This may not be much of a surprise to many, but the Audi Q5 and Q7 have been awarded the 5-Star safety rating, the highest possible score for crash safety. The US’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) awarded the rating for it’s new car assessment programme. This figure is based on an overall score of frontal and side crash tests.
“Having the Q5 and Q7 earn the highest safety rating from NHTSA shows our commitment to make overall crash worthiness and superior driver assistance systems a top priority for our customers,” said Scott Keogh, president, Audi of America.
Both vehicles come equipped with Audi’s pre-sense safety systems that offer a slew of safety features. For instance, when an impact is imminent, the system shuts the windows and panoramic roof, then tightens the front seat belts to keep occupants in a secured position.
Adding to that, the system can apply braking pressure when it senses an impending collision. Sensors on the sides monitor the blind spots and warn drivers of the presence of other vehicles there. Working together, these systems ensure that both the Q5 and Q7 minimize the risk of collisions.
Like other German automakers, occupant safety is one of the highest priorities for Audi. Its current product line offer some of the best levels of safety. And the introduction of autonomous tech should improve safety standards even further and help reduce the severity of vehicle collisions.
Audi’s new A7 Sportback sports improved looks, performance and is brimming with technology. It is said to combine the practicality of a station wagon with the svelte curves of a sedan. Featuring Audi’s new design language, the car has been fitted with the latest drivertrain and mild hybrid technologies.
At the front, the single-frame grille, narrower headlights and contoured air inlets provide the car, which is wider and lower than the A8, with a more elegant and more classy look. The design and arrangement of the 12 adjacent lighting segments that are separated by narrow spaces mimic that of the binary digits, 0 and 1.
The car’s long and sleek bonnet, short overhangs and muscular stance makes the A7 Sportback a very good looking car. As for its dimensions, the car is 4,969 millimeters long, has a wheelbase of 2,926 millimeters and is 1,908 millimeters wide, but is only 1,422 millimeters high.
Audi’s tapered rear design is retained for the new car with its larger rear harch terminating with a curved lip and an integrated rear spoiler that rises at high speeds. The animated rear lights turn on when locking and unlocking the car – its a sight to behold as are the turn signals.
Inside, Audi’s meticulous attention to detail has allowed for a neat layout of the array of switchgear. The 10.1-inch upper display that is titled toward the driver features black panel optics and a graphite grey aluminium clasp. It is operated by the MMI touch interface system that replaces the older rotary push button setup.
At the bottom of that, there’s a second 8.6-inch display that is used to access the climate control system, comfort functions and text input. Available as optional extras are a head-up display system and a more sophisticated 12.3-inch display that offers virtual switch gear instead of physical ones.
This MMI package will be made available with a choice of two sound system upgrades with the noteworthy onr being the Bang & Olufsen Advanced Sound System capable of delivering advanced 3D sound.
AI or artifical intelligence is at the heart of the A7 Sportback, and by pushing the AI button, drivers will be able to active the remote parking pilot and remote garage pilot systems. They allow the vehicle to maneuver in and out of parking spaces autonomously.The driver can even get out of the car and activate the system via the MyAudi app and allow the car to do the rest.
Monitoring the car’s autonomous activity is the central driver assistance controller (zFAS) that merges the data from a sophisticated set of sensors to continually compute an image of the surroundings. Depending the upgrades that are chosen, the A7 Sportback can come with as many as five radar sensors, five cameras, 12 ultrasonic sensors and a laser scanner.
This generation of the car is equipped with a new mild hybrid system that consises of a V6 engine and a 48-volt primary electrical system. A belt alternator starter (BAS) recuperates energy under braking, which can be up to 12kW of power, and stores it within a lithium-ion battery.
The V6 engine is a 3.0-litre TFSI turbo engine that produces close to 340bhp and 500Nm of torque. Coupled with a 7-speed S tronic dual clutch gearbox, it allows the car to sprint from 0-100km/h in just 5.3 seconds. The quattro drivetrain which consists of a clever all-wheel drive and steering systems allow for better maneuverability and stability.
At cruising speeds, the A7 Sportback is able to coast in freewheeling mode with the engine shut off but then restarts it via the BAS, once more power is required. Adding to that, the new start-stop function uses a front mounted camera that can anticipate when the vehicle in front is about to move, and activates or shuts off the engine accordingly.
Audi says that the new A7 Sportback will be in showrooms in places like the UK as early as the beginning of next year. Built in Neckarsulm, Germany, the car should hit markets worldwide sometime next year, though the exact details haven’t been revealed yet.
According to recent reports, Lamborghini is looking to ‘one up’ Ferrari at its own game by certain restructuring strategies. But out of the lot, we are most interested in the plans of launching its first ever SUV.
Based on an article published by automobilemag.com, there has been some talk of the production of the automaker’s upcoming hyper-SUV, the Urus, which is slated for launch next year. It is said to be based on the third generation Cayenne, and will sport a number of engine options including a 458bhp plug-in hybrid V6 and a 660bhp 4.0-litre V8.
That isn’t breaking news, but what is however, is the idea that Porsche instead of Lamborghini might be running the show. Audi, acquired Lamborghini in 1999 and the former, is owned by Volkswagen who also owns Porsche. (It’s complicated family tree)
Perhaps the powers that be, hope that with Porsche at the helm of the project, things would progress smoothly as opposed to having the Italian automaker calling the shots. Mind you, this isn’t the first time that the Germans have abruptly stepped in.
The Gallardo, Lamborghini’s most popular vehicle, and which has accounted for a significant portion of the brands sales growth over the yers, shared the same platform as the Audi R8. This had many purists up in arms because they feared that the move had diluted the appeal.
However, they were sadly mistaken and the Gallardo went on to sell like hot cakes in the 10 years that the model was kept in production. And this same strategy could work for the Urus as well.
As a side note, Lamborghini are also working on a Huracan that can do some mild adventure-like activities. Unlike the regular car, this one will have an increased ride height to allow for improved ground clearance. This Huracan will probably be fitted with bigger tyres as well as wider fenders to compensate for them.
Based on this, we can surmise that no automotive manufacture, regardless of heritage, can resist the allure of the SUV. It’s a product line that is in constant demand, especially when they are made by luxury brands.
Being away from your family can be tough, especially if it has been about a couple of years. Such is the case of an Australian expat named Robbie Smith, who left his home to seek better opportunities in the UK.
Home sick, Smith felt that though modern technology such as video chats and phone calls allowed him to connect with his family, he missed the physical contact. Upon hearing this, Skoda decided to step in an reconnect the Smith family in a very creative way.
The automaker released a video detailing the entire process of reuniting Smith and his immediate family. This short film portrays the planning that was done by the Skoda team, as well as the subtle hints that were left for the 32-year-old Australian while he was on his daily commute.
Though not jarring, they were obvious enough to pick up on, should you be paying attention. Smith, was completely oblivious of this and only came to the realization of what was actually going on when he approached a local cafe.
The clues that he missed included a graffiti mural of photos with his loved ones and an entire cinema decorated with posters of his life. He even walks past Skoda brand ambassador Sir Bradley Wiggins mistakenly thinking that he was a regular Londoner holding a newspaper.
In case you didn’t know, Sir Bradly Wiggins is a former British professional road and track cyclist who won several races including the Tour de France, in 2012. He competed in professional competitions between 2001 to 2016, and is a well-known celebrity in the UK.
Both shocked and delighted, Smith was over the moon to find out what Skoda had done just for him and that he got to be with his entire family for a signifcant amount of time. Speaking of this reunion, Smith said:
“I am still so shocked. I was just walking my normal route and had no idea that my family would be waiting for me at the end. I can’t believe all the clues I missed along the way; it wasn’t until I noticed the cinema posters and saw my face that I realised something wasn’t quite right.”
Skoda connected Smith and his family to celebrate the launch of its Kodiaq, the automaker’s first ever SUV. Built on Volkswagen’s MQB platform, the vehicle is closely related to the VW Tiguan and SEAT Ateca. A number of engine options have been made available with the vehicle including 3 petrol and 2 diesels.
Through this video, Skoda wants to inspire others to reconnect with what matters most to them with the launch of the Škoda Reconnect Fund ( www.skoda.co.uk/reconnect-me). The automaker will be facilitating the re-connection, big or small, of people and what they love to do including meeting an old friend by enjoying a once-in-a-lifetime experience together.
