Model range gains far-reaching equipment and option pack advantages plus new range-topping Black Edition specification for A4

  • New A4 Saloon and Avant Black Edition now available to order priced from £32,350 OTR to £44,350 OTR
  • Latest A4 variants arrive as existing A4 range also receives equipment enhancements adding up to £550 worth of customer value
  • Black Edition specification comprises privacy glass, black exterior styling pack, flat-bottomed steering wheel, piano black inlays and 19-inch alloy wheels
  • Can be ordered with 1.4 TFSI 150PS, 2.0 TDI and 2.0 TFSI 190PS, 2.0 TFSI 252PS and both 218PS and 272PS V6 TDI engines
  • Pricing starts from £32,350 OTR and rises to £44,350 OTR
  • Cruise control and rear parking sensors also fitted as standard without exception to all Audi models as part of a comprehensive Model Year offering

Exclusive styling, extensive equipment and amplified road presence have long been hallmarks of the Audi Black Edition specification, and now it is back by popular demand to lend an even more purposeful air to the new A4 Saloon and Avant. Black Edition versions of both variants can be ordered now, and are the headliners for a broader range of equipment additions benefiting numerous UK Audi models and forming part of the brand’s 2018 Model Year update programme.

The immensely popular Black Edition specification, which was the choice of more than 50 per cent of customers ordering the previous A4 model, is available in combination with the full A4 engine range, from the entry-level 1.4 TFSI with 150PS right up to the most powerful 272PS V6 TDI quattro.

It guarantees stand-out appeal through 19-inch five-arm rotor alloy wheels in a matt titanium finish (or the no-cost option of 18-inch 10 Y-spoke gloss black alloys), complemented by a titanium black styling pack which extends to the mirror housings, singleframe grille and window surrounds, side skirts, rear spoiler (fitted to the Saloon) and air intakes. Black roof rails also complement these accents in Avant models, and in both body styles privacy glass is added for the rear windows. Another Black Edition benefit that is less immediately obvious is the inclusion of acoustic front side window glass to further refine the already remarkably hushed A4 cabin environment.

Up to £550 of added value for A4

Inside, the Black Edition versions gain a flat-bottomed multi-function steering wheel and piano black inlays, as well as a number of detail enhancements that benefit the range from SE specification upwards and add up to £550 worth of customer value compared with specifying the items individually. All versions now feature Audi connect Safety & Service, which takes advantage of the A4’s advanced internet-enabled onboard network to offer emergency call, online roadside assistance and Audi service request functions, all at the touch of a roof panel-mounted button. Sport models gain an upgraded multi-function steering wheel, a seven-inch full-colour Driver’s Information System replacing the original five-inch monochrome version, front seat heating and Twin Leather upholstery, while S line models swap their cloth and leather combination upholstery for a leather and Alcantara mix and also add seat heating.

Elsewhere in the Audi range, cruise control and rear parking sensors become part of the standard specification for every model, from the entry level A1 upwards, that isn’t already factory fitted with these items.

At the same time, thorough analysis of the engine and trim level hierarchies has resulted in rationalised model choice lists and a simpler and more consistent portfolio of optional equipment packages across the board.

The most significant changes to the cost effective packaged equipment bundles can be seen in the popular Technology and Comfort and Sound packs. The Technology Pack has been standardised for all Audi models in an enhanced form that includes the fully digital Audi virtual cockpit and Audi Phone Box with wireless charging*, MMI navigation plus with MMI Touch and the suite of Audi connect infotainment services.

A new format Comfort and Sound Pack also replaces the various equivalents previously offered across the range, and depending on model features either front parking sensors or a reversing camera, hill hold assist, a BOSE or Bang & Olufsen sound system and either heated front seats or the advanced key keyless access system.

To add a final flourish to the 2018 Model Year changes, the new ‘Audi Beam’ feature also becomes standard equipment for S models from the S3 upwards and for all RS models. Audi Beam projects the four rings via LEDs onto the ground whenever the car is parked and the front doors are opened. On RS models, the projection changes to the Audi Sport logo.

All of these changes and further Model Year 2018 upgrades are documented in the latest versions of the price lists and on the Audi configurator.

Article source: www.audi.co.uk

Android and associated apps debut on the Audi SUV showcar at Google I/O

  • New, open system architecture for in-car infotainment
  • Fully integrated HMI solution featuring Android presented on the Q8 sport concept technology platform
  • New streaming services include Spotify, Google Play Music and Google Assistant
  • Vast Android community knowledge allows accelerated development of future in-car apps

Audi is presenting its concept of a next generation infotainment system with fully integrated Android platform at the renowned Google I/O developer conference, starting today, 17 May. This world premiere opens up new perspectives, which will allow the development of connectivity services to be greatly accelerated.

With 7,000 attendees on site, and millions worldwide via the internet, the three-day Google I/O gathering at Google’s headquarters in Mountain View, California, is considered as the largest and most important developer conference in the software industry worldwide. One of the exhibits features Android as a seamlessly integrated solution for in-car infotainment applications, which is being developed by the Android Open Source Community and its millions of members.

The Audi Q8 sport concept technology platform, which Audi is presenting at Google I/O, already has Android on board. The new functions, including the streaming service Spotify, Google Play Music and Google Assistant all run on the large MMI touch display in the centre of the dashboard. The information is also visible in the Audi virtual cockpit in the driver’s direct field of view.

This marks the first time the new services have been fully integrated into Audi’s brand specific infotainment system. While the navigation map continues to use the Audi-typical HERE database, the driver can also choose to navigate with Google Maps. A message centre for incoming messages and calls round out the new services in the show car.

The seamless integration of Android harbours tremendous potential. Android is the world's most popular mobile platform with more than 1.4 billion active users worldwide. The open Android community’s immense breadth of expertise and creativity can speed up the development of new applications. New apps can quickly find their way into the cars as additional connected services, for example, if they fulfill the requirements of Google and Audi. The foundation for this is the Android platform. Other customer advantages alongside shorter update cycles include a significantly greater diversity of services as well as broad international availability.

When people are able to pursue any activity they want in the car of the future, the integrated Android system will enable them to use the entire world of Smartphone apps in the car.

Article source: www.audi.co.uk

New lighter, faster RS coupé to join UK Audi range with exceptional specification including valuable upgrades to dynamics and infotainment

  • All-new RS 5 Coupé available to order later this month priced from £62,900 OTR – first deliveries later this summer
  • New 2.9 TFSI with 450PS and 600Nm of torque from 1,900 – 5,000rpm
  • 0-62mph in just 3.9 seconds, 155mph top speed which can be increased to 174mph
  • Audi Virtual Cockpit with RS-specific displays and quattro sport rear differential fitted as standard to UK versions
  • Combined 32.5mpg and 197g/km of CO2 – a 17 per cent reduction
  • quattro all-wheel drive, wheel selective torque control and Audi drive select as standard
  • Overall weight reduction of up to 60kg
  • Optional carbon fibre roof and fully milled wheels
  • RS sport suspension with Dynamic Ride Control, RS exhaust system and dynamic steering also available
  • State-of-the-art driver assistance, safety and connectivity systems

Precision shares equal billing with power in the all-new Audi RS 5 Coupé, and this is particularly true of UK-bound examples which benefit from an enhanced specification bringing the pin-sharp clarity of the Audi Virtual Cockpit and the optimal handling adjustability delivered by the Audi sport differential as standard. The new high performance, high technology coupé with its advanced new 450PS V6 biturbo TFSI becomes available in the UK later this month priced from £62,900 OTR, and will touch down here later in the summer.

With 600 Nm (442.5 lb-ft) of torque, the new 2.9-litre V6 holds a 170Nm advantage over its naturally aspirated predecessor, and delivers it to the tune of a charismatic soundtrack reminiscent of the V6 TFSI powering the original B5 RS 4. The top model in the A5 family sprints from 0 to 62mph in just 3.9 seconds and with the optional dynamic package reaches a top speed of 174mph.

Two turbochargers positioned centrally between the cylinder banks guarantee exceptional response throughout the rev range, and combustion technology employing the B-cycle process with central direct injection ushers in a new level of efficiency for an RS model. Aided by a 60kg overall weight reduction versus the outgoing car, the V6 biturbo is capable of up to 32.5mpg combined, corresponding to 197 grams of CO2 per km – an efficiency gain of 17 percent over the previous model.

quattro with sport differential

The biturbo’s copious power is deftly managed by the eight-speed tiptronic transmission with optimised shift times and by the reworked five-link front and all-new five-link rear RS-specific suspension, which is of course supported by quattro permanent all-wheel drive. The centre differential-based system distributes drive forces in a 40:60 front-to-rear ratio favouring dynamic handling with optimal traction, and in UK specification models is augmented by the quattro sport differential, which also apportions torque optimally between the rear wheels to promote even greater handling adjustability.

For the most committed drivers Audi Sport also offers optional RS sport suspension with Dynamic Ride Control (DRC), ceramic brakes and dynamic steering with RS-specific tuning.

Pronounced air intakes, gaping oval exhaust tailpipes, quattro blisters complementing widened wheel arches and an exclusive honeycomb design for the single frame grille are among the features that render the elegantly updated A5 body fit to bear the RS badge. In this latest model, the look can also be further enhanced by new features such as a full carbon roof and by bundled appearance packs that accentuate the sill strips, mirror cappings and diffuser insert. The standard LED headlamps with their dynamic scrolling indicators can also be upgraded to Matrix LED units capable of intelligently diverting their high beam around oncoming and leading traffic for maximum illumination, and for maximum visual impact the sizeable 19-inch alloy wheels can also be upgraded to a 20-inch design.

Defining features also abound in the upscale and lavishly appointed interior. Fine Nappa leather-upholstered RS sport seats position the driver perfectly in relation to the flat-bottomed multifunction sport steering wheel and the tiptronic selector lever with its RS insignia. When the start button is pressed the exceptionally sharp and richly detailed graphics of the RS-specific, fully digital Audi Virtual Cockpit come to life. This standard feature of UK RS 5 models features a customisable display incorporating special RS screens providing information on tyre pressure, torque and g-forces. The list of driver assistants that feature as standard also includes the Audi side assist blindspot monitoring system, Audi hill hold assist and the Audi drive select adaptive dynamics system offering fine-tuning of engine response, transmission shift points, steering weighting and the operating characteristics of the quattro system and sport differential.

On the infotainment front, the RS 5 Coupé comes equipped as standard with the Audi Smartphone Interface bringing Apple Carplay and Android Auto on board, and with MMI navigation plus with MMI touch, which now also includes LTE internet connectivity as part of the Audi connect package. Thanks to the embedded Audi connect SIM, the flat rate data package for the connect services including Europe-wide roaming is free of charge for three years.

Further high-end technologies, including a head-up display and as many as 30 driver assistance systems are available from the options list to help the RS 5 remove even more layers of stress from every journey and leave drivers free to immerse themselves as fully as possible in the performance.

Article source: www.audi.co.uk

quattro is a permanent all-wheel drive system. If the wheels on one axle of the vehicle lose grip on the road and threaten to spin, wheel-selective torque control distributes the drive force through the transfer case and hydraulic multi-plate clutch to the axle or individual wheel with the better grip.

 

With quattro you will experience directional stability, dynamism and agility as never before, while counteracting over- and understeer without any problems. The benefits are clear: better traction and thus improved acceleration as well as greater safety thanks to more balanced cornering forces.


Article source: www.audi.com

quattro on-demand can switch between all-wheel drive and front-wheel drive in a fraction of a second by monitoring driving dynamics, road conditions and driver behaviour. As a result, potential CO2 emissions and fuel consumption is reduced compared to a car with permanently engaged all-wheel drive. Yet you still have all the benefits of quattro, as the system is always ready to step in when needed.

 

Article source: www.audi.co.uk