New Audi teaches you to save fuel

It's not a hybrid or an electric car -- indeed, it looks like a regular sedan -- but it may well be one of the most advanced eco vehicles on Aussie roads yet.

Audi has released a car that is so intelligent it will tell the driver when to close the windows to save fuel, and when is the ideal moment to change gears -- all so it can eek the most out of a tank of fuel.

The diesel-powered Audi A4 TDIe (to give its proper name) sips just 4.8L/100km -- just 0.4L/100km more than the previous generation Prius -- and is the most efficient vehicle in its class. In addition to the super-frugal engine, low friction tyres and a flat underbody skin to help the car slip through the air more efficiently, a display next to the speedometer tells the driver which of life's luxuries is using the most fuel.

In one example, if the car senses that the windows are down while the air-conditioning is on, it will remind the driver to raise the windows if the cabin temperature isn't cooling as quickly as it should be.

"If the air-conditioning compressor has to work harder to keep the cabin cool when the windows are down, then the car will alert the driver automatically," says Immo Buschmann, general manager of marketing, Audi Australia.

"The driver can of course ignore it, but at least they know what is costing them fuel."

In other examples, if you've left the rear window demister on, the car will remind you to switch that off, too, as it saps energy. If the passenger air vent is open -- but the car knows there is no-one in the front passenger seat because the pressure switch in the seat is not engaged and the seatbelt is not in use -- the car will remind you to close off that air vent.

All you need to do after that is drive, but this car will even help you get better at that, too, thanks to a warning light that tells the driver the ideal time to change gears.

The company claims that 30 per cent of excess fuel consumption is down to driver behaviour.

"If we can teach the driver to drive more smoothly by changing gears at exactly the right time, then they will get much better economy," he says.

The A4 TDIe is also one of a growing number of cars with auto stop-start technology. That is, in traffic, when the car is stopped, the engine switches off. It switches on instantly when the clutch pedal is pressed and the driver is ready to go again.

"When you combine all these technical elements, you can create a very low consumption vehicle," he says. "This car proves you don't have to drive a hybrid to be super-economical."

There are a few downsides to the A4 TDIe, however. For now, it is only available with manual transmission (all hybrids are automatic) and the starting price with a modest amount of options is north of $50,000.

Nevertheless, Audi expects the vehicle may appeal to Prius customers "looking for something different".

"Our car is bigger than a Prius, sportier than a Prius and, I think at least, looks better than a Prius," says Buschmann.

But the Audi won't likely outsell the Prius. The company expects to sell just 150 cars locally each year -- about the same number of Priuses Toyota Australia sells in a month.

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