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2015 Audi A3 E-Tron [w/video]

Over the years, we've had a chance to test a lot of Audi E-Tron vehicles, from very early all-electric prototypes (back then we only got to sit in the passenger seat) to the A6 L E-Tron PHEV and the A1 E-Tron plug-in hybrid. All of them were concepts and promises, merely whispers of what was possible, even as the Nissan Leaf, Chevrolet Volt and two Tesla models were making waves in the marketplace.
As we learned last year in our Deep Dive of the E-Tron project, all of the concepts, prototypes and rumors have finally come to fruition in this A3 Sportback E-Tron. Previously, we were given a chance to drive a prototype, but it was only very briefly. Last week, we finally got to run a production-representative example through the hilly roads between Vienna, Austria and Munich, Germany. After spending a solid day with Audi's first marketable E-Tron vehicle, we can say that it's a most amazing bit of engineering, in particular for the way that Audi has done so much to hide the fact that this is an electrified vehicle. Not entirely, of course, but the idea was to make the A3 Sportback E-Tron a no-compromise PHEV. And that means it drives and feels, in many ways, like the standard A3 Sportback despite over 700 extra pounds. Oh, and there's a charge port hidden behind the four rings in the grille.

166 MPGe diesel-electric Audi Q7 E-Tron Quattro gets real in Geneva

Despite some warnings that plug-in vehicles would not make a big impression in Geneva this year, the first big reveals from the Peace Capital are indeed PHEVs. For example, the diesel-electric Audi Q7 E-Tron Quattro, which right out of the gate comes at us with some impressive numbers: an all-electric range of 34 miles and the "potential" to hit 166 miles per gallon equivalent. Whatever scale Audi is rating the new Q7 PHEV on, 166 MPGe is a resounding success. As we might guess from the prototypes we've seen and hints we've had, the Q7 E-Tron Quattro is not some auto salon fantasy. The vehicle will go on sale at the end of this year, in the UK, at least. Availability in the rest of Europe and here in the US is likely but unspecified in the press materials we've seen so far. The real-world reality of the Q7 E-Tron Quattro means that specs like a 0-100 kilometers an hour (62 miles per hour) time of six seconds and a top speed of 225 kmh (139.8 mph), CO2 emissions of under 50 grams per kilometer and a total system torque output of 516.3 pound-feet should be ours to test in the not-too-distant future. This whole E-Tron program is turning out to be quite something. Who else is ready? Related Video: AUDI Q7 ENTERS THE VOLT AGE IN GENEVA WITH NEW SUB 50 G/KM Q7 E-TRON QUATTRO 02/03/15 Commanding new Q7 incorporates hybrid drive for a combined 876-mile range and 166mpg potential First diesel plug-in hybrid with quattro drive in its segment First ever plug-in hybrid TDI from Audi Six-cylinder TDI engine develops 373 PS Electric-only range of up to 34 miles, increasing to 876 miles combined Fully charged in two and half hours Maximum efficiency with hybrid management UK ordering expected to open at the end of 2015 Ingolstadt/Geneva, March 2, 2015 - Audi has combined its world renowned diesel engine expertise with its equally widely acclaimed flair for technological innovation to create its first TDI plug-in hybrid with quattro all-wheel drive. Making its world public debut at the Geneva Motor Show, the new Q7 e-tron quattro combines a frugal TDI engine with lithium-ion battery technology for a potential range of up to 876 miles and the ability to travel emission-free for over 34 miles on electric power alone, contributing to an official CO2 figure of less than 50 grams per kilometre. The Q7 e-tron quattro is the second Audi model with a powerful plug-in hybrid drive system.

2016 Audi S6 Quick Spin [w/video]

Back in my salad days, when I was rocking a the greatest Civic Si of all time, the occasional pair of leather pants, and a yen for malt liquor and grass (both of which quickly put an end to the leather pants), a car like the 2016 Audi S6 would've made my head explode. "What's that?" I might have asked. "A roomy four-seat Audi with more than 400 horsepower and all-wheel drive, that looks like it was sculpted by Ralph McQuarrie? Pushing 30 mpg and under five seconds to 60 miles per hour? The hell you say." And that's even before Future Me showed Skinny Me an interior full of carbon fiber and aluminum, God's own quilted-leather sport buckets, and a 'radio' that would've made my Dreamcast look like an Atari 6400. (If you haven't picked up on the vibe yet, I was kind of a weird nerd in the late '90s.) Gentlemen, we live in the future; I just drove a mid-cycle-refresh Audi that proves it. Driving Notes The 4.0-liter, turbocharged V8 is tailor-made for smoothly pulling around anything less-well-endowed than the M5/E63/CTS-V set. Now up to 450 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque (versus the 420 hp and 406 lb-ft of last year's model), there's enough pull in the easily accessible powerband to satisfy all but lunatic drivers. It doesn't feel staggeringly fast, but that's only because 500 horsepower has become so commonplace in the new uber sedan game. It's quick enough. Remember when 250 hp was a crazy number? The car sounds like it has a V8, too. That may seem obvious, but in Generation Direct Injection things tend to get a bit clattery. You'll get some of that if you open the hood with the engine running (as I did in one of the Short Cuts above), but none where it counts: behind the wheel, windows up, stereo down, foot to the floor. That recipe delivers a hushed, baritone-sung song about understatement. Less subtle is the braking force when used at or near the top of its ability. After a moment of surprise and delight while decelerating in normal traffic, I went back-road hunting to test a few pseudo panic stops. Vented 15.7-inch front discs, with 14-inchers in the rear, provided a fast and steady haul-down from 70 miles per hour. Remember when wheels were 15 inches? I mean, you need those big brakes and potent engines to move and stop a car this hefty. With a base weight of 4,486 pounds – no doubt heavier still in my loaded, Dutchman-driven example – it still kind of blows my mind to see the 27-miles-per-gallon highway number.