Audi leads the pack – including in the tests conducted by “Auto Bild” magazine. The latest issue of the motoring publication lists the top 100 test cars, arranged in ten different categories. Audi is out in front wherever dynamics, driving safety and comfort are the key attributes – with two class wins for the Audi R8 V10 plus, 15 further top placings and a remarkable achievement in the noise emissions (interior acoustics) category.
The report, entitled “100 Models Put to the Test – Our Winners in All Disciplines,” was published in the 35/2016 issue of “Auto Bild”. It is based on tests conducted with around 1,200 cars. The motoring magazine lists the results for the best 100 models – ten in each of the disciplines fuel economy, turning circle, unladen weight, payload, seat height, top speed, acceleration, noise emissions, braking and flexibility/intermediate sprint. Audi put in an exceptional performance in the latter four categories, with 17 placings out of 50 cars.
In the noise emissions category – a particularly important criterion for customers – the brand with the four rings dominated the rankings by having six models included. With almost identical decibel readings, the Audi A8 4.0 TFSI* shared second place with the Audi Q7 e-tron 3.0 TDI quattro*. The Audi A4 allroad quattro 3.0 TDI* came fourth, followed by the Audi A4 3.0 TDI*, Audi A4 Avant 3.0 TDI* and Audi A6 2.0 TDI ultra* all in seventh place.
In the acceleration discipline the Audi R8 V10 plus* emerged as the winner, alongside two Porsche models – the high-performance sports car catapulted itself from 0 to 100 km/h (62.1 mph) in 2.9 seconds. Three powerful business models from Audi followed in seventh and tenth place: The Audi S8 plus* and the Audi RS 6 Avant performance* both accomplished the sprint in 3.7 seconds, with the Audi RS 7 Sportback* needing 3.8 seconds for the same exercise.
In the braking category, the Audi R8 V10 plus came fourth – it needed just 32.6 meters (107.0 ft) to reach a standstill from 100 km/h (62.1 mph). There was even a compact Audi model in seventh place: The A3 1.4 TFSI ultra* gatecrashed what is normally the preserve of classic sports cars with a figure of 33.2 meters (108.9 ft). Sportiness and driving safety are inseparably linked at Audi – including in the smaller vehicle categories.
The double category flexibility (for manual models) and intermediate sprint (for automatic versions) likewise included a compact Audi: The S1 Sportback* with manual transmission accelerated in sixth gear from 80 to 120 km/h (49.7 to 74.6 mph) in 6.7 seconds and merited fourth place. Sixth place went to the Audi TTS*, which accomplished this in 6.8 seconds. The intermediate sprint was all about covering the same speed range by kickdown. The Audi R8 V10 plus topped this category with 1.6 seconds. The Audi S8 plus achieved seventh place with 2.1 seconds; the Audi RS 6 Avant performance was right behind it with 2.2 seconds.
