Robin Roberts (and Miles Better News Agency) gets his road test year off to a flying start, at the wheel of the Audi R8 V10 Coupé Performance, rear wheel drive… Audi took a step back to go forward with the second generation R8 Coupé. Originally launched in 2006, the model shot to fame on the back of an Iron Man film part and the legendary quattro all-wheel-drive system. Come the new … [Read more...]
Audi e-tron GT – Road Test
The Audi e-tron GT – Robin Roberts (and Miles Better News Agency) tests the all-electric newcomer… Audi is on a charge into the pure-electric luxury car sector. For almost a decade the brand has dabbled in the EV market with plug in hybrid models of existing series but the dedicated pure battery e-tron series clearly shows its future intent. The e-tron programme is part of the parent … [Read more...]
Audi Q3 PHEV – Road Test
Audi’s Q3 S line TFSl e 45 Automatic mid-sized PHEV plug-in hybrid SUV… …Driven by Robin Roberts (and Miles Better News Agency). Audi has been one of the most successful desirable brands in modern times as it aims squarely at making the cars people want to buy like their Q3 mid-sized SUV – but in its petrol-electric plug-in hybrid form as tested here. Initially launched in 2011 with a … [Read more...]
Audi TT Roadster and TTS Coupé First Impressions
Kim Henson drives Audi’s suave TT models… Audi’s line-up goes from strength to strength, and joining the range in the spring of 2015 were a new, third generation two seater TT Roadster (complementing the TT Coupé) plus a powerful TTS Coupé – representing the second generation of this model, priced from £31,955 to £37,555 (‘On The ‘Road’); in each case the prices are £2,185 more than … [Read more...]
Audi A3 Sportback e-tron
Tom Scanlan tries Audi's latest fascinating A3... The car has a combination of a re-worked 1.4 TFSI petrol engine producing 150PS and a 70 kWh electric motor. Total maximum output is 204PS. As a 'come and buy me' incentive, Audi has endowed the e-tron with some upgraded equipment over the non-hybrid equivalent Sportback. However, the whole package costs well over £5000 more, even taking into … [Read more...]
New Audi TT
Audi's third generation coupe is completely new in every department says Tom Scanlan A casual glance might not register this: the difference between this car and the outgoing model is certainly not as marked as was the difference between the first and second generation cars. The most obvious visual cue is the much-revised front end, with the Audi rings now removed from within the grille up onto … [Read more...]
Audi A3 Cabriolet
Following its launch earlier this year, we have now had the chance for a full road test of the Audi A3 Cabriolet. Tom Scanlan reports... The fabric hood opens or closes in eighteen seconds and can be deployed at speeds up to 31 mph. On a 70 mph dual carriageway, the £230 optional wind deflector kept buffeting up front to a minimum and the noise levels, even at the national maximum speed, were … [Read more...]
Audi A6 Ultra
Tom Scanlan road tests the refined, sophisticated Audi A6 Ultra diesel. The end result of all the experience Audi has gained on the race-track with their unrivalled success over fifteen years at Le Mans is proof of the worth of motorsport. The A6 Ultra is probably the quietest four-cylinder diesel car I've driven, and perhaps six-cylinder cars could be included in that. The engine is the … [Read more...]
Audi A3 1.8 TFSI Saloon
by Tom Scanlan Audi’s A3 saloon was launched last Autumn in the UK, filling a gap in the company’s range. Thus, it’s their first compact saloon, rivalling BMW’s 120, Lexus IS and Mercedes-Benz CLA, for example. This car is lower, longer and wider than its A3 Sportback counterpart. Of the four engine varieties available, the 1.8-litre TFSI petrol engine offers the most power; its 180PS … [Read more...]
Audi Q3
Tom Scanlan tries a range of Audi’s popular Q3 SUV, including the very latest, and very fast, RS Q3 The two particular Q3 versions I tried made for an interesting comparison. The first was the more powerful of two 2.0-litre TDIs on sale, with a seven-speed auto gearbox as standard. The diesel engine has 177 PS and performs typically of such diesels; that’s to say, it’s pretty refined, smooth and … [Read more...]
Audi RS4 Avant
by Tom Scanlan What is the point in a car like this, with a potential of 174 mph? I put that very question to the car’s design chief in Germany. His answer would never convince the green lobby, but he made the point at the end that, although this car would not save the world neither would it harm it. It is indeed a clever, if not superlative, piece of engineering. Under the bonnet is the … [Read more...]
Audi A3 Sportback SE
Chris Adamson samples the latest five door version of Audi's A3 In one of those odd twists in the global motor industry, more than six months after it launched the new A3, Audi is only now just introducing the body-style that is going to be its best seller. Having tested the water with the A3 three-door, Audi adds the Sportback, its five-door stable-mate which will eventually out-sell it three … [Read more...]