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Audi reveals facelifted A7 and S7 in Europe [w/videos]

Audi has revealed the nip/tuck and stylistic upgrades for the A7 that we got clues to in spy shots from back in January. The single-frame grille has been subtly reworked along with the lower front fascia and headlilghts. Those bulbs are underlined by a new design for the LED DRLs, and - in Europe - they can be had with Matrix Beam LEDs that come with dynamic turn signals. Out back is a tweaked bumper, as well as new exhaust tips and taillights with an LED pattern that mimics the front lights.
Cockpit inhabitants get new surface treatments like the aluminum and Beaufort walnut inlays, Valcona leather and five possible colors for the seats. The company's MMI Navigation Plus with MMI Touch is fitted with an Nvidia chip for faster graphics processing, and LTE-enabled internet connectivity is standard.
Up front, the 3.0-liter bi-turbo TDI gets a power boost to 320 horsepower and is attached to an eight-speed transmission; a seven-speed S tronic transmission is paired to the rest of the line. The revised 3.0-liter V6 TDI recently discussed at the Vienna Motor Symposium also joins the lineup, here offered in both the 272-hp and 218-hp variants, that latter "ultra" version said to return 50 US miles per gallon.

Audi Allroad Shooting Brake showcar is a 124-MPGe hybrid E-Tron

The leaked images of the new Audi Allroad Shooting Brake that came out Friday showed us what the show car will look like, but it wasn't until the official press release came out today that we learned just how much E-Tron is hiding in its powertrain. Turns out, it's a lot. An 8.8-kWh lithium-ion battery can power the car for over 31 miles. The Allroad Shooting Brake is powered by a hybrid (gas-electric) powertrain that can put out a total of 300 kW of power (479.42 pound feet of torque) and, under the right circumstances, get the fuel efficiency equivalent of 123.8 mpg US, Audi claims. The gas side is made up of a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine, and then there's an electric motor on each axle. An 8.8-kWh lithium-ion battery can power the car for over 31 miles on battery power alone. There are three drive modes (EV, Hybrid and Sport). This is also the first time Audi has put its Allroad and E-Tron "form languages" together, which means this E-Tron Quattro "is not limited to paved roads" and can handle "light off-road conditions." The two electric motors help bring the car from 0-62 miles per hour in 4.6 seconds on up to a top speed of 155 mph. Audi has paid attention to shaving weight from the 3527-pound, four-seater, including making the wheels out of carbon-fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) and using an aluminum underbody panel. We described some of the concept's visual hints in the original post (Q1?), and now Audi says that the car contains "a host of visual elements of future sports car models" (TT?). We will get our first real glimpse of the Allroad Shooting Brake show car at the Detroit Auto Show early this week, so look for live pics then, especially of the interior that is supposed to be reminiscent of an airplane and a user interface panel that is said to work like a smart phone. In the new press release, Audi's Ulrich Hackenberg said the Allroad Shooting Brake represents, "a concrete look into the near future," and we're totally fine with that. Crossover in a compact package: The Audi allroad shooting brake show car Crossover concept car is highly functional for recreational sports Powerful and efficient hybrid drive features two electric motors Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg: "A concrete look into the near future." Sporty, compact and versatile: It is with these attributes that the Audi allroad shooting brake makes its debut at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit.

Audi to spend $17 billion to fight BMW

It's no secret that VW Group, parent company to not only Volkswagen but also Audi, Bugatti, Bentley, Lamborghini, Porsche and Ducati brands sold in the US, is determined to become the world's largest automaker. Even more impressive is that VW is prepared to spend billions to make it happen.
With that comes word that VW Group will be spending $17 billion on its Audi brand over the next three years to push itself above rival BMW. The money will be invested in both vehicle development (including lightweight auto design and alternative powertrains) and facilities (including expansion in Hungary, China and new operations in Mexico). The luxury brand is focused on global manufacturing infrastructure.
Already Europe's best-selling luxury brand, Audi's objective is to overtake BMW by the end of the decade by selling more than two million cars per year (BMW is shooting for 1.54 million sales in 2013). If those objectives are met, VW Group should be on track to be the industry's volume leader by 2018.