Hyundai Elantra Launch Review
The new Elantra is at the large end of the small sedan market. The Hyundai Elantra will make its first public appearance at the 2011 ...
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American Honda Civic Sedan spied for the first tim...
The spies caught the next-generation European Honda Civic 5-door testing near the Nurburgring. This time the sedan version which is slated for the American market ...
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Jaguar to preview 2012 XK with Paris concept
According to a recent report, Jaguar will use the Paris Motor Show to introduce a brand new judgment that previews a 2012 XK.
This XK coupe ...
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Audi Downsizes
Audi's fourth-generation A8 may well have been the last new Audi that is substantially bigger than the model it replaces. Sources in Ingolstadt suggest the ...
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Audi Downsizes
Audi’s fourth-generation A8 may well have been the last new Audi that is substantially bigger than the model it replaces. Sources in Ingolstadt suggest the next-gen Q7, due 2013, will be a smaller, less aggressively styled SUV.
While Mercedes plans to extend the wheelbase of the next GL to make even more room for a full-size third row of seats, Audi is toying with the idea to offer two distinctly different Q7 body styles: an XXL seven-seater for China, the Middle East, and North America and a relatively compact five-seater for Europe and the rest of the world. But as Q7 sales have dropped sharply in the course of 2009, Audi is carefully weighing the options.
According to the Ingolstadt grapevine, the most pragmatic solution may be to restyle the vehicle on the existing matrix and to cut its lifecycle to four years, bringing the Q7′s development cadence back in line with that of Porsche Cayenne and VW Touareg. However using the high-strength steel platform would reduce the Q7′s weight by a maximum of 550 pounds, which may not be enough to improved fuel efficiency.
An all-new aluminum space frame architecture could be up to 1100 pounds lighter, but would be significantly more costly to execute initially. Derived from Audi’s passenger car-biased MLB components set, an aluminum space frame would allow Audi to offer a high-end four-cylinder engine in the Q7.
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