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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New Porsche Small SUV Confirmed by VW Group CEO, Says it May be Called "Cajun"

According to Volkswagen AG CEO Martin Winterkorn himself, there's a new baby Cayenne in the works. In an interview with German magazine Der Spiegel, Winterkorn said Porsche "will get a new SUV, a smaller brother to the Cayenne which might be named Cajun."

I guess the name is appropriate if Porsche insists on spicing up its lineup with controversial vehicles. Should this be the case, can we expect the Panamera coupe to be called the Tabasco? Or perhaps the Texas Pete? Name game in the comments below.

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Audi Q5 - Now Also Made in India

Audi today announced that it has started assembly of its Q5 compact SUV at its Aurangabad plant in the Indian state of Maharashtra, with the company planning to build up to 1,500 units per year exclusively for the Indian market.

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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

Audi Q5 and A4 Allroad Quattro Get New Entry-Level Engines

A new entry-level diesel is available for both the Audi Q5 SUV and the A4 allroad quattro crossover while the Q5 also gets a new base gasoline unit in the form of the 2.0 TSI. The diesel engine is a 2.0-liter TDI with common rail high-pressure injection that produces 143HP and a maximum torque of 320 Nm (236 lb-ft) between 1,750 and 2,500 rpm. The base 2.0-liter TSI makes 180HP and 320 Nm (236 lb-ft) of torque from 1,500 to 3,900 rpm. Both engines are linked to a 6-speed manual gearbox.

Audi claims that the 2.0 TFSI accelerates the Q5 from 0 to 100km/h (62mph) in 8.5 seconds while returning an average fuel consumption of 8.4 liters per 100km or 28.0mpg US. With the 2.0 TDI, the Q5 goes to 100 km/h from rest in 11.4 seconds and on to a top speed of 190km/h or 118mph while averaging 6.5 liters of diesel fuel per 100km (36.19mpg US).

The A4 allroad quattro 2.0 TDI with the six-speed manual transmission consumes an average of 6.2 liters per 100km (37.94mpg US). The German automaker said it reaches the 100km/h mark (62mph) in 10.3 seconds and can accelerate up to 200 km/h or 124 mph.

In Germany, prices for the Audi Q5 start at €36,800 for the 2.0 TFSI petrol and €36,500 for the 2.0 TDI diesel, while the base price for the A4 allroad quattro 2.0 TDI is €37,100.