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Road test snippets: SMMT Test Day 2013

May 19, 2013 by Leave a Comment

The ‘Good’ the ‘Really Quite Good’ and the ‘Bloody Brilliant’

Jaguar F-Type

SMMT Test Day 2013

Another year, another SMMT test day. For DrivingTalk readers not au-fait with what an SMMT test day is, its purpose can be summarised quite succinctly thus: it’s a speed dating event between motoring journalists, car companies and their four-wheeled wares. Except there’s no romance – aside from fleeting flirtations betwixt (wo)man and car. Moving on.

Thankfully the sun shone again this year onto a packed Millbrook Proving Ground in Bedfordshire. Cars were driven, relationships forged, preconceptions shattered, opinions formed and suncream was smeared onto new upholstery. Not by me, I might add.

A summary of noteworthy drives now follows.

2013 Audi A3 Sportback 1.4 TFSi SE – £19,825

Audi A3 Sportback 1.4 TFSI

The new Audi A3 Sportback. A high quality fitted kitchen of a car

There’s more excitement to be had elsewhere in Audi’s range than this, the entry-level A3 Sportback. But even at the lower echelons of the Golf-on-a-better-pay-grade range, there’s much to like about this junior Audi. Restrained, understated style, the slightly oleaginous feel to its slickly-damped controls and an eager, willing gait on the road. The cabin is almost sparse in its simplicity, but predictably Audi and beautifully finished. It’s a high quality fitted kitchen with soft-close drawers, the A3 – satisfying to own but hard to get excited about.

Quick verdict: Audi A3 1.4 TFSI Sportback: Good
 

2013 SEAT Leon FR 2.0 TDI 150 – £21,385

2013 SEAT Leon FR TDI 150

The new SEAT Leon FR TDI. Like a Golf… and an Audi A3

On the subject of VW Group offerings, I liked the new Leon, a lot. Shorn of the prestige pretentions of its four-ringed sibling, it’s got a genuinely attractive interior which reminded me of a high-end hi-fi. That’s a turn up for the books, because the old one reminded me of a lump of featureless, injection-moulded plastic. Which indeed it was. The driving experience is positive too – this torquey, tight-handling Spaniard is very easy to drive fast. Even the faintly astonishing claimed economy of 68.9mpg is nearly worth getting excited about. Shame it’s lost the distinctive looks of its predecessor, mind.

Quick verdict: SEAT Leon FR TDI 150: Really Quite Good
 

2013 Mercedes E63 AMG – £73,745

2013 Mercedes E63 AMG

The E63 AMG. What a mean looking thing in black

Audi has made the latest RS6 less powerful than its predecessor. Perhaps that’s a subtle white flag from a weary Ingolstadt, its power-crazed engineers having grown tired of the German horsepower war. “Nein! Nicht mehr Pferdestärke, bitte!” they might say if this bizarre vignette of mine had any roots in reality. And onto my point. Which is that Mercedes doesn’t seem to care about calling a truce, a point evidenced by the fact the latest pumped-up E-Class has more power than its amply-powered predecessor. So in standard, off-the-shelf E63 AMG guise,  the 5.5-litre V8 Biturbo (say it, it sounds good) engine produces 557 horses. And those horses sound really, really pissed off about being trapped under the big AMG’s nose. I can’t comment on the E63′s prowess through the twisty bits, as driving time was limited to the high-speed bowl only. Suffice to say, this unassuming Merc is quite breathtakingly rapid. How about 0-62mph in 4.2 seconds? There’s an even quicker ‘performance pack’ version available too.*

A full road test of the E63 AMG will follow on DrivingTalk.

*Insert cliché of your choice. Something about sledgehammers & nuts would do nicely.

Quick verdict: Mercedes E63 AMG: Bloody Brilliant
 

2013 McLaren MP4-12C – £176,000

2013 McLaren MP4-12C

The McLaren MP4-12C on track at Millbrook

Topping off the accelerative vigour of the E63 wouldn’t be easy, I mused whilst handing it back to the nice people from Mercedes. Where upon I clapped eyes on this scissor-doored delight, looking a picture in white. Fortune favours the brave apparently, and a foolish motoring journalist hadn’t turned up for their scheduled date with the MP4-12C. So I asked if I could hop in instead. Which I duly did.

Confession time. The MP4-12C is a supercar that’s never leapt off the pages of a car mag and into my affections. It’s not in my lottery win fantasy garage. And the reason why is pretty much the same as what many others have said about this car – it’s lacking emotion. Silly reason really – it’s phenomenally capable and brutally quick – the magic 62mph arriving in just 3.1 seconds. What’s more, the speed with which you can rifle through the gearbox’s seven ratios using the steering wheel paddles is mesmeric, and the explosiveness of the performance without question. Thank 616bhp for that. But the noise  is not awfully seductive and there’s just something missing from the experience. Yet perversely, the fact the MP4 isn’t universally loved is a bit of a draw for me – that and the fact it’s not a shouty Ferrari. The thinking man’s supercar just got my vote.

Quick verdict: McLaren MP4-12C: Really Quite Good
 

2013 Audi RS4 Avant – £55,525

2013 Audi RS4 Avant

Uber-dog carrier: The 2013 Audi RS4 Avant

“It’s easy to sell cars when they look this good” comes the swift reply from Audi PR man Jon Zammett when I ask about the appetite for Audi’s latest steroidal small estate. He has a point – the latest generation RS4 looks staggeringly aggressive with its UR Quattro-aping boxed wheel arches and unapologetically squat stance. It’s also a hoot to drive – 444bhp and a quattro drivetrain see to that. The grip is seemingly never-ending and the enthusiasm with which the 4.2-litre V8 spins up to its 8,250 rpm limiter is incredible. So too, the seven-speed S-tronic dual clutch gearbox and its ability to play ball or relax into slush-matic mode. There’s got to be a dog carrier on the lottery win garage list and the RS4 rather superbly fulfills that brief.

Quick verdict: Audi RS4 Avant: Bloody Brilliant
 

2013 Jaguar F-Type V6 S – £69,500

SMMT Test Day 2013

Delicious – the new Jaguar F-Type V6

It would be a bit remiss not to mention the headline act. Like going to a film premiere and then only talking about the trailers, I feel duty bound to opine some pithy wisdom on the new F-Type. However, I do so in a slightly guarded fashion as firstly, you already know the F-Type is good, very good in fact. And secondly, a relatively brief, chaperoned drive in the V6 S wasn’t enough to really get under its skin. The successor to the E-Type? Not really, as the original was just that – an original. Any sequel to that would never quite be the real deal. Thank Jaguar the F-Type is not a retro-facsimile of its forebear then.

Yet the F-Type is its own car, and even after the briefest drive is evidently a very, very special piece of engineering. From the delicacy with which it scythes through turns, to the faintly astonishing compliance and damping finesse, it’s a genuine treat to drive. I tried the 375bhp V6 S, which not only felt plenty rapid enough on the sinuous Millbrook hill route, but sang a deliciously anti-social tune from the twin howitzers poking out of its rear valance. And in Dynamic Drive mode it’s even louder and more focused. I can’t wait for the coupé to arrive, but in the meantime I need a longer date with an F-Type please, Jaguar.

Quick verdict: Jaguar F-Type V6 S: Bloody Brilliant
 

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Audi R8 V10 Plus review

May 12, 2013 by Leave a Comment

DrivingTalk Roadtest: 2013 Audi R8 V10 Plus

No doubt you’ve read about it. That disease which afflicts Audi’s fruitier offerings with a curious juxtaposition of remoteness and unimpeachable point-to-point ability. Lumpen Ündersteer-itus it’s called. So when the mid-engined R8 arrived in 2007 did anyone expect Audi to make a decent fist of its first supercar?

Well slap me about the face with a wet kipper if the folks from Neckarsulm didn’t do just that. Six years on though, has it gone a bit stale?

After a dabble with the new R8 V10 Plus, the current icing on Audi’s supercar cake, I’d say no. It’s rather fresh actually.

Audi R8 V10 Plus

Audi R8 V10 Plus. A bit better than the standard V10

The Audi R8 V10 Plus. What is it?

Take an Audi R8 V10, a car well into the autumn of its life, and sprinkle its mid-engined haunches with a bit more power, less weight and some attitude. And the ludicrously unimaginative name ‘Plus’. Really, that moniker is straight from the Spinal Tap ’that’s one better than 10′ school of thought.

That’s what this is then, the Audi R8 V10, but turned up to 11. Plus a little bit more for good measure.

What’s special about the Audi R8 V10 Plus?

You may well ask. As did I when I nonchalantly hopped into the Plus having not acquainted myself with its vital statistics. Turns out I should have done my homework, because they’re quite impressive – the R8′s important numbers that is. You’d expect nothing less from a car that’s at least one better than an ordinary R8 V10.

For starters, that dry-sumped 5.2-litre V10 has been massaged to 542bhp and 398lb ft – increases of 24bhp and 7lb ft over standard V10 tune. A not insignificant 50kg has also been trimmed off the kerb weight, thanks to the use of composite body panels. Meanwhile, pinning all this firepower to the road is a lower, stiffer setup for the R8′s passive springs and dampers.

But is it really necessary to further hone the already superb and by no means slovenly R8 V10 into an even more toned and athletic package? Not just that, but a £130k (as tested) Audi? Actually it is, because it realises the potential of a superb car and a superbly balanced, secure chassis. And should it wish to, the Plus could nearly kick a Ferrari 458′s bottom quite comprehensively. On paper at least, and equipped with the seven-speed dual clutch ‘S-tronic’ transmission, this four-ringed slot racer can hit 62mph in 3.5 seconds. That’s 0.3 seconds shy of the shoutier playboy’s toy.

In summary, she pulls off quite smartly then.

Audi R8 V10 Plus

Here I am exploring the R8 V10 Plus’s performance envelope on track. Probably.

What’s the Audi R8 V10 Plus like to drive then?

Well I suppose it’s pretty good actually. Scrub that, it’s really quite excellent.

Obviously this would be a pretty poor roadtest without a deeper analysis of the R8 V10 Plus’s dynamic repertoire and a thorough examination of its performance ‘envelope’*. Alas, I am not a ‘seasoned’ roadtester, so I shall tell it like it is, in layman’s terms.

It’s immensely schnell. Should you wish to experience the kind of performance that makes you feel a bit ‘funny’, step this way. Should you wish to pull a planet out of orbit with the help of mesmeric, muscular mid-range thrust, then the R8 V10 Plus is your friend. And it’s a biddable, friendly kind of friend that won’t let you plop off the road in a hail of expletives and broken composite panels. Thank quattro for that.

In any gear the performance is probably more than a sane man could ever reasonably ask of a car. The V10 Plus also comes with carbon ceramic brakes – and these are very ‘Audi’. By that I mean there is the slightest hint of ‘grab’ as you feather the stop pedal, but once past that they bite savagely and progressively. Obviously, you could stamp on them all day long from silly speeds and they’d never fade. Such is the raison d’être of expensive carbon stoppers.

Oh, and I’ve neglected to mention this yet – but the 5.2-litre V10 can really sing a tune. A bassy, yet mellifluous and pleasant tune, yet with an edge. Think Adele singing Guns ‘n’ Roses after chain-smoking twenty Marlboro Reds.

Audi R8 V10 Plus wheels

There are many plusses to the R8 V10 Plus. Shiny black rims are just one of them. Well four of them.

Pudding or soufflé. Does the Audi R8 V10 Plus handle?

Yes it does. This may be a 542bhp supercar, but it doesn’t intimidate you. The Plus always feels planted, limpet-like and rock solid in its body control, very secure in the way it deals with bends. Yes, it’s also lithe and quite playful if you want it to be – but it never feels remote or lumpen. Just communicative, astonishingly quick and imbued with a character which is most un-befitting of the ruthlessly efficient and humourless stereotype some would pin on our German friends.

Audi R8 V10 Plus engine

5.2-litres of V10 magic

The Verdict: Audi R8 V10 Plus. Hero or Zero?

Well you’ve read this far, so what do you think? That name may be lame, but in a sense it’s quite accurate. So the Audi R8 V10 Plus – it’s definitely better than the Audi R8 V10. Which itself was already very good indeed. It’s the zenith of the R8 , the realisation of the first four-ringed supercar in its most potent, impressive guise yet.

Need to know: Audi R8 V10 Plus quattro S-tronic – vital statistics

  • Engine: 5.2-litre V10, 542bhp
  • Transmission: Seven-speed dual clutch (optional), four-wheel drive
  • Price: £125,900 (£130,800 as tested)
  • Options fitted to test car: 19″ 5-arm gloss black alloy wheels, alcantara headlining, Audi advanced parking system with reversing camera, cruise control and mobile phone preparation 
  • Performance: 0-62mph – 3.5 seconds (S-tronic), max speed – 197mph 
  • Economy: 21.9mpg (combined cycle)

*This is the first and last time I shall ever use the term performance envelope in a car review.

Here’s a video of people with latex gloves fondling an R8:

 Audi R8 V10 Plus picture gallery

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New Audi RS6 Avant revealed

December 5, 2012 by Leave a Comment

New 2013 Audi RS6 Avant revealed

The all-new 2013 Audi RS6 Avant has been revealed. For the third generation of Audi’s  unhinged hyper-estate, the power has actually been wound back a touch, but fret-ye-not dog worriers, it still boasts some eye-watering stats:

  • New RS6 features a 4.0-litre V8 biturbo with 552bhp;
  • 0-62mph in 3.9 seconds, top speed 189mph;
  • 516lb ft of torque available from 1750-5500rpm.
2013 Audi RS6 Avant front view

The new 2013 Audi RS6 Avant

Despite that headline-grabbing sub-four second 0-62mph time, the new RS6 is in fact greener and more efficient than the previous generation V10-engined C6 model. It seems a stretch to include the words downsized, efficient and 4.0-litre biturbo engine in the same sentence – but with smaller displacement and cylinder-on-demand technology, that’s in fact what it is.

How economical is the new RS6?

According to Audi, the new RS6 is a massive 40 per cent more efficient than its predecessor thanks mainly to the aforementioned tech, but also the presence of stop-start and thermal management systems. With a potential 28.8mpg, it won’t be entering any hyper-miling economy marathons, but it’s still mightily impressive considering the performance on offer.

That V8 TFSI motor is mated to an eight-speed ZF automatic with flappy paddles and closely stacked lower ratios for optimum low-down grunt – and has a taller eighth cog to aid cruising fuel economy. Not surprisingly, there’s quattro permanent all-wheel drive with torque vectoring to keep things out of the hedge and on the blacktop.

What about the new RS6′s suspension?

As standard, the new RS6 rides on air suspension with continuously adaptive damping. Sports suspension featuring steel springs and three-way diagonally-interconnected shock absorbers – as well as dynamic steering – are on the options list. Despite the fact it’s lighter (by 100kg) and less powerful than the old car, it gets bigger brakes too, with 390mm front discs and six-pot calipers standard – and 420mm  carbon ceramic discs available for a few bob more.

Visually, the new RS6 plays up to the quattro bloodline, with flared wheel arches and a smattering of RS6 badges setting it apart from the lesser S6. There’s also a split front grille featuring matt black honeycomb mesh and a rather conspicuous ‘quattro’ motif beneath the front number plate. As standard, the UK market RS6 will ride on high-gloss 20-inch forged alloy wheels, but various 21-inch designs will be on that lengthy options list.

2013 Audi RS6 Avant front view

What equipment does the new RS6 have?

Standard kit on the RS6 will include xenon headlights, LED rear lights, tyre-pressure monitoring, illuminated entry sills and an ‘RS-specific’ driver’s information system. There’s also visual and acoustic parking aids, cruise control, MMI navigation plus with MMI touch, BOSE sound system, DAB radio and Audi Music Interface. Aside from the aforementioned mechanical options, there’s a head-up display, and a 15-speaker 1,200 watt Bang & Olufsen Advanced Sound System available at extra cost.

How much does the new Audi RS6 cost?

When it hits UK shores next July, the new RS6 will wear a price tag of £77,000 – that’s before buyers delve into the options list for the various dynamic packages and extra equipment. So if you need to carry up to 1,680 litres-worth of luggage from 0 to 62mph in 3.9 seconds and all the way on to 189mph, better start saving now.

New 2013 Audi RS6 pictures:

Filed Under: News Tagged With: , , , , ,

Milking the brand

August 6, 2012 by Leave a Comment

A relentless stream of new AMGs have been splurging out of Mercedes’ tame tuning offshoot over the past few years. Rather than being overjoyed at the advent of yet more quad-piped German über-rods, it’s got me thinking. Are the likes of Mercedes, BMW and Audi taking a scattergun to their S, AMG and M badges and just firing them at anything that moves? I reckon they might be.

Recently, Mercedes announced that its largest and most carbuncular SUV, the GL-Class would be blessed with the AMG treatment. That follows the release of the madcap G 63 AMG, based on the pensionable G-Wagen, a car which continually evades the corporate guillotine despite its advanced vintage. A truly unhinged V12-powered G 65 AMG is also waiting in the wings – proof that the Germans do have a sense of humour after all.

Mercedes GL 63 AMG

The GL 63 AMG. A quad piped torque monster too far?

Then there was the news at this year’s Geneva Motor Show, that the forthcoming A-Class would spawn a proper AMG version to frighten off the Audi RS3. And lets not forget the R 63 AMG of 2006 – a disparate blend of luxury MPV and V8-powered 503bhp thrust. What’s that? Prefer your hot-rod in small roadster guise? Step forward, SLK 55 AMG. And SL, CL, C-Class, ML-Class, S-Class, E-Class – all available with a sinister torque monster under the bonnet and those three letters on the bootlid.

They’ll keep coming too. The news hailing from Mercedes’ special ops division in Affalterbach is that AMG will significantly ramp up production over the next few years, with ambitions to build 30,000 cars per year by 2017, according to recent press reports.

Mercedes isn’t the only one at it. Now Audi is plastering SUVs with their ‘S’ branding. The SQ5 TDI is by all accounts a pretty good specimen of its genre. That being the rather niche high performance diesel SUV genre, since you’re asking. But this all begs the question – how thinly can you stretch your brand equity before it becomes a meaningless shadow of its former self?

Audi SQ5 TDI

Vorsprung Durch Marketing - the Audi SQ5 TDI

And over to you, BMW. The purveyors of The Ultimate Driving Machine spilled a tin of M badges onto the X5 production line, but still decided to put the heroically pointless X5 M on sale. The same thing happened with the X6, and BMW gave birth to the Ultimate Posing Machine, the X6 M. Has it damaged the M brand irretrievably? Well it’s irritated the purists, riled a few motoring journalists – but aside from the pant-wettingly obscene depreciation these monsters suffer, no one seems too worried. Least of all BMW.

BMW X6 M & X5 M

The BMW X6 M & X5 M in a multi-story car park. Wrong on so many levels...

Yet both cars are about as far from the original and iconic E30 M3′s mission statement as it’s possible to be. Somewhere along the way, the ‘M’ moniker stopped standing for Motorsport and instead developed the unmistakable whiff of Money. More of it than sense that is.

And so what, you might say. Well on the one hand, it’s great that manufacturers have found a way to keep building these things in ever swelling numbers, rather than giving in to the legislators. Clever start-stop and cylinder shut-down technology mean that a 5.5-litre Biturbo V8 can deliver the kind of mpg that you’d expect of something with half the power a few years back. That’s progress. So is increasing production volumes in an automotive industry where wobbling demand make economies of scale essential for survival. Manufacturers need to keep inventing ways to grab new customers – and that’s why Merc is giving everything from crossover to convertible, family saloon to supercar, the AMG treatment.

The problem lies in brand dilution. Whilst Mercedes, Audi and BMW know they can splatter monster power SUVs with their performance branding and get away with it, the ‘specialness’ gets eroded when they become two-a-penny. The halo-effect so often used as a marketing tool to shift boggo C-Classes begins to diminish.

BMW M3 E30

M means motorsport. The E30 M3

AMG used to have a rare, bespoke flavour 45 years ago when it started as a niche tuner, fashioning Q-cars in the form of tweaked 6.3-litre 300SELs. Likewise BMW’s Motorsport sub-brand, born out of the M1 supercar and then properly commercialised with the E30 M3 – a car which boasted a bona fide touring car pedigree. In those days, the AMG or M badges were a mark of an engineering-led philosophy. That’s a strong foundation to underpin a performance sub-brand. Marketing isn’t.

What’s the answer then? How do you find new customers without damaging exclusivity?

Well actually, it doesn’t matter. Mercedes, Audi and BMW can milk AMG, S and M for all they’re worth, because there’s always the weapons grade stuff to satisfy the punters who want something more exclusive. The Black Series brand is AMG turned up to 11 – and it’s spawned some great cars, which are good enough – and pricey enough – to ensure relative rarity. Similarly, Audi’s RS brand has stepped in where the UR Quattro left off, fulfilling the wet dreams of Vorsprung Durch Technik fetishists. BMW may be swimming against the tide with the ‘M Performance’ range – a kind of Fisher Price ‘my first M car’ affair – but still, early signs are that the cars are good, and it leaves the M badge for the proper stuff.

C63 AMG Black Series

The answer? Invent a more upscale badge

Devotees of S and M – and AMG will benefit too, in theory. The more new cars that get the performance sub-brand treatment, the greater the supply trickling down onto the second-hand market. Simple fag packet economics would have it that supply of pre-thrashed high performance metal will increase and prices will therefore plummet. That’s surely good news for the fiscally challenged petrolhead. In that case, milk them for all they’re worth I say.

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Audi A4 1.9 Tdi 130 long term report*

November 12, 2011 by Leave a Comment

What? Audi A4 diesel? Why?

What is there to say about my current wheels? Not a great deal to be honest. Audi. Rhymes with dowdy. To be frank, I’d expected better from myself than to buy a diesel A4, but I needed a stop-gap replacement for the sadly departed C43 AMG, and the accident which killed the rumbly Merc may have compromised the part of my brain associated with choosing appropriately petrolhead-ish cars.

Hence there I stood 8 months ago at BCA Blackbushe, casually nodding to the auctioneer with all the enthusiasm of a sulky teenager, whilst WN52UUL rattled past the rostrum and choked fellow punters on its smokey idle. £3k on the nose, and the hammer went down - the frugal beast was mine. And here I am again, some 8 months later, writing my first blog post about it. It’s probably a sound barometer of how attached to the car I am that a) I couldn’t bring myself to put fingers to keyboard until now, and b) I haven’t shown it a sponge in all that time. I’d like to say I’ve deliberately furnished the alloys with a de-rigeur motorsport-look, but it’s more to do with the fact they’re caked in 8 months-worth of accumulated brake dust and road cack.

Unassuming and frugal

So why did I buy it? Well apart from accident-induced insanity, it seemed like a sensible financial move. V8 AMG to VAG diesel is a difficult transition – the contrast between Dee-troit rumble and taxi-rank clatter being particularly marked. However, I briefly owned a similar ’03 plated A4 Tdi about six years back, and found it to be a worthy, if unengaging companion. In fairness, I never really expected fireworks from a car named after a popular paper size. But on the plus side, 55mpg is very welcome in this cash-strapped age of austerity. And yes, the agricultural-sounding 1.9 diesel may pack just 130 noisy ponies, but in the mid-range where it counts, the torquey old knacker responds obediently to a heavy right foot.

So what’s it like this time around? A bit like Ronseal, in that it does what it says on the tin. And what it says to me on it’s four-door saloon-shaped tin is: ‘I’m going to take you from A to B with reasonable levels of practicality, reliability, a soupçon of gently decaying German prestige and a tastefully-appointed interior’. Nothing more, nothing less, it goes about its business comfortably and economically, it just doesn’t put a smile on your face.

The only nod to decadence and joy are the crisp ‘concert’ stereo and a slightly apologetic lip spoiler on the boot. To my knowledge, the SE model never came with such a blatantly sporty and provocative flourish as standard, so one of its two previous custodians must have retrospectively specced it as such. They gave up half way through the job though, because WN52 rolls on standard ’16s, which undermine the spoiler’s sporty pretensions. The overall ensemble is as convincing as a Murdoch testimony at a Commons Select Committee.

Ambassador, with this spoiler you are really….

Costs

Purchase

In sheepskin coat parlance, the car cost me three bags. Add the buyer’s fee and the keys were mine in exchange for a smidgen under £3,200. WN52 had covered around 104k in the hands of two owners at the time of purchase, and for the spicier 130bhp model that seemed like reasonable value to me. Doing my best impression of a seasoned motor trader, I’d fondled the brake discs and fingered the bodywork before the car went through the auction hall, which revealed it to be in reasonable fettle for the age and mileage. And cunningly, I’d noticed the catalogue said this was a lowly 100bhp model, whereas my intimate knowledge of Ingolstadt repmobiles told me it was actually the full-fat 130bhp ‘red eye’ model. As Alan Partridge might have said, had he been party to this small but significant detail: ‘cashback’. The alternative school of thought might say that the professional traders had spotted something off-putting about the car and steered clear – bidding was, like the car, a bit plodding.

Running costs & servicing

Mercifully, not much to report on that front, yet. It drinks parsimoniously from the black pump and is giving an indicated long-term average of 51.3MPG, which is a lot nicer than the 17MPG my C43 averaged.

51.3 MPG average isn’t bad. Volcano eruption warning system also pretty handy.

It’s got a full ‘long-life’ service history, which means it’s seen a spanner roughly half as frequently as cars used to before variable servicing intervals were invented to make running costs appear cheaper to fleet managers. That explains why the dipstick looks as if it’s been marinated in treacle, two years and 22,000 miles having passed since it was last treated to an oil change. Next week sees it go under the spanner for a service and MOT, which might be interesting. There’s a creaking noise from the front suspension on full lock, which leads me to suspect it may be fitted with Audi’s patented bio-degradable front suspension components. All three Audis I’ve owned have had distinctly fragile front suspension arms, so I’ll wager WN52 is thus afflicted.

Overall

Effortless and easy to live with. But then so’s a goldfish.

Filed Under: Garage Tagged With: ,

New Audi A5 revealed

July 14, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Audi has given its mid-size coupé a thorough makeover four years after launching the original A5. Several new engines as well as styling, interior and handling tweaks, have been introduced to keep the A5 range fresh against newer rivals such as the C-Class coupé.

  • A5 Coupé, Cabriolet and Sportback models all revised;
  • 4.2-litre V8 dropped from the S5 in favour of the supercharged 3.0-litre TFSI unit;
  • Chassis mods including lighter aluminium suspension and revised damper settings.

2012 Audi A5 Coupé

Like most recent offerings from the Ingolstadt firm, the styling has been homogenised with the Audi corporate face. Keen Audi spotters will notice most of the changes are at the business end, with revised grilles, squintier headlights and subtly reshaped bumpers bringing the facelifted A5 into line with current Audi design language. S Line models also gain wrap-around LED daytime running lights at the front, and LED tail lights, both of which can be specified as a cost option on lesser trim levels.

New engine line-up

With a reworked engine range that includes two new powerplants, Audi has majored on efficiency, primarily by trading capacity for forced induction, but also by introducing standard stop-start technology on all units. This sees the old 3.2-litre V6, which has done service in various VAG applications from Touareg to Golf R32, dropped in favour of a detuned version of the S5 Sportback’s 3.0-litre TFSI unit. The characterful 4.2-litre V8 which powered the S5 coupé, has also been binned in favour of the cleaner and more frugal 328bhp V6 TFSI engine.

The diesel A5 line-up loses the old 2.7-litre V6 TDI and gains a more powerful 201bhp 3.0-litre V6 TDI unit, capable of delivering 57.6 mpg and lower CO2 emissions of 129g/km. But flying the frugal flag for the A5 range will be the ubiquitous four-pot 2.0-litre TDI, which has been re-worked to give up to 60.1 mpg and a CO2 output of just 122g/km. Those figures potentially put the A5 to the top of the class for efficiency in the premium coupé sector.

Interior

Inside, the new A5 has been given some mild tweaks including various chrome embellishments, and updates to minor controls. Audi is particularly proud of the new mobile phone interface, which brings capability for Google Earth-powered navigation along with a WLAN hotspot, enabling internet access via wi-fi enabled phones, tablets and laptops. Wireless network capability will be available as an option across the range.

The revised Audi A5 range goes on sale in September, with prices up slightly over the outgoing model – expect to pay just over £25,500 for an entry-level A5 Sportback.

New 2012 Audi A5 picture gallery

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