Audi Rumored to be Working on New Q4 SUV to battle Range Evoque

Audi will double the number of SUVs in its range, which currently includes the recently announced Q3 (pictured in the above sketch), plus the Q5 and Q7, with the addition of three new models by 2016, according to a company insider cited by Autocar magazine. The new models will be named Q2, Q4 and Q6, and according to the magazine’s source, will enable the Ingolstadt-based carmaker to cover every niche of the popular SUV segment.

The first addition to Audi’s SUV line-up is said to be the Q4, which will be a sportier version of the existing Q5 designed to compete against Range Rover’s Evoque and to a lesser degree, sister company Porsche’s upcoming Cajun. It is expected to launch sometime in 2014 or 2015.

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Audi Challenges BMW, Mercedes and Lexus with new Ad Campaign

Audi of America has launched a new advertising campaign that will most likely generate a similar response from the competition in the premium segment. Under the tagline “Car Carrier”, the two Audi commercials feature a BMW owner that goes nuts when he sees a truck full of brand new automotive metal from Ingolstadt.

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Audi: 38 Percent of all Models Sold in 2010 were Equipped with Quattro Drive

In 2010, the year that Audi celebrated the 30th anniversary of the quattro, it sold an impressive 437,792 quattro-equipped cars, or about 38 percent of its total production. The brand with the four rings said it sells more all-wheel drive vehicles than any other premium manufacturer in the world.

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Report: Porsche Cajun said to Launch in a 3-Door Body Style First, will be Based on the Audi Q5

*The above photo is a rendering from a Teamspeed forum member

New details on Porsche's junior SUV have emerged a day after the company confirmed the Leipzig plant as the production site for the new car. German car magazine AutoBild reported that Porsche will launch the compact SUV in a three-door body style adding that the Cajun will have a sporty character to differentiate it from the Audi Q5.

Porsche originally intended to launch the Cajun as a five-door model, but later decided it would be better to start off with a three-door variant since it doesn't want to affect the sales of the Q5, upon which the Cajun is based.

The Stuttgart automaker also feared that a five-door Cajun might threaten the Cayenne as well, so the company is said to have decided to give its smaller SUV a much more dynamic appearance. However, Porsche did not exclude a five-door version in the near future.

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Rumorville: Is Lamborghini Really Going to Revive the Rambo Lambo?

Here we go again; according to unconfirmed reports from the UK, Lamborghini is working on a spiritual successor to the LM002 aka Rambo Lambo – you know, the monstrous Italian SUV of the late 1980s, which used the Countach's 5.2-liter V12 and had a special place in the hearts of obscenely rich sheiks.

"Industry insiders" say that the new model will be based on the same platform as the Audi Q5 and Porsche's upcoming Cajun. Let me deviate right here, as this sounds more than a bit off.

The original LM002 measured 4.9 meters (192 inches) in length, but its bulky design made it seem a lot bigger. The Audi Q5 is 4.62 meters (182 inches) long and it shows, as it doesn't come anywhere near the Q7's presence. It really looks like a small SUV. No, a true successor has to be as off the charts as the original or even more. A bigger platform is a must. Strike one.

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New Audi Q5 Hybrid spotted on company's website, gets 2.0-liter TSI and Electric Motor

Although there's been no official announcement other than confirmation of a Q5 Hybrid SUV sometime this year (next week's L.A. Auto Show is a good bet), Audi's website seems to think that the brand's mid-size hybrid crossover is ready for some time in the spotlight.

According to the site, the Q5 Hybrid will be a full hybrid with a 2.0 TSI four-cylinder working alongside a 33-kW (44 HP) electric motor, regenerative braking, and start/stop tech.

Behind the scenes, the car will have an adaptive control system to optimize the gas/electric power ratio. On electric power alone, Audi is expecting the car to be able to cruise at speeds up to 100 km/h / 62 mph. Curious about range and efficiency? There's now a power meter in the instrument cluster for just that reason.

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VIDEO: BMW X3 vs. Audi Q5 in an all-wheel drive man-made hill climb

Who would have thought that BMW's all-wheel drive systems were enough to shame Audi's famous quattro system? Not the average consumer, that's for sure (though BMW certainly has had enough time to get it right). BMW, which has actually been making AWD cars for the past 25 years, has decided to begin more aggressively targeting consumers who live in harsher climates.

According to this video, BMW's xDrive is vastly superior to Audi's quattro - at least when driving up metal inclines built by BMW... In the clip, we get a glimpse at what appears to be some sort of BMW press event and a hill climb-off between two small-ish diesel-powered premium soft-roaders: Audi's Q5 and BMW's X3.

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Audi Confirms Q5 Hybrid (2011) and A7 Sports Sedan (2010)

Audi has published new details on its future product plans that include the introduction of several new vehicles such as brand's first full hybrid model based on the Q5. The Ingolstadt automaker said that by 2015, the brand will have enlarged its vehicle portfolio from currently 34 to 42 models.

In particular, 2010 will see Audi launching a series of new cars like the A1 premium supermini, the A7 based on the Sportback Concept, the new A8 limo and the R8 Spyder. Though no specific details were released, the automaker said that it will unveil the Q5 Hybrid at the end of 2010, with sales beginning in early 2011.

The German company said that it plans to devote around 5.9 billion euros or about 80 percent of its total investment in fixed assets through 2012, to new product development, further optimization of conventional drivelines and the development of electric and hybrid models.

"With our planned investments in new products and mobility concepts, for example electric propulsion, we are creating a basis for our company's future growth," said Axel Strotbek, Member of the Board of Management for Finance and Organization at AUDI AG.

PS: Standard Q5 and Sportback Concept pictured

ABT Audi Q5: New Bodykit and Tuning Packages with up to 310HP

German tuning house ABT Sportsline has released details on its new sport package for the Audi Q5 compact SUV that will be available for order within the first months of 2009. The latest member to join the ABT family gets a new bodykit that makes it look brawnier than its original counterpart mainly due to the fender extensions and the aggressively styled front skirt and grille. The range of aero parts also includes side skirts, a roof spoiler and a rear skirt that incorporates the 4-pipe-rear muffler. The new 20-inch alloy wheels complete the Q5’s looks. -Continued

Underneath the skin, ABT offers a range of power upgrades with the base 2.0 TFSI gasoline engine delivering 240 HP instead of 211 HP and the 2.0 TDI turbo diesel unit, 190 HP from 140 HP. As for the 3.0 TDI turbo diesel engine that develops 240 HP in standard form, ABT offers two power kits boosting output to 287 HP and 310 HP.

Handling improvements include a new set of 380mm diameter brake discs, sport springs that bring the Q5 closer to the ground and the ABT Level Control, an electronic lowering for the CDC air suspension (Continous Damping Control). (Opening image edited by Carscoop)

ABT Q5 - data and facts

Engine: 2.0 TFSI, 1984cc engine capacity, 4 cylinders
Performance upgrade: ABT Power
Performance: 240hp/177kW (series: 211hp/155kW)

Engine: 2.0 TDI, 1968cc engine capacity, 4 cylinders
Performance upgrade: ABT Power
Performance: 190hp/140kW (series: 170hp/125kW)

Engine: 3.0 TDI, 2967cc engine capacity, V6
Performance upgrade: ABT Power
Performance: 282hp/207kW (series: 240hp/177kW)

Engine: 3.0 TDI, 2967cc engine capacity, V6
Performance upgrade: ABT Power S
Performance: 310hp/228kW (series: 240hp/177kW)

New Audi Q5 to be built in Germany

EUR 300 million to be invested in production facilities
Production to start in 2008
Location chosen on strength of high productivity

The decision has been made: the new Audi Q5 will be built in Germany. The new model will start rolling off the production line at Ingolstadt in 2008. To that end, around EUR 300 million will be invested in the production facilities over the next years. Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG, explained: “The decision demonstrates what potential there is for industrial production in Germany. We are delighted that the Audi Q5 will be built in Ingolstadt, now that we have reached an agreement with the Works Council enabling us to build it at a competitive cost.” A total of some 1,700 workers will be involved in production of the Audi Q5 in Ingolstadt. “This decision will also benefit employment at Neckarsulm, because both plants will be very closely interlinked,” added Winterkorn.

The decision to build the Audi Q5 at Ingolstadt is the third major decision within a short space of time that AUDI AG has reached in favour of a German location. Just a few months ago, it was announced that the new Audi A5 is to be built in Ingolstadt, and the Audi R8 sports car in Neckarsulm. Production of the Audi R8 will commence in the fourth quarter of 2006.

The Audi Q5 will join the Audi Q7 as the Audi brand's second model in the sport utility vehicle (SUV) segment. “The Audi Q5 will be an overtly sporty vehicle that will add an important product to the Audi model range. The Audi Q5 will take us a big step closer to vehicle sales of 1.4 million per year, a target that we have set ourselves for 2015,” continued Winterkorn.

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