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Strategic Vision 2010 Total Quality Index? awards top honors to Audi A5/S5, Audi Q5 and Audi Q7

HERNDON, Va., July 29, 2010 - The Audi A5/S5 coupe, the Audi Q5 crossover and Audi Q7 rank at the top of the premium coupe and luxury Crossover / SUV categories in the newly released Strategic Vision Inc. 2010 Total Quality Index. The Audi Q5 and the Audi Q7 are the only two sport-utility vehicles Audi offers. The news comes on the heels of Audi earning top marks earlier this month for the Audi Q5 and Audi Q7 in their luxury Crossover / SUV segments from J.D. Power and Associates Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout Study (APEAL) study.

The annual Total Quality Index measures the total ownership experience offered by individual models. Buyers are asked to rate all aspects of the ownership experience from buying and owning, to performing and driving. The 2010 Total Quality experience was calculated from 29,037 buyers who bought 2010 models in September to December 2009.

The high performance Audi A5/S5 product line quickly has become an icon for Audi customers because of its striking exterior design and overall performance. The luxury sport coupe combines innovative styling and superb driving dynamics. The Audi A5 and S5 are available as a coupe or cabriolet models.

The Audi Q5 combines the dynamism of a sports sedan with an impressively versatile interior and a wide range of practical features for leisure and family use. Powerful, efficient engines, quattro permanent all-wheel drive and an agile suspension layout form an impressive technological package for on-road and off-road use. The sportiest SUV in its class, it is dynamic, multifunctional and comfortable.

The Audi Q7 is the luxury SUV for sporty individualists - people who are seeking a vehicle that will take them anywhere they want to go for sports, recreation, and business. It is available with a gasoline engine and the popular Audi TDI® clean diesel technology. With a standard third row on all models, the Q7 can accommodate up to seven passengers.

For the full Strategic Vision press release on the 2010 Total Quality Index®, please visit: http://www.strategicvision.com

ABOUT AUDI

Audi of America, Inc. and its 272 U.S. dealers offer a full line of German-engineered luxury vehicles. AUDI AG is among the most successful luxury automotive brands globally. During 2009 Audi outsold all other luxury brands in Europe, while in the U.S. market Audi posted the largest market share gain of any luxury automotive brand. Over the next few years, AUDI AG expects to spend nearly $2 billion annually on new products and technology. Visit www.audiusa.com or www.audiusanews.com for more information regarding Audi vehicle and business issues.

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CEO says Audi 'definitely' will be world's No. 1 premium automaker

Douglas A. Bolduc
Automotive News Europe | June 23, 2010 06:01 CET

Audi is on a roll. It has passed Mercedes-Benz to become No. 2 in global premium car sales and predicts its operating profit will exceed its revenues this year. If the new A1 entry-premium car is as successful as early orders indicate, BMW may be bumped from its place as the world's top-selling premium brand -- a goal that Audi plans to reach by 2015. CEO Rupert Stadler says Audi will someday be the world's No. 1 premium brand, but refuses to get caught up in the excitement of it happening ahead of schedule. He says Audi is reaching new heights because of its growing portfolio of successful products, its leadership in the world's largest market and its strengthening position in the U.S. market. Stadler spoke about Audi's recent success and revealed how he plans to keep the momentum moving forward during an interview earlier this month with Automotive News Europe Correspondent Douglas A. Bolduc.

With the way that you are growing it is not out of the question that you will be the No. 1 premium carmaker by the end of this year. Would you agree?

Let's not get ahead of ourselves. We have a long-term target and we are working very hard to achieve that. Maybe we can achieve one or another sub target a little bit earlier but the most important thing is the brand building process -- the recognition of the brand in the market. This has to be done right and it is only done by offering substance. To do this, a lot of money needs to be invested in the right way. This is what we are doing.

If you don't end the year No. 1 in premium sales that's OK, right?

Our target is to become the leading premium brand in the world. It won't happen in 2010. It won't happen in 2011. But it will definitely happen.

Don't you think that becoming No. 1 in sales could happen even faster because of the launch of the new A1?

That is one part of strategic planning. We are the first company in the premium world to really offer a small premium car: something that offers premium in a new way. And we will be successful. I believe in that. The car is pretty nice and pretty good. And it is well received in the market; we feel that from our dealers. They are absolutely happy with that.

What have been the key events that have led to Audi's success over the past year?

I think that we have to be proud of all the new models we've launched during the last 12 months. We are talking about the Audi A1, which will be launched in the summer, the all-new Audi A8, and the A4 with the 2.0-liter TDI engine that produces 119 grams per kilometer of CO2 and the A3 that produces 99g/km. We also have to mention the Audi e-tron concept that we showed in Frankfurt last year. With this high-performance sports car Audi demonstrated that electric drive is not only a dream, it will be the future. By 2020, 3 percent of our car parc could be electric drive. And if we look back to the first four or five months, we achieved new global sales records. We've sold more than 450,000 cars so far, which is an increase of more than 20 percent compared with last year. As markets continue to positively develop, we forecast that we will not only increase our operating profit but will also break through the 1 million-unit barrier for sales to customers.

Audi has been a key contributor to parent Volkswagen AG's success over the past few years especially financially. Is that something you're quite proud of?

Of course, we should be proud. If there is one brilliant daughter within the Volkswagen group it is Audi. We are proud to contribute to such a large group.

Has your decision to push so strongly into China made Audi a stronger competitor against your German rivals?

Sometimes you have to be a pioneer. We were often told that we are behind BMW and Mercedes in the United States. Twenty years ago we started our operations in China and today we enjoy the benefits of that. We are good joint venture partners. The business success we have had proves that we were right (to invest) at that time.

Would you be having this much overall success had you not invested so much China the last 20 years?

In 2009, we delivered nearly 159,000 cars to customers in China. Based on current conditions we estimate that this year we will increase our sales to 200,000 units. So Audi will expand its commitment in international markets. In 2009 we added a new production plant in China. We intend to focus our activities there. When it came to new products, innovative technologies, and sales and marketing we invested during the economic crisis in 2009 when others hit the brakes. We continue to move forward.

I'd also like to mention our Super Bowl ad. That helped improve our image in the United States. We try to focus on all sides of the business and we will continue to do this.

Do you have any tangible evidence that your Super Bowl ad helped improve sales in the United States?

I'm not quite sure if our 30 percent increase in sales is directly related to our Super Bowl ad. The main reason that Audi is improving is because of our pioneering diesel technology. We decided to go with the diesel to the United States. We launched that very successfully with the Q7. With the A3 diesel we are offering the greenest car and cleanest car in the world. So we are quite happy. I would say that our strategy is mainly focused on product. And product pays back.

Don't you think that in order to really be taken seriously in the United States you need to build there?

Just look at how the brand is performing in all the key metrics. We are absolutely on the right track. We have excellent relations with their dealer body. They are very happy about the high quality and reliability of our cars. They are also happy about the design and the appearance of our cars. You can see that based on the more than 30 percent increase in sales in the first five months. We are still hard workers. We will continue to do that in the United States.

This also is not a euro-dollar currency issue in the United States. Even in difficult times with the euro-dollar exchange rate we pushed the quality of our business in the US because we believe in that market.

Audi has high expectations for the A1 small premium car that launches in Europe later this year.

How has the global financial crisis forced you to change your business philosophy and perhaps made you a better CEO?

One of the keys during the economic crisis was to focus on strategic investments. A lot of brands hit the brakes. But we said that the key to future success was an attractive model range so we invested heavily in new technologies and product. This is one of the reasons that we are able to launch the Audi A1 now and the Audi A7 later this year. The product portfolio will continue to grow. Probably next year you'll see the all-new Q3. We didn't stop. We tried to make sure everything would continue, even during difficult times.

This is your 20th year with Volkswagen group. Most of those years have been with Audi. What are some of the most courageous decisions made during your time at Audi?

Launching the R8 -- the R8 was really a big symbol for our organization and it required a lot of courage from the entrepreneurial point of view to do that. The other was the introduction of the turbodiesel into our racecar for the 24 hours of Le Mans. These have been the most significant decisions because they brought unexpected levels of success. You have to believe in success.

ENLARGE

Audi CEO Stadler: "We invested during the crisis when others hit the brakes."

PRINTED FROM: http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100623/ANE/100619876/1131&template=printart

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2010 Audi Q7: Car Seat Check

May 20 2010 by Jennifer Newman

Here at MotherProof.com, we love Audi's Latch anchors. We're so impressed by them that we bestowed Audi with a 2010 MotherProof.com Award in the Best Latch Connectors category. Audi's Latch anchors are easy to find and have plastic covers that pop right off. The 2010 Audi Q7 has a whopping four sets of Latch anchors. Any parent can appreciate that; I certainly did when installing child-safety seats in the Audi Q7.

Our test car had seating for seven, with a three-seat bench in the second row and a two-seat bench in the third row.

For the Car Seat Check, we use a rear-facing infant-safety seat, a convertible child-safety seat and a high-back booster seat, all made by Graco. The front seats are adjusted to a comfortable position for a 6-foot driver and a 5-foot-8 passenger. The child seats are installed in the second row and, if available, third row. The booster seat sits behind the driver's seat, and the infant seat and convertible seats are installed behind the passenger seat.

Here's how the 2010 Q7 scored in MotherProof.com's Car Seat Check:

Latch system: There are four - four! - sets of Latch anchors, with two sets in the outboard seats in the second row and two more sets in the third row. The Q7 has three tether anchors at the base of the second row's seatbacks. It can be difficult to reach the tether anchor in this position. If the third row is folded down and the second row, which slides forward and back, is pushed all the way back, it can be difficult to locate these anchors. The two tether anchors for the third row are in the cargo floor.

Booster seat: In the second row, the high-back booster fits well, but the seat belt receptors are recessed deeply into the seat cushions. This could impede kids who are trying to buckle up by themselves. In the third row, the head restraints push the back of the booster seat forward, making for an uncomfortable seating position.

Convertible child-safety seat: The second row slides forward and back, which offers a lot of flexibility when installing all child-safety seats. It was a breeze to install both a rear- and forward-facing convertible seat.

Rear-facing infant-safety seat: The sliding second row saves the day again. A rear-facing infant seat fit easily in the second row.

Do two car seats fit? Yes, two car seats fit in both the second and third rows.

Do three car seats fit? Yes, three car seats fit in the second row, but not in the third.

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Audi Corporate Design wins second gold

Audi has won gold in the coveted "Corporate Design Award". This is a pleasing endorsement, as the brand's refined visual identity had already received an award from the German Designer Club. And Audi also chose the perfect time to unveil its new identity: 2009, the year of the brand's 100th anniversary.

"Audi has made enormous progress over the past few years," explained Sven Schuwirth, Head of Brand and Sales Development at AUDI AG. "This is due in no small part to our high design standards, which are of course also reflected in brand communications." The new visual identity reinforces the brand message: "Vorsprung durch Technik is the leitmotif for our corporate design, too."

In terms of color, the refined brand identity is dominated by aluminum silver. This is a color that represents Audi's core competence of lightweight design more than any other. And there is also a new typeface, created by the typographers Paul van der Laan and Pieter van Rosmalen, whose "Audi Type" was the winner of an international competition.

The four rings remain the central element of the brand identity, but their design is now more modern and more precise. They can also be seen on the radiator grille and the rear of all new Audi models.

Two agencies contributed to the new brand identity: Mutabor Design from Hamburg developed the corporate design for advertising, the TV ending, literature and picture style. MetaDesign from Berlin designed the basic elements: the logo and colors.

This is the 13th time that the "Corporate Design Award" has been presented.

39 projects were nominated, with only six receiving gold. A panel of experts from agencies, design offices, media and science honors outstanding launch or relaunch projects every year.

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2010 Audi Q7: Car Seat Check: May 20 2010 by Jennifer Newman Here at MotherProof.com, we love Audi's Latch anchors. We're so impressed ...
Audi Corporate Design wins second gold: Audi has won gold in the coveted "Corporate Design Award". This is a pleasing endorsement, as the brand's ...