Audi Releases Details About Future Products

Speculating about an automaker’s future lineup is fun and all, but hearing specific information straight from the horse’s mouth is even better. Although reports have been swirling about new products from Audi ranging from a new minicar up to a soft top version of the Audi R8, the automaker has been hush on all accounts – until yesterday. Audi AG chairman Rupert Stadler laid out products set for the near future at an investors meeting. The news out of Ingolstadt should be good enough to please just about anyone whether you’re looking for a green car, a high-performance car or a full-size luxury sedan.

The biggest news from Audi is the expansion of the A5/S5 lineup. The first models expected to join the sexy coupe are drop top versions of both the A5 and S5 later this year. Both will use soft top instead of the recent trend to use retractable hardtops possibly to save weight. Following the A5 Cabriolet and S5 Cabriolet, a high-performance RS5 coupe will debut by the end of this year with a Cabriolet model joining the party sometime soon after the coupe. With a retuned 4.2-liter FSI V-8 under the hood, both RS5 models are expected to produce around 450 horsepower and run from 0-60 miles per hour in around 4.5 seconds. In addition to increased output, the RS5 will also benefit from weight reduction, bigger brakes and a sport-tuned suspension. The final model Audi is expected to add to the A5, is the A5 Sportback. With a sleek coupe profile, the A5 sedan is essentially a five-door hatchback. It isn’t certain when the A5 Sportback could debut, but we’re keeping our fingers crossed for a planned vehicle introduction set for Audi’s centennial celebration set to take place July 16, 2009.

Following up the A5, Audi’s flagship A8 sedan (pictured) will be redesigned for the 2010 model year. The current A8 has been on the market since 2003 and all of its competitors have been redesigned since. Stadler said that Audi is expecting the all-new A8 to set new standards in regards to interiors while becoming improving its performance and handling to become the sportiest offering among full-size luxury sedans.

Looking a bit further into the future, Audi plans to launch an entry-level minicar called the A1 as well as a Q3 crossover that would be positioned beneath the Audi Q5. Speaking of the Q5, there is also talk of a hybrid model that might use the same technology as the larger Q7crossover.

Other than new models, Audi is also looking to introduce some advanced technologies into its lineup. To improve fuel economy and reduce emissions, Audi is developing start/stop technology to be used on all of its models as well as a new kinetic energy recovery system. The latter will store energy that is normally wasted during acceleration and store it into a battery system. When the vehicle accelerates, the energy previously stored is used to bypass the alternator which causes less strain on the engine therefore saving fuel. As its name implies, start/stop technology allows the engine to cut off when the vehicle comes to a complete stop and restart instantly when the accelerator is pressed. Audi’s ultimate goal is to reduce its fuel consumption across the board by 20 percent by 2012.