LIFESTYLE

Audi

The NEW Audi Q5
Q:What is the Audi Heritage?
AUDI AG, is a German Volkswagen subsidiary which produces cars under the Audi brand. The name Audi is based on a Latin translation of the last name of the founder August "Horch", itself the German word for "hear."

Another explanation for the origin of the name is as an acronym for "Auto Union Deutschland Ingolstadt."

Audi is headquartered in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany and has been an almost wholly-owned (99.7%) subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group (Volkswagen AG) since 1964. Volkswagen Group incorporated Audi when it was acquired as part of Volkswagen's purchase of the Auto Union and NSU Motorenwerke AG (NSU) assets.

Audi's corporate tagline is Vorsprung durch Technik, meaning "Headstart Through Technology". The German-language tagline is used in many European countries, including the United Kingdom, and in other markets, such as Latin America, Oceania and parts of Asia including Japan. The North American tagline is "Innovation through technology", but in Canada the German tagline Vorsprung durch Technik is now used in advertising.

Q:What Dealership does DIN recommend for more information on Audi Products?
  • Audi Centre Westrand

    • Contact Information
    Grant Louw (New Vehicle Sales Manager)
    E mail: [email protected]
    Tel: (011) 375-4800
    Fax: (011) 375-4899
    Cell: 083 654 2924

    Website
    www.audicenterwestrand.co.za


Audi R8 is “Classic of the Future 2009”


With its win in the sports car category of the readers’ poll “Classics of the Future 2009,” the Audi R8 mid-engine sports car underlines just what a positive impact it has on the Audi brand’s image, as perceived by classic car fans. The majority of the over 16,000 participating readers of the magazine “Motor Klassik” chose the R8 as the current sports car with the greatest potential for becoming a genuine classic in the future.

This is the fourth time that the German trade journal has staged this readers’ poll. Alongside 78 models from 1979, some of which have already become genuine classics, readers were also able to choose from 168 current models in seven categories.

“This endorses our decision to follow up the Audi TT with a particularly emotion-stirring mid-engine sports car. In keeping with this special prize, the Audi R8 can now also be ordered with another classic, a 10-cylinder engine,” says Michael-Julius Renz, Head of Sales Germany at AUDI AG.

Renz thanked the readers and editorial team of “Motor Klassik” as he collected the prize in an appropriate setting at the historical automotive location in Stuttgart.

With its third place, the Audi A6 scored a further success for the brand in the category “full-size car of the modern age.” The “Classics of the Future” prize is awarded every two years.

AUDI AG : New Q3 SUV generation to be produced in Martorell, Spain as of 2011


A production site for the Audi Q3 was chosen: the SEAT site in Martorell, Spain. Manufacture will begin in 2011 with an annual production capacity of up to 80,000 units. The total investment will amount to around €300 million.

“Following in-depth consideration of all relevant factors and an extensive international comparison of various sites, we selected Martorell,” explained Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management at AUDI AG. This decision enables Audi to continue its strategy of growth and internationalization. Mr. Stadler added: “We are counting on this Spanish site’s efficiency, the excellent quality of the Production department, and its highly trained staff. We will use the Group’s synergies to sharpen our competitive edge and help protect around 1,200 jobs. The decision furthermore safeguards workplaces at other Audi locations.”

Audi Board Member for Production Frank Dreves: “Starting in 2011, the Audi Q3 will be produced to Audi quality standards at the Martorell factory. This gives us additional flexibility regarding future decisions about products. We will begin preparing at once.”

Having agreed that the Q3 will be manufactured in Spain, a decision about production in the USA has been postponed. Mr. Stadler: “We will systematically explore our options in the context of the current market crisis. Audi is in a good position. There is currently no urgent need to select additional sites.”

A small, sporty SUV, the Audi Q3 will join the family consisting of the Audi Q5 (produced in Ingolstadt, Germany) and the Audi Q7 (produced in Bratislava, Slovakia). Yet another compact vehicle in a new model range is thus set to join the A1 in 2011. The Q3 will further expand the Q family. A compact five-door SUV with the wheel size and ground clearance characteristic of a typical SUV, the Audi Q3 will stand out thanks to a supremely sporty driving experience.

The Q3 will blend a compact car’s design and driving dynamics with an SUV’s spaciousness and versatility. True to Audi tradition, innovative technical solutions will blaze new trails in efficiency, driving pleasure, and comfort. The international market launch of the Q3 is scheduled for 2011. The Audi Q3 will be reviewed for local introduction closer to the time.

The production facility in Martorell is yet another cornerstone in AUDI AG’s portfolio of sites. Audi produces its vehicles in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm (Germany), Hungary, Belgium, Slovakia, India, and China.