In 2010, the year that Audi celebrated the 30th anniversary of the quattro, it sold an impressive 437,792 quattro-equipped cars, or about 38 percent of its total production. The brand with the four rings said it sells more all-wheel drive vehicles than any other premium manufacturer in the world.
The most popular all-wheel drive Audi was the Q5 compact SUV, with 155,025 sales. The German company will soon add a hybrid version to the Q5 range, while a smaller SUV, the Q3, is due to be launched next month at the Shanghai Auto Show.
Aside from the Q5 and Q7 SUVs, the quattro system was also a popular choice among other models, ranging from the A3 to the A8. According to Audi, almost a quarter of all “A” series model sales in 2010 were vehicles equipped with four-wheel-drive,
“Quattro is one of the Audi brand’s greatest success stories, and today we are writing what may well be its most exciting chapter,” says Peter Schwarzenbauer, Audi board of management member. “As we move down the road toward electric mobility, we see entirely new possibilities for Quattro technology. The electric quattro of the future will be even more agile, safer and – above all – more efficient,” adds the executive.
Audi offers more than 130 quattro model variants if you take into account the different body types, engines and transmission options. The most advanced version of the quattro system, available in the RS5, A7 Sportback and the new A6, features a crown-gear center differential and torque vectoring.
By Dan Mihalascu
