audi

DETROIT--Audi drew praise when it showed off its e-tron electric concept car in Frankfurt last year, and just three months later the company has a second e-tron on display at the Detroit auto show. The new concept car differs substantially from the previous e-tron, with smaller dimensions, less overall weight, and a new look. Audi isn't too concerned about confusing people by using the e-tron name for two different cars, as Audi wants e-tron to be its brand for electric cars, much as Quattro is its brand for all-wheel-drive.

Where the earlier car had motors powering all wheels, the … Read more

2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid

In December we invited you to vote for the 2009 Tech Car of the Year from our five nominees. And in a unanimous decision between you, the voting public, and our Car Tech judges, the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid wins the award. Although it faced some stiff competition, the combination of an excellent hybrid power train and the most advanced cabin tech in the business gave the Fusion Hybrid the edge. Ford and Toyota hybrid power trains work along similar principles, but Ford raised the bar by tuning it to work under electric power at higher speeds while delivering a very satisfying driving experience, with acceleration you can count on. With fuel economy pushing the 40 mpg mark, this midsize sedan makes trips to the pump infrequent.

On the cabin tech side, Ford complemented the hybrid power train with its Smart Gauge, LCD panels on either side of the speedometer, showing a variety of vehicle operating information. And Ford made Smart Gauge user configurable, a big leap from analog gauges of the past. Sync is standard, providing voice command and the kind of Bluetooth phone and MP3 player integration to which other companies are just starting to catch up. Sirius Travel Link feeds unparalleled and useful data sources into the navigation system, including traffic, weather, and fuel prices. And the Sony audio system is an excellent value, producing impressive sound quality.

… Read more

DETROIT -- With federal mileage standards rising, automakers next week will show a fresh group of fuel-efficient vehicles at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

Ford will unveil the redesigned production Focus, and Honda will show the production version of the CR-Z hybrid hatchback. Toyota and Volkswagen will roll out hybrid concepts; Audi, BMW and Fiat will display electric concepts.

Show organizers are arranging various electric cars, including one from China's BYD Auto, in a space on the show floor called Electric Avenue.

But high performance will get its due. Judging by vehicles at the show, performance … Read more

In case the automotive press was in any doubt about Audi's message for its new A8 sedan, the company chose to launch the latest iteration of its flagship model at this year's Design Miami art festival in Miami Beach. The third generation of the A8 does deserve some credit for its new design language: its clean side profile and squat front end chime with many of the cues we've seen on other updated models in the automaker's lineup. Audi has a thing for lights recently, and the A8's LEDs got plenty of airtime at the … Read more

While the real Audi A1 will be revealed at the 2010 Geneva auto show, here's a video teaser of it.

The A1 is slated to compete with the Mini. But not a lot of information has been released about the 2011 model, including whether it'll be available in the U.S.

As 2009 rolls to a close, we look back at the cars we've reviewed over the last year to see which one should earn our Tech Car of the Year award. From our survey of the 100 or so cars we've reviewed, we're pleased to see that the adoption of cabin tech by automakers is becoming more prevalent and ever more sophisticated, with features such as hard-drive-based navigation with traffic reporting becoming common.

Among the cars we've seen, we picked out five that show the most innovative technology. These cars use technology to enhance the cabin … Read more

Yesterday I was writing about the new Audi R8 sports car that's borrowed at least a few attributes from the Lamborghini Gallardo. I figured since I brought up the subject that I may as well present you with a video of that very car, and specifically in this case we are putting the spotlight on the 2010 Lambo Gallardo LP560-4 Spyder as it blazes through the Canary Islands.

Lamborghini's Gallardo is numerically its biggest production car and is generally regarded the world over as one of the best performing and aesthetically pleasing modern sports cars. The Spyder edition … Read more

For the second year in a row, the Green Car of the Year award has been handed to a clean diesel vehicle. This time around, it's the 2010 Audi A3 TDI and its 2.0-liter direct-injected turbo-diesel engine that's beaten its way to the top of a field populated mostly with gas-electric hybrids from Toyota, Mercury, and Honda.

Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of the Green Car Journal, which sponsors the award, cites the A3's EPA-estimated 42 highway mpg, five-seater hatchback functionality, and fun driving experience seasoned with healthy portions of low-end torque as the reasons for … Read more

There was lots of automotive eye candy to behold at the recently-held 2009 International Auto Show in San Francisco, but one particular car definitely caught an extended gaze of my eye. My vision honed in a shiny white and black sports car, sitting in a "hands off" section of the showroom floor. To my surprise, this mean-looking sports car was an Audi, but not just any Audi. This here was the 2010 Audi R8 rockin' a length-side up with a mounted V10 mid-engine. I had to know more and see more of this particular car, and that's … Read more