Audi AG is a German automobile manufacturer, from supermini to crossover SUVs in various body styles and price ranges that are marketed under the
Audi brand, positioned as the premium brand within the Volkswagen Group.
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The company is headquartered in Ingolstadt, Germany, and has been a wholly owned (99.55%) subsidiary of Volkswagen AG since 1966, following a phased purchase of its predecessor, Auto Union, from its former owner, Daimler-Benz. Volkswagen relaunched the
Audi brand with the 1965 introduction of the Audi F103 series.
The company name is based on the surname of the founder August Horch, his surname meaning listen in German—which, when translated into Latin, becomes
Audi. The four rings each represent individual car companies that banded together to create the union.
BodyshellsAudi produces 100% galvanised cars to prevent corrosion, and was the first mass-market vehicle to do so, following introduction of the process by Porsche, c.1975. Along with other precautionary measures, the full-body zinc coating has proved to be very effective in preventing rust. The body's resulting durability even surpassed Audi's own expectations, causing the manufacturer to extend its original 10-year warranty against corrosion perforation to currently 12 years (except for aluminium bodies which don't rust).
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An all-aluminium car was brought forward by
Audi, and in 1994 the Audi A8 was launched, which introduced aluminium space frame technology (called Audi Space Frame). Audi introduced a new series of vehicles in the mid-1990s and continues to new technology and high performance. Prior to that effort, Audi used examples of the Type 44 chassis fabricated out of aluminium as test-beds for the technique.
Drive layoutIn all its post Volkswagen-era models, Audi has firmly refused to adopt the traditional rear-wheel drive layout favored by its two arch rivals Mercedes-Benz and BMW, favoring either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. The majority of
Audi's lineup in the United States features all-wheel drive standard on most of its expensive vehicles (only the entry-level trims of the A4 and A6 are available with front-wheel drive), in contrast to Mercedes-Benz and BMW whose lineup treats all-wheel drive as an option. BMW only offered all-wheel drive on its V8-powered cars (as opposed to crossover SUVs) starting with the 2010 BMW 7 Series and 2011 BMW 5 Series, while the Audi A8 has had all-wheel drive available/standard since the 1990s. Regarding high-performance variants, Audi S and RS models have always had all-wheel drive, unlike their direct rivals from BMW M and Mercedes-AMG whose cars are rear-wheel drive only (although their performance crossover SUVs are all-wheel drive).
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For most of its lineup (excluding the A3, A1, and TT models),
Audi has not adopted the transverse engine layout which is typically found in economy cars (as well as more upscale European manufacturers such as Peugeot and Citroën), since that would limit the type and power of engines that can be installed. In order to be able to mount powerful engines (such as a V8 engine in the Audi S4 and Audi RS4), Audi has usually engineered its more expensive cars with a longitudinally front-mounted engine, in an "overhung" position, over the front wheels in front of the axle line. While this allows for the easy adoption of all-wheel drive, it goes against the ideal 50:50 weight distribution (as do all front wheel drive cars).
Audi has recently applied the quattro badge to models such as the A3 and TT which do not use the Torsen-based system as in prior years with a mechanical center differential, but with the Swedish Haldex Traction electro-mechanical clutch AWD system.
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Space frameReplacing the
Audi V8 in 1994, the Audi A8 debuted with an aluminium space frame (the "Audi Space Frame" or ASF) which saves weight and improves torsion rigidity compared to a conventional steel frame. The weight reduction is somewhat offset by the quattro four-wheel drive system which is standard in most markets. Nonetheless, the A8 is usually the lightest all-wheel drive car in the full-size luxury segment, also having best-in-class fuel economy. The disadvantage of the aluminium frame is that it is very expensive to repair and requires a specialized aluminium bodyshop. The Audi A2, Audi TT and Audi R8 also use Audi Space Frame designs.
Audi A2The Audi A2 was a futuristic super mini born from the Al2 concept. It featured many features that gave Audi the cutting-edge technology that it had lacked for years, like the aluminium space frame, which was a first in production car design. In the A2 Audi further expanded their TDI technology through the use of frugal three-cylinder engines. The A2 was extremely aerodynamic and was designed around a wind tunnel. The Audi A2 was criticised for its high price and was never really a sales success but it planted Audi as a cutting-edge manufacturer. The model, a Mercedes-Benz A-Class competitor, sold relatively well in Europe. However, the A2 was discontinued in 2005 and Audi decided not to develop an immediate replacement.
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Audi A4The next major model change came in 1995 when the Audi A4 replaced the Audi 80. The new nomenclature scheme was applied to the
Audi 100 to become the Audi A6 (with a minor facelift). This also meant the S4 became the S6 and a new S4 was introduced in the A4 body. The S2 was discontinued. The Audi Cabriolet continued on (based on the Audi 80 platform) until 1999, gaining the engine upgrades along the way. A new A3 hatchback model (sharing the Volkswagen Golf Mk4's platform) was introduced to the range in 1996, and the radical Audi TT coupé and roadster were debuted in 1998 based on the same underpinnings.
The engines available throughout the range were now a 1.4 L, 1.6 L and 1.8 L four-cylinder, 1.8 L four-cylinder turbo, 2.6 L and 2.8 L V6, 2.2 L turbo-charged five-cylinder and the 4.2 L V8 engine. The V6s were replaced by new 2.4 L and 2.8 L 30V V6s in 1998, with marked improvement in power, torque and smoothness. Further engines were added along the way, including a 3.7 L V8 and 6.0 L W12 engine for the A8.
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Direct-Shift GearboxAt the turn of the century, Volkswagen introduced the Direct-Shift Gearbox (DSG), a type of dual clutch transmission. It is an automated semi-automatic transmission, drivable like a conventional automatic transmission. Based on the gearbox found in the Group B S1, the system includes dual electrohydraulically controlled clutches instead of a torque converter. This is implemented in some VW Golfs,
Audi A3 and TT models where DSG is called S-tronic.
Fuel Stratified InjectionNew models of the A3, A4, A6 and A8 have been introduced, with the ageing 1.8-litre engine now having been replaced by new Fuel Stratified Injection (FSI) engines. Nearly every petroleum burning model in the range now incorporates this fuel-saving technology.
Electric technologyAudi is planning an alliance with the Japanese electronic giant Sanyo to develop a pilot hybrid electric project for the Volkswagen Group. The alliance could result in Sanyo batteries and other electronic components being used in future models of the Volkswagen Group.
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LED daytime running lightsBeginning in 2006,
Audi has implemented white LED technology as daytime running lights in their products. The distinctive shape of the DRLs has become a trademark of sorts. LEDs were first introduced on the Audi S6, and have since spread throughout the entire model range. The LEDs are present on some Audi billboards. Since 2010, Audi has also offered the LED technology in low- and high-beam headlights.
Multi Media InterfaceAudi has recently started offering a computerised control system for its cars, called Multi Media Interface (MMI). This came amid criticism of BMW's iDrive control. It is essentially a rotating control knob and 'segment' buttons – designed to control all in-car entertainment devices (radio, CD changer, iPod, TV tuner), satellite navigation, heating and ventilation, and other car controls with a screen. MMI was widely reported to be a considerable improvement on BMW's iDrive, although BMW has since made their iDrive more user-friendly.
MMI has been generally well-received, as it requires less menu-surfing with its segment buttons around a central knob, along with 'main function' direct access buttons – with shortcuts to the radio or phone functions. The screen, either colour or monochrome, is mounted on the upright dashboard, and on the A4 (new), A5, A6, A8, and Q7, the controls are mounted horizontally.
An "MMI-like" system is also available on the A3, TT, A4 (B7), and R8 models – when equipped with the Audi Navigation System Plus (RNS-E) satellite navigation system.
Audi photos
