END OF THE ROAD FOR ICONIC AUDI TT

Audi Australia will mark the end of production of its iconic TT sportscar with a special limited edition model. The TT was launched in 1998 and arrived here the following year, initially in coupe form and shortly afterwards as a convertible. Almost all loved its bold shape that combines modern design with 1930’s roadster images. That design proved to be timeless making it instantly recognisable throughout its 25-year lifetime. The aptly named TT Final Edition is based on the Audi TT 45 TFSI quattro but with its own distinctive styling… Read more

Q4 BECOMES AUDI’S THIRD EV

Audi’s third and most affordable EV will be the Q4 e-tron in Australia. Q4 will join the Audi Q8 e-tron (formerly named the Audi e-tron) and gorgeous e-tron GT. It will be available as both SUV and Sportback form and is set to join the lineup by the middle of next year. The pair will be a key to the brand’s electrification strategy as they are parachuted into the rapidly growing compact SUV segment. First unveiled at the beginning of 2019 in Europe, the two EVs bring into series production… Read more

EV SALES EXPECTED TO DOUBLE THIS YEAR, REPORT FINDS

More than one in five cars sold in the ACT are now electric vehicles. That’s more  than double the figure for the other states and territories, led by NSW and Tasmania  where they account for nine per cent of the market. Australia-wide EVs account for  8.4 per cent of new vehicle sales, with a total of 46,624 sales for the first six months  of this year.   These are the findings of  the annual State of Electric Vehicles report by the Electric  Vehicle Council (EVC) which predicts sales of EVs… Read more

AUDI RS 6 AVANT QUATTRO

Strewth! Audi’s RS 6 Avant is formidable. In fact, it’s almost too much car — correction, wagon. It’s right up there in terms of the high-performance stuff that we’ve driven over the years and should not be underestimated. I remember driving its little brother, the RS 4 Avant, on the track at Sydney’s Eastern Creek, one hand on the wheel, drifting effortlessly around a left-hander. It was an amazing experience and I can only imagine RS 6 would be even more rewarding driven flat out in an environment that can… Read more

AUDI S8 V8 QUATTRO

It’s probably close to 10 years since I last drove an Audi S8 and not much has changed in that time. It’s got a bit more power and technology, but still looks pretty much the same and the basics are still there. And it’s still the car I’d buy if I was lucky enough to win Lotto. Big, prestigious and powerful, the S8 is a lot of car, almost too much I thought, as it snapped sideways when I made the mistake of punching the accelerator on a wet road…. Read more

AUDI A3 2008 – 2021

  German automaker Audi is often ahead of the pack when it comes to new ideas. In Europe  the Audi A3 is often used as a family car, but in Australia it’s more likely to be bought by  singles or couples.   The A3 created quite a commotion when it was first released in the small car market way  back in 1997. Some felt prestige cars should be large, imposing and expensive – certainly  not small and relatively affordable. They were wrong and Audi has since been joined by  other… Read more

AUDI E-TRON GT QUATTRO

The first Audi E-Tron I drove was a hybrid A3 way back in 2015. It could run on electricity alone, so qualified as an EV. It was Audi’s first electrified offering, but certainly not its last. The game has moved on since then, with fully electric cars that now bear the E-Tron badge, not the least of which is the E-Tron GT that we drove this week. I hadn’t ventured forth from Audi’s Sydney bunker before a customer in a Ferrari jacket accosted me, wanting to know all about the… Read more

AUDI PUTS A PLUG IN THE Q5

Audi has added a plug-in hybrid to its Q5 line-up of SUVs. Arriving in the second half of 2023, the Audi Q5 55 TFSI e quattro S line will be available in both SUV and Sportback variants. It is powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, together with an electric motor that puts out a combined 270kW of power and 500Nm of torque. With a seven-speed S tronic transmission and quattro all-wheel drive with “ultra technology”, it sprints from 0-100km/h in 5.3 seconds. Fuel consumption is a claimed 2.0L/100km… Read more

AUDI S3 SPORTBACK

With 228kW of power on tap, S3 is Audi’s answer to the hot hatch. Dating back to 1999, it’s available in sedan and hatchback form and shares underpinnings with the VW Golf R. The current version, with styling influenced by Lamborghini, was released in early 2020, and puts away the dash in a rapid 4.8 seconds. What about the RS3? I hear you ask. Yes, it pumps out even more power and torque and offers performance that’s not far off a Ferrari. But it’s priced from a ludicrous $91,000 plus… Read more

AUDI Q7 2006-2021

The Audi Q7 was first imported to Australia in 2006. Unlike an ever-increasing number of other vehicles in this field it was designed as a reasonably serious 4WD not simply a people mover dressed up to look Tuff. So good was that first Audi Q7 that it lasted for close to a decade, with the second generation not being released in Europe until 2015. However, the second-generation Audi Q7 leans more in the direction of family wagon than at conquering the great Aussie bush and our seemingly endless deserts. But… Read more