 
Pramod de SILVA
Audi is literally on a roll. While some other carmakers are
struggling to make ends meet, Audi is planning to revise and launch 40
models by 2015. And that is without counting engine variations and trim
levels.
 Ingolstadt Four Rings’ recently announced that the new Q3 SUV will
join the line-up in 2011. The new compact SUV is the latest in the Audi
SUV range - the five-seat Audi Q5 and the seven-seat Audi Q7.
 The world is also waiting for the electric Audi E1 in 2011. The
smallest Audi ever, the three-door E1 will have a range of 160 Km with
regenerative braking. A 660 cc gasoline option will be offered.
The secret of Audi’s success lies in the two billion euros allocated
annually by Audi AG for the development of a broader range of vehicles.
That is kind of money that some cash-strapped US carmakers would die
for.
Some recent offerings by Audi have won rave reviews and buyers are
eager to snap them up even in these hard times. The Audi A3 Cabriolet,
A5 Cabriolet, Q5, RS 6 and R8 sports car and the all-new Audi A4 are
among them. The Audi A4 Cabriolet has now given way to the Audi A5.
There is more to come this year itself - the new Audi A4 allroad
Quattro, S4 Saloon and Avant, the A5 and S5 Cabriolets, the Audi TT RS
Coupe and Roadster and the Audi R8 V10. A further three new models or
replacements are due before end 2010.
 Audi’s concept models have also created a ripple in the automotive
world.
The new Audi Sportback concept is a combined sports coupe and
five-door hatchback. It was one of the stars of the 2009 North American
International Automobile Show.
 Audi has an uncanny habit of translating concepts to production
models almost untouched, so car lovers have every reason to be excited.
If the exterior wasn’t impressive enough, the engine simply blew the
competition away with a 47 mpg TDI engine featuring the world’s cleanest
diesel technology. This technology will be seen for the first time in
the Audi Q7 3.0 TDI Clean Diesel.
There will also be a TT RS in both coupe and roadster forms from June
this year. Yet another new version of the TT Roadster is also coming,
with a 1.8 liter petrol engine.Audi, owned by VW, has gained ground
rapidly here in Sri Lanka although the brand was a late entrant to the
market. Officials at Senok Automobiles, the sole agent for Audi in Sri
Lanka, said they were excited by the prospect of introducing more
all-new Audi models to the local market. |
