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IIHS bestows 2015 Audi A3 with Top Safety Pick+ [w/video]

There's some good news for Audi today, as the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has named the all-new A3 one of its Top Safety Pick+, the institute's highest award for safety.
While there are no shortage of cars that can handle the standard IIHS trial, the tough small overlap test needed to earn TSP+ has flummoxed more than a few vehicles from prestigious, safety minded manufacturers. In the A3's case, though, it handled the small-overlap tests well.
According to the IIHS, there wasn't much intrusion into the cabin from the impact, which simulates a 40-mile-per-hour impact on 25 percent of a car's front end. The crash test dummy was held in place, with just a low risk of injuries. You can view the crash test video below, as well as read a brief press release from the IIHS.

Audi's Q8 Concept previews a 2018 personal luxury crossover

Audi revealed the Q8 Concept here at the 2017 Detroit Auto Show, and it's just as we expected: a Q7 with frameless windows, an oversized grille, and a rakish "coupe-like" roofline. This concept is an exaggerated example of a vehicle that will almost certainly enter production to do battle with BMW's vanity luxury utility, the X6, and Mercedes-Benz's GLE Coupe. The coupe moniker doesn't really apply, despite the German automakers' best attempts to redefine the word, but otherwise the Q8 Concept delivers. It's two inches shorter overall than a contemporary Q7, on a similar wheelbase, so the basic proportions of the thing should make the jump to production. View 14 Photos The driveline is equally plausible: a plug-in hybrid setup pairing a 3.0-liter TFSI V6 with a 17.9-kWh lithium-ion battery. The concept's V6 hypothetically makes 333 horsepower and 368 lb-ft of torque, and a single electric motor integrated into the eight-speed automatic transmission adds 100 kW (134 hp) and 234 lb-ft of torque to the mix. Those numbers certainly make sense, considering the gas Q7 makes 333 hp (albeit with a supercharger) and the existing Q7 e-tron, which isn't sold here, pairs a 17.3-kWh battery with a diesel V6. Since this is a concept, production intent or no, the range numbers are also a little theoretical, but here's what Audi claims: a 60-mile EV range, and a total range of around 621 miles. Not shabby if you're taking a long road trip. The adaptive air suspension should also make it a comfortable one. Inside, this is a four-place vehicle; no third row, and no center rear seat, as is the trend with these things. The cabin is very clean and modern – typically Audi, although exaggerated a bit. Expect it to be toned down some for production, but this concept interior is a glimpse into the future. We'll have to wait until next year to see something closer to production-ready, but it's coming. Related Video: Related Gallery Audi Q8 Concept View 30 Photos Image Credit: Live photos copyright 2017 Drew Phillips / Autoblog Green Detroit Auto Show Audi Crossover SUV Concept Cars Future Vehicles Hybrid Original Video 2017 Detroit Auto Show

Mueller named Audi boss, too

Matthias Muller, chairman of the board for the Volkswagen Group, has officially taken the role of chairman of the supervisory board for subsidiary Audi. Muller takes over the role from the disgraced Martin Winterkorn. This appointment should come as a shock to no one, and not just because we told you about it last week. Since Audi is part of the Volkswagen Group, which Muller leads, he's effectively been the head of the subsidiary brand since his appointment in late September. This news simply formalizes his positioning at the Ingolstadt-based company. This, of course, is not Muller's first go-around at Audi. He previously served as Head of Product Management Audi (along with Lamborghini and Seat), before taking the lead on product planning at the entire VW Group. Check out the official press release from VAG. MATTHIAS MULLER BECOMES CHAIRMAN OF THE AUDI SUPERVISORY BOARD Ingolstadt/Neckarsulm, December 7, 2015 – The Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG, Matthias Muller, has joined the Supervisory Board of AUDI AG and becomes its Chairman with immediate effect. Berthold Huber will continue to be Deputy Chairman. Furthermore, the two vacant seats for members representing the shareholders will be newly occupied by Julia Kuhn Piech and Josef Ahorner. Matthias Muller has been a member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG since March 1, 2015 and its Chairman since September 25, 2015. After completing high school in Ingolstadt, he did a toolmaker's apprenticeship at Audi. He then studied informatics at the Munich University of Applied Sciences. After graduating in informatics, Muller continued his career at Audi in 1978, progressing to become the Head of Product Management for the Audi, Lamborghini and SEAT brands. From 2007 onwards, Muller was Head of Product Management for the Volkswagen Group and the VW brand as well as Executive Vice President of the Volkswagen Group. From 2010 until September 2015, Matthias Muller was Chairman of the Board of Management of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG. Josef Ahorner (55) is the chairman of the supervisory board and main shareholder of Emarsys AG, and was a member of the shareholder committee of Salzburger Porsche Holding from 1996 until 2008. Julia Kuhn-Piech (34) is a real estate manager and a member of the supervisory boards of MAN SE and the Truck & Bus division of MAN AG.