmission

Every single model will have an eight speed tiptronic transmission which is able to power all four wheels. Traction as well as stability is highly catered for too with standard self locking centre differential and torque vectoring being implemented.

Power can be distributed in a different way in continuously variable proportions between the rear wheels. This offers a different type of performance from which the drive feels sharper.

Audi are clearly attempting to rival BMW and Mercedes-Benz by taking technology to the next level. With a diesel that is capable of such tremendous ability by being so powerful and economical at the same time, the engine is sure to be a great addition to the UK luxury car market.

 

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Audi focused on electric car technology

Published by Servicing Stop in Audi technology on December 19th, 2011 | No Comments »

Audi is researching batteries for electric vehicles. They are said to be stepping up their work in order to break into the EV market in the near future.

eProduction

Reports from Germany confirm that the luxury car manufacturers are launching an eProduction research project. This particular project will be conducted alongside a number of partners with an overall aim of developing a concept storing energy to be utilised within electric cars through traction batteries.

The complex venture will take place for three years and will be sponsored by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

Frank Dreves a Member of the Board of Management for Production at Audi AG said that the eProduction project is vital to creating the next generation of cars. His exact words were “With eProduction we are taking the next important step on the road to electric mobility,”

“This will put us in a position to produce electrically powered cars in larger numbers – in a way that is efficient, safe, robust and sustainable,” explains Dreves.

Traction batteries

What are traction batteries? They represent a very sophisticated piece of technology that display a number of benefits. It contains a high voltage and service connections, a cooling system, an electronic management system, electromechanical components along with actuators and sensors.

Ministry Director – “Significant consequences”

The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research Director Professor Dr Wolf-Dieter Lukas praised the project and stated the benefits of it. He said “The increasing level of electrification of the automobile has significant consequences for the production process. This applies particularly to battery production, which represents a large proportion of the value chain.”

“We at the BMBF are delighted to be supporting this project through our sponsorship.”

The eProduction research project aims to eventually find a sustainable method of powering electric vehicles that store high voltage energy within batteries. It’s a very complicated project which requires a host of innovative and clever methods, including that of lightweight construction and a feasible way of mass production.

German Government plans

The German Government plans to have 1 million vehicles on the road by 2020. Today’s announcement is sure to please them and speed up the process. Electric vehicles are the way forward. You can bet that Audi are looking at ways of producing an electric vehicle that doesn’t compromise on performance.

 

 

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Audi A6 and A7 praised once again

Published by Servicing Stop in Audi technology on December 12th, 2011 | No Comments »

Audi just can’t stop winning praise and awards around the world.  The Audi and A6 and Audi A7 have selected within a list of top 10 best cars that cost under $80,000 in the Car and Drivers’ 30th Annual 10 Best Awards. The car’s wonderful and innovative technology along with their eye catching and spectacular exterior design is what made the car’s especially stand out.

The 2012 model Audi A8L and the spectacular supercar the Audi R8 received praise for cars over that $80,000 limit.

Car and Driver Editor, Eddie Alterman stated just how superb the cars have to be if they are to win such awards. He said “As in years past, the cars on this year’s list represent the best overall vehicles on the market today,”

“Out of 68 contenders, these are the ones that consistently perform the best, are a good value and are engaging, fun-to-drive vehicles.”

The Audi A6 is able to produce 310 BHP carrying a V6 3.0 litre TFSI engine made of aluminium. IT has been described as Audi’s best drive and most advanced in terms of technology vehicle to date. The car makes an astounding 2000 decisions for the driver per second.

Even driving at night is made almost as safe as driving during the day considering the amount of technology. The thermal imaging camera makes night driving so much easier. The car’s wonderful Pre Sense Plus Safety System helps keep everyone within as safe as possible during almost every type of hazardous situation. The MMI touch pad that can recognise handwriting in a number of different languages adds to the car’s wonderful features. For the first time ever in a vehicle, wireless internet technology is provided too.

The Audi A7 is a wonderful car inside and out. You get a wonderfully sophisticated exterior design which is bound to turn head. Inside there is satellite navigation and 3D Google Earth to play utilise. The Audi A7 may be a large vehicle but it is no slow coach. It can produce 310 BHP from its 3.0 litre TFSI engine along with 325 lb-ft.

 

The list of competitors
Audi A6

A7 3.0T Quattro

BMW 3-Series M3

Cadillac CTS-V

Ford Focus

Ford Mustang GT/Boss 302

Honda Accord

Honda Fit

Mazda MS-5 Miata

Porsche Boxster

Porsche Cayman

VW Golf/TDI

 

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Evolution of transmissions on the Audi S4 and S5

Published by Servicing Stop in Audi technology on November 21st, 2011 | No Comments »

Audi is looking to move their high performance models the Audi S4 and S5 away from containing manual transmissions on European models.

Evolution of transmission

Some may be surprised at the news. Manual transmissions go hand in hand with speedy vehicles as it allows drivers to have more control and excitement.

Times have changed since and sports cars have evolved. It would appear that motorists are leaning towards semi automatic transmissions. Gear changes are more engaging and fuel economy is improved dramatically. Lazy drivers who hate changing their manual gear whilst stuck in traffic will also naturally feel the immediate benefits.

Great track history

Audi are recognised as one of the pioneers of mastering the DSG gearbox. It offers a very responsive gear changing method and very accessible and easy to get used to. Some of the best performing cars that the automotive industry has to offer, such as the R8 and TT RS have a automatic type transmissions which simply don’t let you down when it comes to reaching high speeds or shifting down a gear to allow that extra bit of acceleration to kick in.  Does moving away from manual gearboxes make sense? Is that deemed old fashioned?

Are we moving away from manuals?

One question which is sure to be on everyone’s mind is that of are manual transmission gearboxes slowly becoming extinct? Are motorists fed up of changing gears and do they prefer a semi automatic or a fully automatic transmission? It is very difficult to say at present but statistics show that manufacturers have been moving away from the idea for quite some time with more and more models being made automatics rather than manuals. We would expect that number to increase over the coming years.

America keeping theirs

The American variants of the Audi S4 and S5 will keep the 6 speed manual option.  According to many, Europeans have a stronger demand for manual gearboxes compared to the USA. Why would Audi have come the decision to release the manual transmission version of the cars in the USA and not Europe?

Although the semi automatic gearbox offers so many advantages, some would sacrifice them to feel the thrill and excitement of changing gears and having complete control.

 

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