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AUTO
be sporting even numbers (4, 6, 8) while combustion engine models are odd numbers (3, 5, 7).
The core collection of A5 and A6 e-tron are all-new, too. After seeing them at an early sneak peek in Munich, we came away feeling like Audi is back on point. In contrast to the brand’s extensive lineup of electric SUVs and the low-slung e-tron GT, the new A6 e-tron is the firm’s first “traditional” electric sedan, and yet it’s anything but. Avant-garde styling grants the A6 e-tron an astonishingly low drag coefficient of 0.21 (low drag equates to more driving range). It’s built on the EV-specific PPE platform, which accommodates a huge floor-mounted 100 kWh battery. The result? The A6 e-tron will offer ultra-fast charging and boast a mile-crushing driving range of more than 750 kilometres on some models.
Clever solutions abound. A spacious 27 litre frunk (front trunk!) can be opened by waving your hand above the logo on the hood. While at the rear, an illuminated beam pinpoints the spot to waggle your foot to activate the rear power lift-gate, helping you avoid dancing around aimlessly like Elaine in Seinfeld.
Meanwhile, Audi has completely rethought the A5. Built on the new PPC combustion-engine platform, North American buyers will get A5 and S5 Sportback sedans while Avant wagons will stay in the European zone where they dominate the market.
The styling of the new A5 is significantly more muscular than the outgoing design. Rounded, Quattro-inspired bulges over the wheels complement an aggressive front redesign with a new Audi headlight layout.
Inside, a whole new design language has permeated the cabins of both vehicles. A curved OLED display area appears to float off the dashboard with a fabric-covered shelf below. Audi says the interior design was inspired by the glass cockpit in a modern jet. In a further nod to aviation tech, a large, smart-glass roof will have variable opacity, much the same way windows on a Boeing Dreamliner are shaded without a physical screen.
Expect to see Audi’s new core collection of A5 and A6 e-tron in showrooms next year and watch out for what Audi does next. If these new models are any indication — and they are — Audi has just begun shaking up its lineup.
CORE COLLECTION
AUDI IS SHAKING THINGS UP, STARTING WITH THE ALL-NEW A5 AND A6 E-TRON
By Rod Cleaver
IN THE SAME WAY A SOLID T-SHIRT AND PANTS ARE THE
core of any wardrobe, mid-size sedans are the core of any German luxury automaker’s lineup. This is the bread and butter, and if they can’t get this right then they’re in trouble. On the other hand, if they smash it out of the park, then it bodes well for the rest of the collection.
Audi is evolving its core collection, which foreshadows big changes coming to the brand. For starters, the naming scheme is being overhauled. Going forward, the all-electric e-tron models will
88 SEPTEMBER 2024
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