After being in operation for the past couple of months, the Audi Centre Setia Alam has been officially opened. The new Audi Centre in Setia Alam, Selangor is one which will cater for Audi customers located in the central region of Peninsula Malaysian. It has been designed as a 4S ( Sales, Service, Spare Parts, Body and Paint shop) centre and it is therefore a one-stop shop for all things

Audi Malaysia has officially announced the launch of the new 2019 Audi A6 for the Malaysian market. This current Audi A6 is the Eighth generation of its full-size Sedan and this time Audi states that it comes as a fully digitalised operating concept. This means that is comes with more connectivity than ever and it will be sold here in the A6 3.0 TFSI Quattro S-Tronic variant for RM589,900

We don't actually see many Audi cars on the roads of Malaysia these days, but the brand is consistently refreshing their model lineup here. This time around, the new 2019 Audi A8 L is now available here in Maalysia. This flagship model is now here and it has Audi's newest design language, systems and it is only available here in the A8 L or long wheelbase variant. It is prices from RM879,000

Audi Malaysia has launched their newest four-door coupe - the new 2019 Audi A7 Sportback. The newest Audi performance car embodies progressiveness in design and technology with its all-digital control systems, comprehensive connectivity and mild hybrid technology. Full imported from Audi's Neckarsulm plant in Germany, the car retails here at RM609,900 onwards.








The 2019 Audi A7

2008 A4 B8

2016 A4 B9


vs

If I bought a B9 after a B8...what the heck did I upgrade to? Or did I upgrade in the first place?

Audi has recently launched the A3 Sedan in Malaysia and we get two variants, one is the 1.4 TFSI and the other the sportier 1.8 TFSI Quattro. Launched in 2013, the Audi A3 sedan utilises the Volkswagen Group MQB platform first seen in the current Volkswagen Golf and then in the A3 Hatchback and Sportback variants. It is because of this basic chassis sharing that the Audi A3 Sedan is a very familiar animal to drive.



But before we get to that lets start off with the similarities between the two A3 Sedans that we can get in Malaysia. Specs for both variants are high and if you aren't paying attention, you think that you were driving the same car. You get xenon headlights and LED daytime running lights, LED tail lights, fog lights, headlight washers, anti glare rear view mirror, automatic air conditioning, 7 airbags, stability control, traction control, electronic diff lock, ABS, EBD, brake assist, immobilisers, ISOFIX, hill hold assist, Audi Drive select via MMI, Electric handbrake, light and rain sensors and some more in both variants.

What you don't get in the 1.4TFSI are anti glare on the 1.8 driver side mirror, some aluminium trim inside, a slightly different steering wheel, different design for the 17 inch wheels (of the same size tyres), keyless go and sports suspension instead of something called the 'dynamic' suspension. Things are so slight that the only difference externally are the different wheels used. You get ten spokes in the 1.8TFSI Quattro and chunky five spokes in the 1.4TFSI.

So once you get into either car, you get the same quality of any Audi. It may be smaller than the B8 Audi A4 sedan but it actually quite similar to a B5 Audi A4 from the late 1990s. Those that drove one of those would feel just at home in terms of space and size. Of course, the only difference is the design and styling of the A3 Sedan, very up to date and current. It may be a little stubby looking compared to the A4 but not by much as it is still easy to get confused as to whether you are looking at an A3 sedan or an A4 sedan. It also shows that Audi needs better designers as they all look the same from the A3 to the A8. Nice, but too similar.

As for quality, typically Audi. The interior is top notch and comparable to the ageing A4 in some aspects. It may be slightly simpler in design owing to the fact that is is entry level Audi but the materials used as well as the switchgear incorporated are of typically Audi class leading standards. It is a nice place to be inside an A3 but aside from the round air vents, you could operate the car blindfolded if you came from a Mk7 Golf as the layout is similar. Platform sharing. Makes things extremely monotonous sometimes.

Anyway, the A3 1.4 and 1.8 Quattro both look the same. I suppose what counts here is the engine (both transverse instead of longitudinally placed in bigger Audis) and drive train. The 1.4TFSI is front wheel drive. It gets a 1.4liter Four cylinder direct injection turbocharged engine that makes 122 bhp and 200Nm torque. It gets VW Group's 7 speed DSG transmission which is the latest dry clutch variant used in the current 140hp Mk7 VW Golf that we get here. It seems we got the lowest horsepower version -  most probably for reliability's sake as this makes the engine very unstressed so it probably is good for the engine's lifespan and would not overwhelm the dry clutch type dual clutch gearbox connected to it (Note ** being an Audi it will be built much better than a Volkswagen and should be very much more trouble free in my opinion.)

The 1.8TFSI Quattro gets the 1.8liter engine you see in the larger A4 but gets All Wheel Drive. 1.8liter four cylinder with 180bhp and 280Nm torque to play around with a Haldex (not like the permanently driven setup of the larger Audis as it is an on demand system no matter what Audi tells you) based transmission system running a 6 speed wet clutch type dual clutch gearbox. Much more power here.

Of course when you drive both back to back you can tell that the 1.4 is slower in acceleration and grips a tad bit less on the twisties and bends. In most fast corners the understeer sets in much earlier than the dynamic suspension equipped 1.4TFSI compared to the sports setup in the 1.8TFSI Quattro. Even though the ride height of both variants are similar, when you drive the 1.4 through a high speed corner it feels less tied down with the front tyres (225/45/17 on both variants) feeling like its folding under the car. It also has a slight twitchier tail that is more willing to wag about. Most probably due to the front buckling under the car much earlier putting more weight transfer over the front wheels thereby making the tail lighter.

And in the 1.8TFSI Quattro, due to the sportier suspension (I doubt its the all wheel drive system at work due to it being an on demand system) things feel better tied down. Most would notice that you could take a corner at least a good 10kmh faster in the 1.8 TFSI Quattro than in the front wheel driven 1.4 TFSI. This is not to say the A3 1.4TFSI isn't fun to drive. It is. It drives quite like the MK7 VW Golf 1.4TSI I tested a couple of months ago. It has about the same (quite high) grip levels and the same steering feel as that car (mainly because it has that same electro-mechanical steering system, which means that its nicely weighted but a little numb when it comes to steering feel).

On the point of power, the 1.4 TFSI with its 122bhp and 200Nm of torque isn't all that bad. Audi claims that it can do the 100kmh sprint in 9.3 seconds and have a limited top speed of 205kmh. It actually feels slightly faster to 100kmh and even though its cornering limits were lower, an experienced enough driver (or a road tester) would be able to wring out every last drop and have some fun. Everything is predictable even though it is slower than the 6.7seconds to 100kmh and 225kmh top speed (limited) A3 1.8TFSI.

The 1.8TFSI Quattro in fact feels a little saddled with the extra driveshafts and weight as whilst it states that if would get to a hundred kilos faster than its smaller engined brethren, it actually feels just as slow, or as fast. I suppose the extra grip in the sports suspension makes things calmer and since its grippier, you could be going faster than you think.

Anyway, the point is that the 1.8 is faster than the 1.4. There is however more drama in the 1.4 due to its looser chassis setup but then again, if you want to get from point A to B faster, take the 1.8 TFSI Quattro.

And aside from that, there is no actual reason to buy the 1.8 TFSI Quattro. If you aren't into barrelling down Genting every weekend or heading down South to Singapore to hit Sentosa Island or Marina Bay Sands for a game of cards, you are better off just driving the 1.4TFSI. It bloody looks the same. It is also more refined as at high speeds it does not have a throaty engine note. Above 4,000rpm, the 1.8 TFSI engine starts clearing its vocal chords a lot louder than the 1.4TFSI. The grip you get in the corners is also translated to a slightly harsher ride. Not by much and not as ridiculous as a Mercedes A250 but you know you're buying a performance oriented sedan instead of a refined entry level premium sedan.

And buying one is the issue. The 1.4 costs RM179,900 without insurance whereas the 1.8 costs RM240,888 without insurance. How much is that? RM60,000? That price could give you an Audi A4 1.8TFSI (fwd not quattro but you don't need it really) which is still the better car even though its on its last legs. Dry clutch over wet clutch DSG in the 1.4 over the 1.8? Heck, RM60,000 would get you tons of spare parts worth with change to spare IF the gearbox goes bust. Furthermore, the first few years are definitely covered under warranty if things go wrong. If you keep within the service schedule and drive within limits I don't see why the 1.4TFSI should not be your first Audi to buy. And since its a 1.4liter engine and not a 1.8 that is coupled with AWD, its gonna cost you less at the petrol pumps too.

The 1.8 TFSI Quattro isn't a bad car. Just ridiculously priced here in Malaysia in my opinion. You would still impress your office mates with a 1.4 as they wouldn't actually know it was one. Seriously folks, only a very anal Audi fan  could tell the difference. I honestly can't tell as after I drove both cars, I saw one on the street and I had to refer to my notes to tell which A3 sedan is was. It's that similar folks, so safe your money and buy the 1.4TFSI.

1.8TFSI gets a sportier three spoke steering wheel inside........

......................1.4 TFSI gets a four spoke steering wheel and a normal key to start it up instead of a button.

The latest news circulating in and around the automotive world is how Volkswagen Group intends to make electric turbochargers,variable compression ratios, cylinder deactivation (all on engines) and coasting (on the transmission) a reality. 

On variable compression ratios for the engine:
Audi Technical chief Ulrich Hackenberg gave no details on how Audi will introduce variable compression ratio technology, but what this means is that the car's engine can have a high compression ratio of a direct injected petrol engine of around 15:1 and when under high loads especially if it is turbocharged and boost is coming on drops to say 11:1. The luxury of being able to have variable compression ratio depending on the load and power demands makes this something all engineers chase after. It would be ultra efficient too.



On electrically assisted forced induction:
Much like installing a high speed electric motor to the intake of the car (like some after market products so) but this has gotten the interest of VW/Audi that allows for less heat build-up and other losses associated with conventional forced induction. The benefits is that an electric motor operated turbine can be activated from a standstill, as well as the small size may suit future small engines of two or three cylinders Of course, we've seen that even small fans turning up to 100,000rpm may not be useful when installed by after market manufacturers. It is probably achievable if a large automotive company like VW Group that does the research. They would have the funds to make it work.

On Coasting technology:
Coasting technology has significant fuel-saving potential as it frees up the transmission when not under any load, like going down hill or coming to a halt at a junction. It is planned to be fully integrated into most VW Group cars and would arrive in four stages. The first level already features on some of VW Group's DSG dual-clutch transmissions. The  next version expected to function when the car is travelling below 6.5kmh. The final one will see the transmission disengaging and the engine shutting down when cruising at speed (start-stop at speed!!!!), travelling downhill or approaching traffic lights that are about to turn red.

Now whilst all of these combined have the potential to hugely improve the real-world economy of future petrol engines, I have that worrysome feeling that VW Group may implement this sooner than it may be practical to do so (like the twin-charged supercharger/turbocharger engine and problems faced by some dry clutch DSG equipped cars) and that customers will be part test guinea pigs.

Please, please please take your sweet time VW/Audi, don't listen to those eco-mentalist lobbyists that want things to be done yesterday and not tomorrow. Aside from saving the trees, whales, gibbons, the penguins of Madagascar and the cute but not cuddly polar bears, real world consumers (and not eco-mentalists) would like to save some money in their wallets and bank accounts.