2013 Audi A4

2013 Audi S4

The family has gone through design changes, and characteristically, the changes are very subtle. The engine hood has a more pronounced curvature. The upper corner of the single frame grille are tapered, and not unlike the new BMW 3 Series, the cross ribs and Audi rings have a highlighted three dimensional form. The grille is painted gray in most models. The six cylinder models and the models with the S line exterior package though get high gloss black. The A4 allroad quattro is has its grille’s horizontal bars chromed.

2013 Audi A42013 Audi A4 Avant

2013 Audi A4 Sedan, 2013 Audi A4 Avant

The bumpers have been redesigned with angular air inlets, revised grilles and flat front fog lights. The quattro model is again distinguished by the round fog lamps.

2013 Audi A4 Avant allroad quattro

2013 Audi A4 Avant allroad quattro

The headlights have also changed, with a slight wave at the bottom edges, and a re-arranged interior. Xenon plus headlights are available from Audi on request. The LED daytime running lights form a narrow, optically homogeneous band that remains open in the vicinity of the xenon lens. The adaptive light with dynamic and static cornering lights are available on request.

The tail lights reflect the shape of the headlights, and in combination with xenon plus have homogeneous strips of LEDs. The bumper with its diffuser insert has been redesigned, with two tailpipes as part of the exhaust system.

15 paint finishes, including four new tones are available. The Sedan and the Avant offer the S line exterior package, while the Avant also includes a roof spoiler.

Interior

After the industry standards for jaw dropping interiors were set by the Audi A8, and then the new A6, we have come to expect nothing but the best from Audi. The interior of the A4 models has been refined. Audi offers a wide selection of new steering wheels with chrome and high-gloss inlays, with the leather sport steering wheel also featuring a flattened lower rim. The steering arm and the ignition key have been modified. The interior also has its touches of high-gloss materials and elegant chrome trim.

The MMI Navigation Plus system now has been simplified with only four buttons taking the place of eight, in the previous version. Audi mentions that improvements have been made in the operation of the automatic transmission, the efficient air conditioning systems, Audi drive select and the multifunction steering wheel. The seat heating and air conditioning are now directly operated with the respective buttons.

2013 Audi S4 Avant2013 Audi S4 Avant Rear

2013 Audi S4 Avant

With the kind of obsession that only the Germans can live with, Audi has re-coordinated all interior colors, except black. The upholstery range has also been revised, with Fine Nappa leather replacing Valcona leather. The new, single-part cluster trim has been adapted in color to the interior, while the inlays are available in Aluminum Trigon, walnut dark brown and fine grain ash natural and the premium Beaufort oak plywood inlay.

The interior of the S line sport package comes in black, refined with high-quality applications. 18-inch wheels or the optional 19-inch wheels and an S line sport suspension that lowers the body by 30 millimeters (1.18 in) complete the package. Audi Exclusive Line offers further individualized options.

Engines

Audi says the consumption levels have dropped by 11 percent on average, despite the increased power and torque of many of the engines. In the Sedan and the Avant each, Audi offers any of six TDI and four gasoline engines, with 23 possible engine-transmission combinations. All engines are supercharged direct-injection systems and the start-stop system and the recuperation system are standard in all variants.

2013 Audi A4 TFSI Sedan : Rear

The details of the engine variants are listed below.

Petrol

  • New 1.8 TFSI engine producing 125 kW/170 hp and 320 Nm (236.02 lb-ft) and a claimed fuel efficiency of 17.8 kpl (42.0 US mpg )
  • Previous Gen 1.8 TFSI engine producing 88 kW/120 hp
  • 2.0 TFSI engine producing 155 kW/211 hp
  • V6 3.0 TFSI ( in the A4 producing 200 kW/272 hp and in the S4 245 kW/333 hp )

The new 1.8 TFSI engine features many innovations: in the control of its valves and their lift, in the novel thermal management system, in the fuel injection system, in the turbocharger and in the integration of the exhaust manifold in the cylinder head. The engine weighs 3.5 kilograms (7.72 lb) less and its internal friction has sharply decreased.

Diesel

  • 2.0 TDI with 100 kW/136 hp with a fuel efficiency of 23.9 kpl ( 56.0 US mpg)
  • New 2.0 TDI with 120 kW/163 hp with 22.7 kpl
  • Three variants of the 4 cylinder engine producing 88 kW (120 hp), 105 kW/143 hp and 130 kW/177 hp
  • 3.0 TDI generating 150 kW/204 hp with FE of 20.40 kpl
  • 3.0 TDI generates 180 kW/245 hp
  • 3.0 TDI quattro clean diesel also generating 180 kW/245 hp

The TDI engines are the cream of the lot with enough torque to pull chariots of gold and efficiency that will save you enough to buy a chariot of gold. A new centrifugal pendulum-type absorber (in the 2.0 TDI with 100 kW, 120 kW or 130 kW with quattro drive) in the dual-mass flywheel makes engine running even more refined and quieter at low revs, for even earlier upshifting and savings of up to 0.2 liters per 100 km.

Pages: 1 2

Caterham Cars is one of the cottage industries that makes cars in England.  The most well known Caterham is the one that is based on the Lotus7 designed by the legendary Colin Chapman.  The Lotus7 went out of production in 1972 but has lived on as a Caterham.  Caterham cars are raced exclusively (meaning as one make races) in England and the company has been acquired by Tony Fernandes who owns Air Asia, Team Lotus in F1 and the Queens Park Rangers Football club in the English Premier League, among others.  Tony Fernandes wants to rename Team Lotus as Team Caterham F1 for next year, pending approval from all teams in F1 and the World Motor Sport Council.  In the meanwhile, Caterham comes to India with a scion of the Dr. Burman family, the owners of Dabur.  Caterham cars will be sold for racing and for regular use.  It would be interesting to see how we Indians look at Caterham.

Caterham Superlight R 400

At least that is what Indian Autos Blog.com is saying.  According to them, IAB that is, the shooting brake Ferrari FF will be launched at one of the dealerships in Delhi by Ferrari on the 31st of October, 2011, one day after the completion of the inaugural Formula1 GP of India.  Let us see if this is true.

Hyundai Motors India is playing a very clever game with its Eon small car.  It has told the world that it is targetting a sale of twelve thousand units of the Eon every month.  Now that is a paltry sum considering the fact that in good months the i10 sells about fifteen thousand units and in bad months about 10-12 thousand units.  Hyundai is going for the jugular of Maruti; it wants a piece of the action that the Alto has made its own.  Hyundai wants to take away numbers from the Alto but does not seem to want to say that openly, lest it be seen as a failure a la Tata Nano.  What hurt the Nano most was the fact that the fear of roads being clogged with Nanos never came true.  Though the Nano is a great car it still has not made even a small dent in the Alto’s fortunes.  The Eon will be all modest but then it will do its best to dethrone the Alto and that will not be possible with sales of 12,000 cars per month.  Hyundai is cleverly down playing expectations in order to ensure that the car will not look like a failure.  Hyundai, unlike Simba, can actually wait to be king.

Renault is bullish about India.  It wants to have a very big slice of the Indian car market along with its alliance partner, Nissan.  Nissan has been in India for sometime, all on its own and has a very low key presence since till last year it only sold a handful of CBUs of the X Trail SUV and the Teana luxury saloon.  Last year it launched the Micra, which is available in both petrol and diesel versions and this year it has launched the Sunny which is built on the same V platform on which the Micra is built.  Despite this Nissan’s presence is still very much subdued mainly due to not having enough dealers.  Its alliance partner came into India in a different way.  It partnered with Mahindra to bring in the low on cost and high on value Logan but the JV soured and the Logan has gone to Mahindra who now sell it as the Verito.  Post the break up with Mahindra, Renault has become aggressive and in a space of six months it has launched two cars in India and is now in the process of launching a third one.  The first two are the Fluence saloon and the Koleos SUV, while the third will be a hatchback for the mass market, which is where volumes and money lie.  This hatchback is based on the V platform on which the Micra and Sunny are based and is apparently code named B 58.  It also seems to have been given the name Pulse.  This car will be unveiled on the 29th of October, 2011 by Carlos Ghosn the head honcho of the Renault-Nissan alliance at the Indian Formula1 GP at Greater Noida.  The car was originally to be launched in January, 2012 at the Auto Expo but the launch has been advanced to coincide with the Formula1 GP of India where Renault has a substantial and impressive presence.  The all conquering Red Bull Racing car of Sebastian Vettel is powered by Renault and therefore Renault wants to ensure that its mass market car be unveiled at the Indian GP.

Bruno Spengler,who has notched many victories and came close to taking the title in the Deutsche Touringwagen Masters (DTM) series this year with Mercedes Benz, has signed with rival manufacturer BMW for next year.

Bruno Spengler

BMW had quit DTM sometime ago to concentrate on Formula1 and World Touring Car Championships.  However, BMW quit Formula1 completely and also reduced its involvement in WTCC to just providing support to privately entered cars.  It had announced at the time of quitting Formula1 that it would consider going back to the DTM series since that was more relevant to it.  It then said that it would join the DTM series in 2012 and true to its word there will be three BMW teams of two cars each.  The teams are BMW Team Schnitzer, BMW Team RBM and BMW Team RMG.  Bruno Spengler is one of the three drivers finalized by BMW, the other two being their WTCC regulars Andy Priaulx and Augusto Farfus.  DTM so far has been a two horse race with Mercedes Benz and Audi providing all the cars on the grid.  BMW is now the third manufacturer in the fray.  DTM has also been attempting to have races outside of Germany and it was once reported that the Buddh International Circuit in India was negotiating for hosting a race in India.

BMW back in DTM in 2012

The FIA has officially announced two Drag Reduction System deployment zones for the F1 GP of India.  The first DRS zone will be 36 metres after turn sixteen while the second one would be 16 metres before turn three for detection and 510 metres after the same turn for activation.  The DRS is an attempt to aid overtaking and allows the driver to open and close the flap on the rear wing at the specified places.  We think it has reduced F1 to a bit of a farce, but we are not complaining since there is at least some overtaking instead of a procession of cars which F1 had become.

The West loves India.  The talk of India gives it a break from its own woes and therefore India is a big pass time in the West.  Now that the Formula1 Circus is descending on India, the condescending write ups by media correspondents from the West have begun in all earnestness.  Some are telling their countrymen that there is so much filth on the streets that it is unbelievable.  Others have written that garbage lifters in India have been on strike since garbage is over flowing on the streets.  One even said he is surprised by how Indians are still alive since all they do while they drive is press the horn with one hand and carry their mobiles in the other and are constantly talking.  While there is truth behind these kind of jibes, it is distasteful to write about them in a jeering manner.  We are very sure that there are enough things about the West that we can jest about.  So it works both ways.  It is time they realize that strangers in India will receive them with more warmth than their own family members would. Meanwhile if you see any of these idiots or hear them saying stupid things about India just give them the middle finger.  There would be nothing wrong with that.

Even before the first ever Formula1 Grand Prix of India has been held at the Buddh International Circuit at Greater Noida near Delhi, talk of building Formula1 standards racing circuits in other parts of the country has begun.  It was first Mumbai and then for sometime it was Goa and now it is back to Mumbai again.  This time a consortium that will be in charge of the planning and building process has also been put in place, apparently.  Mercifully, it is being said that the consortium will look into the feasibility of such a venture.  You have to ask yourself, why another circuit?  For the first circuit to break even itself would take sometime so why go for another one now?

His father Vicky Chandok is the President of the FMSCI, the apex body of Motorsport in India, and has been coordinating with the FIA and the Jaypee Group, the promoters of the first ever Formula1 Grand Prix of India, but Karun Chandok will not be driving at the inaugural F1GP of India.  Karun Chandok actually saw more of the track at the Buddh International Circuit at Greater Noida near Delhi; he has been involved with how the track would look and how the paving was going on and was the first driver to drive on the track even before the final layer of asphalt was laid.  Karun Chandok was hoping that his team, Team Lotus would give him the opportunity to drive at the inaugural Indian GP, just like Team HRT is giving Narain Karthikeyan a chance, but that is not to be.  And understandably Karun Chandok is totally gutted.  Team Lotus needs to cement 10th place among the constructors to gain access to TV revenues and believes that changing drivers could jeopardize the 10th place.  It doesn’t matter, what the reason is, it hurts when you are screwed and that is how it is for the junior Chandok.