2005 Audi A4 Cabriolet Convertible 2-door 1.8l on 2040-cars

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IIHS gives 90 models its Top Safety Pick award in one fell swoop

Although the Audi A7 and the Toyota Sienna are positioned on completely different ends of the automotive spectrum, they overlap in one important area: both earned a Top Safety Pick+ award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). They're among the 49 cars that received the distinction for 2021, while 41 additional models scored a Top Safety Pick (without the plus) award from the institute, bringing the number of winners to 90. Earning a coveted Top Safety Pick award from the IIHS is easier said than done. Recipients need to score a good rating in the institute's six crash tests, be available with a front crash prevention system that scores a superior or advanced rating in vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-pedestrian evaluations, and be offered with (but, crucially, not necessarily fitted standard with) headlights that are either good or acceptable. Vehicles that have good or acceptable headlights across the full range, regardless of trim level, are eligible for the Top Safety Pick+ award. The Hyundai Group (which includes Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis) earned more awards than any other carmaker, with 12 standard Top Safety Pick distinctions and five earning a Pick+. Volvo led the Pick+ chart with its entire lineup of nine vehicles. At the other end of the spectrum, Mitsubishi still hasn't earned a single award, and General Motors only nabbed one of each. Safety is spreading across market segments, according to the IIHS. It pointed out that, in 2020, there were no minivans or pickup trucks on the list of Top Safety Pick recipients. Fast forward to 2021, and the list includes the Honda Odyssey, the Toyota Sienna, and the Ram 1500 crew cab; the first two earned a Pick+. The full list of 2021 award winners is on the IIHS website. Note that, for some models, only units built after a certain date earned an award. This distinction reflects a change (usually in headlights) during the production run. Cars sold in the United States are safer than ever, but automakers still sell vehicles with a zero-star crash test rating in many global markets. Suzuki's 2020 S-Presso flunked a reasonably basic round of tests in 2020. Featured Gallery 2021 Hyundai Palisade View 12 Photos Audi Hyundai Volvo

2014 Audi SQ5 priced from $51,900* [w/video]

Despite the fact that the 2014 Audi SQ5 you see here is quite a bit different than the one offered in Europe, we're still plenty glad that the folks from Ingolstadt have decided to offer a hotted-up version of its compact Q5 crossover here in the States. Now, Audi has announced that its US-spec SQ5 will be priced from $51,900 when it hits dealerships later this summer (*not including $895 for destination). That strikes us as a pretty favorable price - while the base Q5 in 2.0-liter TFSI trim starts at $35,900, the 3.0-liter Prestige model commands a full $51,400, and somehow manages to feel worth it.
We already enjoy driving the Q5 in its standard tune, and this SQ5 looks to be quite an entertaining thing. Audi has tuned its 3.0-liter supercharged V6 to produce 354 horsepower and 347 pound-feet of torque - gains of 82 hp and 52 lb-ft over the standard 3.0L Q5. No, it's not the awesome 313 hp and 479 lb-ft of the twin-turbo-diesel engine used in Europe, but our American SQ5 will certainly be a quick little thing. Audi is estimating a 0-60 time of 5.1 seconds, on its way to a limited top speed of 155 miles per hour.
Like all S models, the SQ5 will be a bit different visually than its basic Q5 kin. Aluminum roof rails are standard, as are 20-inch wheels (21s are available). There are revised bumpers at the front and rear, with Audi's usual gray grille and diffuser, as well as aluminum mirror caps. Inside, leather- and Alcantara-clad sport seats are standard, though buyers can opt for a fine Nappa leather setup. Audi says that new aluminum/black wood inlays are also available, as is a 14-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system.

Wagons make a bit of a comeback, with new models, sales on the rise

Consider this an official invitation to hop on the wagon bandwagon. There's still tons of room because, well, it's a wagon (and market share is still extremely small). But according to new data, the segment is growing. According to a report from Bloomberg, using data from Edmunds.com, roughly 211,600 Americans purchased wagons in 2018. That is technically down from the 237,600 sold in 2017, but wagon sales in the U.S. are up 29 percent from where they were five years ago. It's also the third year in a row that wagon sales broke the 200,000 mark. The sales trends have been somewhat representative of the availability of wagons. New models have debuted during the past 5 years and therefore offer more opportunity at more brands to buy wagons. In addition to more modest cars such as the Volkswagen Golf Sportwagen, several luxury and performance brands are offering wagons today, such as Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Porsche, Jaguar, Volvo and Buick. (Bloomberg's headlines make the point that "crossovers are for the Kardashians," and wagons are just, well, classier.) This uptick in brand-name availability, as well as extremely well-executed design on most of the wagons currently available, has helped increase the segment's desirability. That, and its ability to better accomplish the same tasks at hand while standing out from the crossover and SUV crowd. Still, the posted numbers represent a small fraction of the total vehicles sold. According to the data, wagons only held a 1.4 percent market share in 2017, the segment's best recent year. Wagons hold a steadfast place in America's past, and they're writing an interesting new story. With the downturn in traditional cars, they may continue to create an unexpected narrative. Related Video: News Source: Bloomberg, Edmunds Audi BMW Buick Volkswagen Volvo Wagon station wagon