Étiquette : GENEVE 2017; Audi; Q8 Sport Concept; RS5

The brand from Ingolstadt came to Geneva without any new models in terms of design, but rather introduced performance engines and / or powertrains with more eco-responsibility.

Let’s talk about the RS5 coupe first — an impressive 450hp coupe derived from the DTM championship race version, or vice-versa maybe. This road going version is very muscular, with large air intakes on both sides of the grille providing an aggressive look, but that’s about the only design element differenciating this model from the more civilized version.

The A3 family has recently received a facelift, and the RS3 has benefited from those styling changes with a new front end including beveled headlights. But here again it is under the hood that the real evolution is to be found rather than the styling. Power is boosted to 400hp on this refined version.

The A5 Sportback G-Tron is a solution for an eco-friendlier sport model that demonstrates Audi’s know-how in the use of natural gas. This is the third model from the brand to be powered by natural gas following the A3 Sportback G-Tron and the A4 Avant G-tron. The A5 is powered by a 2.0 TFSI engine delivering 170hp. Four tanks store enough gas for a range of 500kms, while the 25 liter gasoline tank raises the overall range to 950kms …

The Q8 Concept, already debuted in Detroit, was presented here with an orange paint job rather than the blue version shown in Detroit.
Obviously this Q8 Sport Concept shows a new evolution of the Audi style direction and we hope that this concept car finds its way into production. We must say that the Audi style doesn’t seem to be moving forward from what we see on the road today. Moreover, the quality of manufacturing seems to have deteriorated in récent years. An Audi now ages just as fast as its competitors. The French brands that once had a bad reputation, are now ahead of this German brand, with BMW and Mercedes farther ahead still … For Audi (France) this is now considered « normal ». The Customer Service department no longer seems to be making that extra effort towards its customers. In short, the Audi brand must now catch up, not only in terms of design (since the brand has not been avant-garde in this area for a few years), but also, and perhaps more especially, in terms of manufacturing quality and service training. Unfortunately, Marc Lichte, the new Director of Design, cannot do much about the second subject …