2013 Audi Q5

The 2013 Audi Q5 is one of the more carlike crossovers, with elegant execution, smart high-tech features, and very good passenger space.

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The Audi Q5 redefines the term “car-like” as used to refer to the driving characteristics of a crossover utility vehicle. Almost straddling the border between crossovers and wagons, the Q5 feels truly car-like, despite the taller roof line, extra ground clearance, and standard quattro all-wheel drive.

The Q5 wasn’t the first luxury crossover in the U.S., and it’s not the newest, but what it offers in handling, acceleration, and passenger space make it one of the top options in its size class, and even a viable alternative to those shopping for sedans and wagons like the Audi A4 or Allroad.

It’s much closer to those roots than some of its competition–the BMW X3, the Cadillac SRX, the Range Rover Evoque, the Mercedes-Benz GLK–and it shows plainly, right off the bat in styling.

The Q5 isn’t so much a downsized Q7 as it is a grown-up A4 Avant. The proportions are just about perfect, and the look is cohesive and clean, inside and out. The changes made to the A4 this year have merged onto the Q5’s front end, in the reshaped grille and in headlamps ringed in LED tubes. The cabin’s sprouted a few more buttons and a richer LCD display, but still sets a benchmark for visual simplicity–and for the synergy of styling and materials that elevates the cabin to a higher plane, especially in the layered-oak treatment we’ve seen in a few recent test cars.

For the 2013 model year, the Audi Q5 carries over its turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder, but offers as a high-output option its 272-horsepower supercharged 3.0-liter V-6 coupled to an eight-speed automatic–and introduces a new Q5 Hybrid to the mix. The hybrid blends the turbo four powertrain and eight-speed automatic with lithium-ion batteries and a 54-hp electric motor for a net of 245 hp, a 0-60 mph time of 7.1 seconds, and combined gas mileage of 26 mpg. Quattro all-wheel drive is standard with the hybrid, as it is with the other powertrains.
The 2.0-liter TFSI four-cylinder remains our pick in the lineup, for its lively acceleration and good fuel economy; the added weight from standard all-wheel drive is offset in the fuel-economy numbers by a responsive eight-speed automatic. The V-6 is quieter and about second quicker to 60 mph, but adds thousands to the Q5’s already stiff sticker price and thousands to the Q5’s already stiff sticker price and extracts a significant gas-mileage penalty. With either gas-only powertrain, the Q5 excels at in passing maneuvers, and out of corners, and it truly handles like a car, with the lean, responsive feel of a lower-riding wagon–though we’ll pass on the user-adjustable driving inputs of Drive Select, and stick with the stock suspension and steering setups.

Passengers sit relatively high in the Q5, with more than enough headroom and legroom in front, and the seats themselves are firm and adjustable to a wide range of sizes. Even in back, there’s a enough legroom for most adults, thanks to a rather long wheelbase. Cabin materials are about the best they come in this class, with a rich, unified feel throughout and nice detailing. The Q5 has excellent build quality and a tight, refined feel overall–although road noise can be an issue.

The Audi Q5 remains an IIHS Top Safety Pick for 2013, and it has one of the most complete sets of safety features in this class; rear thorax airbags, which aren’t broadly offered, are optional here. A rearview camera is available, but only in an expensive bundle of features.

The Q5 can be equipped with a wide range of features, but its base price of around $37,000 can be driven up very rapidly by checking a few option boxes. Standard equipment includes a ten-speaker sound system, heated mirrors, leather upholstery, power front seats, tri-zone climate control, Sirius satellite radio, and an SD card slot that can manage up to 32 gigabytes of music–but you’ll pay extra for Bluetooth and iPod connectivity. Premium Plus and Prestige models load on the luxuries, and a Q5 3.0T can easily top $55,000. The Q5 also now offers as optional equipment Audi Connect 3G wireless Internet service, Google Earth mapping, adaptive cruise control with full braking at speeds of up to 19 mph, and a rear-seat entertainment system.

The 2013 Audi A3

The 2013 Audi A3 ranks 6 out of 14 Upscale Small Cars. This ranking is based on our analysis of published reviews and test drives of the Audi A3, as well as reliability and safety data. The 2013 Audi A3 is ranked: #6 in Upscale Small Cars #15 in Hatchbacks Though the 2013 Audi A3 has cramped rear seats, auto reviewers still think its ample cargo space and fuel-efficient diesel engine make it one of the more versatile models in its class. The 2013 Audi A3 can come with a turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine or a turbocharged four-cylinder diesel engine. Critics find that models with the standard gasoline engine are the most enjoyable to drive, but they’re also impressed with the diesel’s fuel economy ratings of 30/42 mpg city/highway, which is significantly higher than the base model’s 21/30 mpg. Both engines have a standard six-speed manual transmission, though a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission is optional. Test drivers are satisfied with both transmissions, and say that they shift gears smoothly. They say that overall, the A3’s performance is characterized by sharp handling and comfortable ride quality. While auto reviewers say they’re impressed with the Audi A3’s conservative, attractive cabin and quality materials, they note that its optional navigation system is confusing. The A3 also lacks features that are standard on many rivals, such as Bluetooth. A USB port is not available at all. Test drivers add that the five-seat Audi A3’s passenger accommodations may not satisfy all shoppers. The rear seats are cramped for adults, though that is a common complaint among upscale small cars. The front-row seats, however, offer plenty of room, and the A3 has a lot of cargo space for the class. “Both available motors suffer from non-linear turbo-engine power delivery, and prices quickly escalate when costly options are added. Those demerits are overshadowed by this car’s virtues of a handsome cabin, excellent versatility, and high level of driving enjoyment. The diesel offers the same levels of refinement, with the added bonus of better fuel economy over the already thrifty turbocharged gasoline 4-cylinder.” — Consumer Guide (2012) “Ample cargo capacity and available all-wheel drive make the Audi A3 one of the most versatile cars on the road.” — Kelley Blue Book (2012) “A superb interior, hatchback capabilities, and lively driving dynamics won’t be compromised by the diesel engine; you’ll just go a little farther on each gallon of fuel.” — Automobile Magazine (2010) “It’s incredibly cute, fun to drive and gets great mileage, but it’s a squeeze for my family of four in a way that makes road trips seem forbidding.” — Cars.com (2010)

Video: How touch screen controls in cars should work

If you have a (relatively) new car, the center stack is probably flawed. You’d hoped for something sleek and intuitive, and instead, you wound up with Lieutenant Uhura’s computer from Star Trek: lots of bells and whistles that don’t seem to do much of anything.

This is a major problem, and solving it ranks among the biggest challenges facing today’s car companies. Our vehicles themselves may be better built than they once were, but as systems like Ford’s popular but much-loathed MyFord Touch demonstrate, our infotainment features are ready for the scrap heap.

Enter designer Matthaeus Krenn, who bemoans the fact that automakers “merely replicate old button layouts and shapes on these new, flat, glowing surfaces” littering today’s dashboards. In his notes for the video embedded above, Krenn says:

I propose a new mode that can be invoked at any time: It clears the entire screen of those tiny, intangible control elements and makes way for big, forgiving gestures that can be performed anywhere. In place of the lost tactile feedback, the interface leverages the driver’s muscle memory to ensure their ability to control crucial features without taking their eyes off the road.

Which sounds great, until you see what he’s actually proposed.

Is Krenn’s prototype beautiful? Absolutely. It looks like something out of Logan’s Run or Tron (high praise, back in the day). It would make a fantastic control panel for your in-home thermostat, lighting, and stereo.

Could it work in a car? Yes, but it would probably kill you.

We understand how Krenn’s interface works. We appreciate the way that it’s designed to be adaptive, so that it works no matter where you first touch it. Eventually, we could get used to its one-, two-, three-, four-, and five-finger controls.

But learning the system would take time, and we could envision many occasions when we meant to turn up the a/c but instead cranked up the Def Leppard. Also, we think he’s being far too optimistic when he suggest that a user could flip through her entire song catalog without glancing over at the screen.

And heaven forbid one of your parents should get a car with Krenn’s interface. You thought teaching them AOL was hard?

Most suitable car for Nigerian Roads: Lets Have your say People

Hi guys,

I have worked and lived in most Nigerian major cities- Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ibadan…. From my observation, the most popular car vehicle in nigerian roads today is 1998 Toyota Camry “Pencil”.

The question remains: What model and type of car do you consider to be the best for use on Nigerian roads?

 

1st made in Nigeria cars by Nissan to role out in April

The first set of Made in Nigeria 4×4  SUVs will be rolled out by Nissan Motors in April this year.
nissan Chief Executive Officer of Nissan Motors, Carlos Ghosn, disclosed this to President Goodluck Jonathan on the sideline of ongoing World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Ghosn, who said the vehicles would be rolled out of the old Volkswagen Assembly plant in Lagos, noted it was possible to produce two to three million cars in Nigeria annually.
According to him, this will lead to creation of thousands of direct and indirect jobs in the country.
He also told President Jonathan that Nissan intended to increase its investment in Nigeria and establish its own production plant in the country.
“We are interested in producing popular cars , totally adapted to the needs of Nigerians,” Ghosn told the President, adding that the company also planned to bring its global suppliers to make vehicle components in the country.
In his remarks, President Jonathan reiterated that the diligent implementation of the country’s new national automotive policy would rapidly develop Nigeria’s automobile industry.

Full Year 2012 Top 7 brands Ranking Table below.

Nigeria Full Year 2012:

Pos     Carmaker     2012     %     /11     2011     %     Pos
1     Toyota     19,755     40.7%     30%     15,238     29.7%     1
2     Kia     5,034     10.4%     n/a     n/a     n/a     2
3     Hyundai     4,259     8.8%     n/a     n/a     n/a     3
4     Ford     2,613     5.4%     4%     2,523     4.9%     4
5     Honda     2,473     5.1%     58%     1,562     3.0%     7
6     Mitsubishi Fuso     2,088     4.3%     10%     1,898     3.7%     5
7     Nissan     954     2.0%     -46%     1,772     3.5%     6

Source: http://www.vanguardngr.com