The Auto Trophy 2009 awards have been given by Auto Zeitung after reader surveys of about 105,000 participants. Obviously the local German cars were very successful, with Audi taking home a total of 40 percent of votes across all categories, but there have been a couple of surprises, too.

A special mention goes to the Opel Astra for its quality-price ratio, while the new BMW 1 Series won the best advertising campaign award. Across the categories, readers voted on 370 different models in total. In the small car category, the Volkswagen Polo won with 32.9 percent, while for imported small cars the Fiat 500 won with 20.6 percent. Among the mid-size range was the Volkswagen Golf 6, and for imported cars in this category, the Skoda Octavia won a divided contest, with 18.5 percent of votes.

The mid-size, top range cars featured some of the larger German models, with the Audi A5 Sportback winning with 27.2 percent of votes, and the Volvo V70 winning in the imported category. The luxury category was dominated by the Mercedes E-Class with 42.7 percent of votes, while the Jaguar XF took the title for imported vehicles. Among the flagship models, the Porsche Panamera won and the Aston Martin Rapide won in the imported category with 33.7 percent.

Continue reading: Auto Zeitung Auto Trophy: SLS AMG top supercar

The Car of the Year prizes have been dominated by the Germans with many being awarded one of Autobild’s “Golden Steering Wheel” awards. The Porsche Panamera won the luxury car category, beating the BMW 7-Series and Mercedes S Class, while the medium to large sedan category was won by the Audi A5 Sportback, followed by the BMW 5-Series GT and the Mercedes E Class.

Among the compact class, a nice win for the new Opel Astra, beating the Skoda Yeti, which came in second ahead of the Renault Megane. In its sector, the Renault Scenic emerged ahead of the Toyota Verso and Peugeot 5008, and among the small cars the Volkswagen Polo won over the Citroen C3 and Hyundai i20. The Toyota Prius took out the ecological prize, followed by the Volkswagen Polo BlueMotion and the Mercedes S400 Hybrid.

The supercar category was dominated by the new Mercedes SLS AMG Gullwing, followed by the Audi R8 Spider and the Aston Martin One-77. The finalists for overall COTY are the Citroën C3 Picasso, Mercedes-Benz E-class, Opel Astra, Peugeot 3008, Skoda Yeti, Toyota iQ and Volkswagen Polo. Take your bets now…

Continue reading: Golden Steering wheel car of the year prizes: SLS AMG supercar of the year

The Audi E-Tron and R8 Spider debuts have taken place at the Audi stand at the Frankfurt motor show. On display were also the A5 Sportback and S5 Sportback, and additional announcements were made regarding the Q5 Hybrid, A4 Flexible Fuel and Clean Diesel technology. The Audi A3 with new 1.2-litre TSI engine is also present, along with original sports accessories displayed on a very aggressive Audi TT.

Curiosity regarding the E-Tron has been satisfied, with news that the electric sports car is driven by four electric motors, one for each wheel, and hence is equipped with Quattro or all-wheel drive. The overall power is 313 hp and 450 Nm of torque, enough to reach 100 km/hr in 4.8 seconds with a maximum speed of 200 km/hr. The lithium ion batteries are developed by Sanyo and have a range of 248 km. Recharge can occur in six to eight hours with 230 V, while the high voltage system reduces that time to 2.5 hours.

The overall weight of the Audi E-Tron is 1,600 kg, and the liquid-cooled batteries are located behind the cabin area and weigh 470 kg. Driving performance and handling is guaranteed with a 42 to 59 percent front-rear weight ratio.

Audi live pics from Frankfurt

Continue reading: Audi E-Tron and R8 Spider pics from Frankfurt motor show

So much for Audi ‘inventing’ a new niche with its A5 Sportback model, reports from France say Volkswagen could be preparing a similar coupé sedan model for its Golf 7. The “Golf CC” as it would be called, would follow the same line as the Passat CC after the success of the Mercedes CLS.

The Golf 7 generation is planned for 2012 and will depart from the current model. The plan is to develop new and unexpected vehicles that move away from the classic hatchback, creating a family of vehicles that stem from the original standard.

The new range could include this Volkswagen version of the A5 Sportback, as a kind of five door coupé. With the German cars all jumping on each other’s bandwagons, a hybrid-diesel version of the TDI could also be in the works.

Source | Automobile Magazine via Autoblog.it

Continue reading: Volkswagen Golf 7: Golf CC to be coupé sedan

Audi has released these pics of the S5 Sportback before its Frankfurt Show debut. The new Sportback model will have the same 3.0-litre supercharged V6 as the S4, with power of 328 hp and 440 Nm of torque. Reaching 100 km/hr takes 5.4 seconds and it has a top speed of 250 km/hr.

It has a few aesthetic differences to distinguish it from the A5 Sportback, including a deeper front bumper, a small spoiler on the boot lid and 18-inch alloy wheels. A couple of added touches in the interior also make this a special model, including Silk Nappa leather sports seats. Check out the gallery below.

Audi S5 Sportback

Continue reading: Audi S5 Sportback preview pics

The Audi A5 Sportback has “flawed suspension”, “unpolished underpinnings” and is “a firm stride in the wrong direction” according to three different reviews from three different publications. This is quite a surprise, bordering on the shocking, for what was expected to be a high quality, classy and stylish offering from Audi.

The problem for the A5 Sportback seems to lie mostly in the suspension, and a little in the steering. Below we give you extracts from the reviews that highlight the problems encountered, but to give a little summary: apparently the steering is inaccurate, torque steer can occur with quick acceleration and the weight of the car suddenly kicks in halfway around a corner.

The biggest issue for the reviewers, though, is the suspension. Apparently extremely stiff, the suspension gives you the opportunity to feel every pot-hole, every unsealed surface and every bump in every road. Car says:

Continue reading: A5 Sportback reviews: suspension drama for Audi

Audi has presented its A5 Sportback to the media, showing off a very nice gallery for the model that aims to be part coupé, part sedan and part station wagon. It is the third member of the A5 family after the coupé and cabriolet.

The Audi A5 Sportback will debut at the Frankfurt motor show in September, and will appear in Audi dealerships from that month, with sales already starting at 33,650 euros for the entry level version.

The A5 Sportback will be available with six different engine options, all turbo charged, ranging from 125 kW (170 hp) to 195 kW (265 hp) in power. The 2.0 TDI and 2.0 TFSI with appear with start-stop system. Transmission options include manual, multitronic or seven-speed S tronic, and all-wheel drive quattro will be available on top-end models.

Continue reading: Audi A5 sportback pricing and pics

These spy shots of the Audi A5 Sportback make me wonder if the photographer wasn’t up a tree somewhere. The shots were taken during the pre-debut photo shoot, prior to its presentation at this year’s Frankfurt motor show. The coupè-sedan looks to be an elegant, well-proportioned car.

The A5 Sportback, given its style, has dimensions slightly different to those of the A4, but we’d only be able to judge from the inside of the vehicle. The base price for the 2.0 litre TDI at 170 hp is 38,380 euros.

Continue reading: Audi A5 Sportback spy shots

Audi design head Wolfgang Egger describes the style of his latest creation, the Audi A5 Sportback, in this video. The sports sedan-coupè is ready for a successful campaign, with Egger outlining the roof line and rear spoiler of this car.

We also get some insight into the lateral design and a rear that’s sporty and elegant, with an idea of why Audi has taken to this style. Seeing it come to light on the page is really quite intriguing. See the video for more information.

Continue reading: Video: Wolfgang Egger describes Audi A5 sportback design

This reconstruction of the Audi A5 Sportback is based on recent spy shots of the A5, giving us an idea of the three-quarter view of the rear. The A5 Sportback will be the first sedan-coupè from the company and the first in its segment. It will appear above the A4 in the product listing, though will share the same platform and mechanics.

The style will be characterised by a new cut around the side of the vehicle, included in this representation. S and RS versions should also appear at some stage, and the A5 Sportback debut is set for the Frankfurt show in September.

Source | Autoblog.nl

Continue reading: Audi A5 Sportback new render