Innovation: the shape of the future
Updated: 2011-04-20 07:56
By Xu Xiao (China Daily)
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With an unprecedented, new product portfolio at the 2011 Shanghai auto show, Audi, a luxurious auto leader, hopes to give the public a peak at its solution to future vehicles.
The Audi Q3, a five-door, premium compact SUV, is having its debut at the auto show, along with the A1, A7 Sportback and Q5 hybrid quattro, and the A, Q and R Series close to 20 models.
"No matter whether it is a new car model or updated version, Audi has been a great success around the world, thanks to its charm, cutting-edge technology, and quality," said Dominique Boesch, president of FAW-VW Audi sales division.
"FAW-VW Audi has always been a pioneer in China in the premium segment," Boesch noted.
Over the past decade, Audi's portfolio has been enlarged on a constant basis and has the A, Q SUV, and R racing car series.
The Q3 model is pitched at the premium compact SUV segment, and is looking for a considerable market share.
The Q3's original concept model, the Cross Coupe quattro, made its debut at the 12th Shanghai auto show, in 2007, as the first premium compact SUV example, a breakthrough in imagination. Four years later, Q3, which made the design notion of the Cross Coupe quattro into reality, also had its first show in Shanghai, exemplifying Audi's accurate judge of China's premium car market.
In this way, Audi became the world's first luxury car brand that had both a concept car and a mass production model debuting in China.
At the 2011 Shanghai auto show, Audi has also its China debut of A1 and the A7 Sportback. And the Audi A3 e-tron concept, its fifth e-tron model, also had its first show in Shanghai.
The first e-tron model appeared in 2009, and each model has been equipped with new electric drive technology, to meet the unique demands of the future.
Audi has applied hybrid power technology, too, with the Q5 hybrid quattro making its Asia debut at the 2011 Shanghai auto show.
This is the brand's first official mass-produced hybrid model, and is a showcase of innovation and technology. It will be available overseas before it enters the China market in 2012.
"We will show the public the charm of our slogan, 'Vorsprung durch Technik', (or 'technological innovation shapes the future'), with the strong portfolio and commitment to the future," said Zhang Xiaojun, executive vice president of FAW-VW Audi sales division.
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