No stop start but Audi launches eco attack on LCT

Audi Australia has passed over the opportunity to launch its latest stop-start and fuel saving technology Down Under, but will nonetheless launch an impressive 'attack' on the Luxury Car Tax thanks to a swag of sub 7L/100km models.

The up and coming German luxury brand will launch new auto stop-start technology in selected models of its A5 cabriolet range and roll it into the A5 coupe and mass market A4 sedan in the coming months in Europe. Fitted to the marque's 2.0 TFSI and 2.0 TDI models, the feature is claimed to trim 0.2L/100km from the cars' combined cycle fuel consumption under European testing regimes.

In city driving the saving can be as high as 1/5L/100km, says Audi.

The new auto stop start functionality arrives under the maker's Modular Efficiency Concept. The engineering mantra covers a range of detailed improvements that will eventually be able to be applied to all Audi models. Stop-start joins other features such as energy "recuperation" via smart generators (which charge the battery BMW-style when the engine is on overrun or during braking and limits generator load at start-up or when idling) and on-demand power steering in the most frugal A5 models

The stop start system works automatically when the car stops and is placed in neutral. A hill holder function is automatically actuated on significant slopes. When the driver depresses the clutch again to select first, the engine automatically restarts.
Along with the stop-start system Audi will also roll out the next generation of driver information systems in the A5 and its stablemates. Lumped under the whacky 'Driver Information System with Efficiency Program' moniker by the carmaker, the system not only prompts the driver to select the appropriate gear for driving conditions, but also coaches his or her driving style and alerts them to the fuel economy consequences of other systems within the car.

The Efficiency Program (EP) presents its messages in the normal central 'data' field on the instrument panel and features an innovative gearshift indicator that uses different sizes and colored graphics to "prominently indicate when it makes sense to change gears".

As large electrical current consumers such as heated seats or even rear window demisters can 'cost' up to 1L/100km, the system alerts the driver of their effect, giving the driver the option of turning them off. The EP will even suggest the driver close the windows if the aircon is in use.

The hiccup for frugal thinking Aussies is the fact the systems are currently only fitted to manual variants of the TFSI and TDI 2.0-litre A5.

In the case of the new cabriolet, Audi will only offer the S tronic dual-clutch model Down Under (more here). The potential is there, however, for the system to come Down Under via an updated version of the manual 2.0 TFSI quattro sedan Audi Australia has recently added to the A4 line-up.

Audi claims it has reduced the average European fleet fuel economy of its A4 and A6 ranges by 13 and 15 per cent respectively in the last year. Locally, the maker will roll out an impressive range of improved economy models in the next 12 months and claims that by the end of 2009 will have 29 sub-7.0L/100km models on sale.

That mark is important Down Under as vehicles with fuel economy of less than 7.0L/100km benefit from a higher LCT threshold. Indeed, up to a retail price of $75,000 such vehicles are LCT exempt.

Audi will roll out a number of both petrol and diesel powered models across its A3, A4, A6 and Q5 ranges over the coming months that will benefit from the tax break.