Top honours for Audi

A number of Audi models have once again received the highest praise from judges and the public both here and around the world in 2017.

In Australia, Audi once again accepted it authority in a number of key model classifications with vehicles from across the range winning Car of the Year awards from some of the country’s most respected automotive media outlets.

Internationally too, Audi continues to impress, with major European awards and additional ‘best car’ awards around the globe.

For the Audi A4, 2017 saw a return to the winner’s circle, or rather a successful defence of its title in the coveted carsales.com.au Car of the Year awards, once again awarded the title of Best Prestige Car under $100,000.

This marked the second time that the A4 took top honours in one of the toughest segments of the prestige market, but once again the judges felt that the A4’s combination of style, technology  and performance made it the clear winner. “Audi’s A4 is best in class not only due to its engaging drive and fuel efficiency, but also because it integrates technology and luxury in the most elegant of manners,” said the expert panel of judges from carsales.

Describing the A4 as ‘equal parts technology and elegance’, the carsales award echoed the sentiment of other panels around the world, with the A4 also taking Car of the Year wins in Singapore and Mexico as well as winning in the US with the coveted J.D. Power APEAL award (Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout) for Best Compact Premium Car’.

In Australia, the new Q5 SUV impressed carsales' judges in the SUV category over $50,000, winning out over a tough field on debut. The Q5’s combination of size, sharp new styling coupled with powerful and efficient engine combinations struck a chord with judges, farthing the class-leading reputation of the first generation Q5.

“The latest Q5 is roomy and delivers the driving position and ambience premium SUV shoppers are looking for. With its Virtual Cockpit instrumentation and Audi’s famed cabin attention to detail, there’s also wow factor aplenty.”

‘Comfort and refinement’ were the key attributes according to judges, who praised the superb fit and finish of the Q5, as well as its superior technology, including class-leading safety features and the latest incarnation of Audi’s revolutionary quattro all-wheel drive system – quattro with ultra technology.

Around the globe too, the Audi Q5 was singled out for special mention throughout 2017, most notably winning the coveted Golden Steering Wheel Award for Best Large SUV for 2017.

Presented by German magazine Auto Bild and 20 of its European sister publications and German newspaper Bild am Sonntag, the awards for 2017 saw 42 models compete in five categories for the top award, with the Q5 voted the clear winner.

Accepting the Golden Steering Wheel on behalf of Audi, Peter Mertens, AUDI AG Board Member for Technical Development said of the award: 

“The expertise and broad cross-section of opinions represented by the jury panel, as well as its renown throughout Europe, are what make the prize so coveted within our industry. The 2017 ‘Golden Steering Wheel’ for the new Audi Q5 shows we have produced a worthy successor to the successful first generation of this SUV model line. We are proud of this prize,” he said.

In addition, the Q5 also collected the Auto build Allrad reader poll award for “All-terrain vehicle and SUV from EUR 30,000 to 50,000” category in 2017.

Another leading Australian motoring outlet, drive.com.au was another to recognise Audi, awarding the Q7 SUV, its Best Luxury SUV over $80,000 award, for the third consecutive year. 

Considered amongst the most important in the country, vehicles are exhaustively tested and evaluated for performance, safety, appointment, fit and finish and and practicality.

In 2017, the Q7 3.0 TDI quattro was the defending champion and as such, represented the benchmark by which the others in the tough category were judged.

But once again, its combination of refinement, technology, superb performance and absolute luxury won out, with the Drive judges saying:

“Audi's flagship Q7 defended its Best Luxury SUV over $80,000 crown against extremely tough competition in 2017, but it continues to impress Drive's expert judges with its beautifully crafted interior, excellent road manners and its efficient yet refined and punchy turbo diesel powertrain. It's a genuine high-riding, seven-seat limousine.” 

“The Q7 just ticks all of the boxes you’d expect from a luxury SUV,” said Drive. With its generous accommodation for five adults, a superbly finished and appointed interior with class-leading finish, infotainment systems ‘in an intuitive and easy to use system’. Add to that a raft of driver assistance systems, all combined in a vehicle that continues to set the standard in the luxury SUV ranks.

‘It really is another deserving win to the Q7’.  

These national Australian awards come on top of other awards received by the Audi brand throughout the year, including recognition as overall victory in the Automotive Innovations Awards for the second consecutive year as the ‘most innovative brand’.

The Audi Q2, released in Australia at the start of the year continued it’s winning ways internationally taking out the Red Dot: Best of the Best award for its ‘superior design quality and trendsetting design’ as well as being voted the number one automotive choice by female readers of Germay’s Bild am Sonntag newspaper.

In addition, Audi’s 2.5 TFSI engine won the International Engine of the Year Award for an unprecedented eighth consecutive year. 

Most recently, AUTO ZEITUNG’s Auto Trophy awards in Europe voted the Q2 and Q7 their top awards for excellence in the ‘Best SUV up to €25,000’ and Best Luxury SUV’ respectively, as well as being awarded the coveted ‘Best design worldwide’ award.