Sydney show: Alloy A2 advances
BY BRUCE NEWTON | 10th Oct 2001
Initially the five-door hatch will be available with a 55kW 1.4-litre petrol engine with five-speed manual transmission.
The A2's aluminium body is more than 40 per cent lighter than its conventional steel equivalent and the car weighs in at only 895kg - around 150kg lighter than similarly-sized vehicles made using traditional steel bodies.
The A2 has a highly flexible interior and a high level of safety equipment including ESP electronic stability program, driver, front passenger and side airbags. Audi's "sideguard" safety system is available as an optional extra.
The substantially revised A6 Evolution luxury sedan will be the main support for the A2 in Sydney. Launched locally in mid-November, it boasts a new engine range and exterior styling changes.
New engines includes the storming 184kW 2.7-litre bi-turbo and a 162kW 3.0-litre V6 engine. The existing 2.4-litre engine has also been developed, with Audi claiming improved fuel economy and a power increase.
The 4.2-litre quattro Tiptronic and S6 will complete the model range.
Audi will offer a choice of quattro all-wheel drive system and continuously variable automatic transmission multitronic drive options with the new A6 range.
Pricing will be announced next month.
Audi's 2000 and 2001 Le Mans winning R8, will also be shown in Sydney. The R8 Le Mans prototype (LMP) is powered by a turbo-charged V8 engine boasting 445kW and 700Nm, housed in a light, high-tech and durable carbon-fibre monocoque.
* Audi has announced the six-cylinder variants of the new generation Audi A4 will go on sale in Australia in the second quarter of 2002.
Earlier this year, Audi Australia launched the A4 with a new 2.0-litre (96 kW) engine and the 1.8-litre Turbo quattro model with 110 kW.
The new 3.0-litre engine will be added to the range in the second quarter of 2002. Two versions of this 160 kW V6 will be available including an $80,500 3.0-litre multitronic and an $84,500 3.0 quattro Tiptronic.
An Avant version of the new A4 will be available in Australia around the second or third quarter of 2002.