2004 Audi A6 Luxury Sedan 4-door 3.0l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Volkswagen finds CO2 'irregularities' for 800k vehicles

The latest issue for Volkswagen affects another 800,000 vehicles, and this time its for irregularities in CO2 emissions certifications. VW estimates this issue could cost the company $2.2 billion to fix. The company officially makes no specific mention of which engines are covered, the models they are in, or even where they are located. VW discovered the situation during its ongoing internal investigation, and, according to the automaker, "it was established that the CO2 levels and thus the fuel consumption figures for some models were set too low during the CO2 certification process." Most of the affected vehicles are diesels, and the company is now reaching out to "the responsible type approval agencies" to figure out the next step. While VW isn't officially confirming which models and engines are involved, Automotive News reports that it affects some 2012 and later VW, Audi, Seat, and Skoda models with the company's 1.4-, 1.6-, and 2.0-liter diesel engines, as well as the 1.4-liter ACT gasoline engine. The issue mainly affects vehicles sold in Europe. "The Board of Management of Volkswagen AG deeply regrets this situation and wishes to underscore its determination to systematically continue along the present path of clarification and transparency," CEO Matthias Muller said in the announcement. Volkswagen Group of America spokesperson Jeannine Ginivan was able to provide some further clarification to Autoblog. "This is not related to US-certified vehicles," she said. Clarification moving forward: internal investigations at Volkswagen identify irregularities in CO2 levels Matthias Muller: "Relentless and comprehensive clarification is our only alternative." Around 800,000 Group vehicles could be affected Initial estimate puts economic risks at approximately 2 billion euros The Volkswagen Group is moving forward with the clarification of the diesel issue: during the course of internal investigations irregularities were found when determining type approval CO2 levels. Based on present knowledge around 800,000 vehicles from the Volkswagen Group could be affected. An initial estimate puts the economic risks at approximately two billion euros. The Board of Management of Volkswagen AG will immediately start a dialog with the responsible type approval agencies regarding the consequences of these findings. This should lead to a reliable assessment of the legal, and the subsequent economic consequences of this not yet fully explained issue.

Meet the first of four Audi A4s coming to our long-term fleet

Yes, you read that right, this is the first of a quartet of A4s we'll be looking at over the course of the year. We're kicking things off with an Audi A4 Premium Plus sedan, and we'll be looking at other iterations of the A4 line later on: the A4 Prestige, Allroad, and S4. What we hope to do is provide you with a thorough examination of each variation, and hopefully give you some guidance on what's worthwhile and what isn't. But first, let's introduce you to the A4 Premium Plus. What we got The A4 Premium Plus is the middle child of the standard A4 line, fitting between the entry-level Premium and the top level Prestige. Stepping up to the Premium Plus adds 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, an S Line body kit, Bang & Olufsen sound system, parking sensors, aluminum window trim, and heated power seats with memory. The model we received from Audi has a number of upgrades that bring it quite close to the Prestige trim level. Most notable is the Technology package, which adds the Audi Virtual Cockpit instrument panel, which replaces the physical gauges with a big LCD screen. It also comes with rear cross traffic alert. A First Edition package was added, too, which adds cooled sport seats, a three-spoke steering wheel, and unique wheels and aluminum interior trim. Our favorite part, is the sport package, which adds sportier suspension, a black headliner, and the aforementioned sport seats. What we skipped Really, we didn't skip much here – this particular A4 Premium Plus is pretty loaded. The only packages not included were the Cold Weather package, which includes heated rear seats and steering wheel, and wheel and tire options. The heated steering wheel isn't necessary since winter is almost over (at least we hope). The cost of these packages added up fast, too. Moving up to the Premium Plus trim over the standard Premium added $3,800. The Technology package was $3,250, the First Edition package was $1,100, and the Sport package tacked on $750. Along with the white paint at $575, our Audi has over $9,000 in options. That brought our tester up to $49,825 from a base MSRP of $40,350. We like everything that's been added. If we were to pick packages we could live without, though, we'd probably pick the Technology and the First Edition packages. As slick as the LCD instrument panel is, there's nothing wrong with physical needles and dials.

Audi Q8 E-Tron could have 370-mile range

Audi technical boss Ulrich Hackenberg has a huge job ahead of him if he's going to add more electrified models his employer's portfolio. Currently, the German company's electrified offerings amount to just the Q5 Hybrid in the US and the A3 E-Tron in Europe, but British auto mag Autocar is claiming that Hackenberg wants to add a Tesla Model X-rivaling electric version of the company's long-rumored Q8 utility vehicle to the plans. That E-Tron model, said to be a high-riding crossover with coupe-like lines, is expected to be Ingolstadt's CUV flagship, positioned just above the Q7 (pictured above).
Autocar further maintains that Q8 E-Tron will borrow its front- and rear-mounted electric motors (good for around 375 horsepower) from the recently revived R8 E-Tron, and the model could be ready as soon as 2017. This sporty CUV is expected to have a much greater range than the two-door electric sports car, however. Figure on about 370 miles thanks to room for extra batteries.
The still-not-confirmed Q8 range is expected to be offered with gasoline, diesel and plug-in hybrid powertrains, and will ride on the same platform as the Q7, albeit fitted with sleeker styling. Like all of Audi's upper-end offerings, it will make extensive use of aluminum for the body and chassis to keep weight down.