New Audi green car

Take a look at the smallest, most beautifully formed Audi ever. The German firm is planning a new city car – and it will be based on VW’s ultra-economical micro-machine, the up! It will share nearly all its underpinnings with the VW, while maintaining the badge appeal and executive air that buyers have come to expect from the four-ringed brand. It has come to light that the platform will be shared with the up! – which will also spawn a raft of other models from fellow VW Group brands Skoda and SEAT.

Audi’s new car will rival top-end versions of the Ford Ka and Fiat 500. As you can see from our pictures, the model adds a distinctive body to the chassis of the up!, with a gaping grille, neat headlamps, beefy wheelarches and a sculpted rear end. But the most innovative move – and potentially the model’s biggest selling point – is the choice of ultra-economical powerplants. Engineers at the VW Group are working on a pair of 600cc two-cylinder turbocharged units – one diesel and one petrol.

Fuel economy is predicted around 95mpg, with super-clean CO2 emissions of less than 100g/km – meaning the Audi won’t cost a penny in road tax under current rules. The company is also toying with the idea of introducing a 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine. Yet near-100mpg fuel returns are clearly not enough – as an electric powertrain is also under development. Details are sketchy at the moment, but ultra-low running costs and emissions are guaranteed.

In addition, Audi has hinted that an eco-minded replacement for the A2 could be on the way. Rupert Stadler, chairman of the manufacturer’s board of management, told us: “We have intentionally left a gap between the A3 and forthcoming A1. Although it’s too premature to talk about the car that will fill it – as it needs time – the A2 had a certain type of DNA with its aluminium body, and this should be respected. But electric drive is a must.”

So, a more modern and straightforward front-engined, front-wheel-drive layout is likely to be adopted. The up! is due on sale in 2010, with its Audi sister model following in 2012

© Source: autoexpress
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