The Audi stall at Geneva is grabbing eyeballs by the dozen and rightly so. The German manufacturer is launching six new production models alongside a showcase of the Avant Concept. These will include four new models of the 2nd generation R8 – R8 V10, R8 V10 plus, R8 Le Mans, and the hybrid R8 e-tron. The Q7 Quattro e-tron and RS 3 Sportback also broke cover at the event.
The 2nd generation of the mid-engined R8 sports car will now belt out 610 PS in its top-end version. The e-tron plug-in hybrid variant of the sports car puts out 496 PS and a colossal 920 Nm of torque. 0-100 km/h is achieved in 3.2 seconds and top speed stands at a whopping 330 km/h. The car features a new battery pack that offers more juice with a range of 450 km – That’s twice as much as the previous version. The Le Mans version is developed in line with the GT3 regulations that will be effective from 2016 and despite significant leaps in performance, the car retains most of the components from the outgoing version.
The other prominent launch at the event was the Q7, which is now available in the Quattro hybrid e-tron version which makes it the first plug-in hybrid within the Q series. All-electric range stands at 56 km thanks to the lithium-ion battery pack and 1,410 km in tandem with the six-cylinder diesel engine. In spite of its intimidating performance figures, the Q7 claims a fuel efficiency of 58 km to the litre.
The RS3 Sportback is powered by the 2.5-litre TFSI engine that puts out 367 PS of power and clocks the triple digit mark in 4.3 seconds. Top whack stands a 280 km/h. Changes include a seven-speed S tronic gearbox that shifts faster through the cogs.
The Avant concept is a five-door luxury sedan that uses the same powertrain as the Q7 e-tron. This hybrid powertrain mates the 3.0-litre six-cylinder TDI diesel engine with the electric motor and gets the car to 100km/h in 5.1 seconds from standstill.
Of the six production models, the R8 V10, R8 V10 plus and the Q7 could possibly arrive on Indian shores, and if and when they do, you can bet we’ll get our hands on them.
Story: Aniruddha Mulgund
