HERNDON, Va., Jun 16, 2010 - Audi and Google have been named as the winners
of the "Best Embedded Telematics Navigation Product" award at the Telematics
Awards 2010. The MMI navigation system in the new Audi A8 luxury sedan is
available in selected markets with a variety of Google services and information
via the internet. These include Google Earth, which has been integrated into an
automotive navigation system as a world first.
The Telematics Awards,
which are now in their ninth year, were organized by Telematics Update and were
determined by an independent jury of experts. In the "Best Embedded Telematics
Navigation Product" category there were ten products competing for the award.
The awards were announced and presented yesterday at a ceremony in the
Ford Rouge Plant in Dearborn, Mich.
"We are very pleased to be recognized
for our joint efforts in what we believe to be the leading edge of the
infotainment arena," said Mathias Halliger, chief MMI architect, AUDI AG.
"This recognition is an excellent example of the close cooperation
between Audi and Google teams in Silicon Valley and Germany," said Daniel
Rosario, project leader, connected vehicle architecture, AUDI AG. "We are
convinced that this feature not only introduces a new, progressive experience to
our customers, but also presents a paradigm shift in this category."
The
new Audi A8, which celebrated its launch in Europe and other global markets in
the first quarter of 2010, set the bar at new heights with regard to multimedia
technology. Its multimedia interface (MMI) navigation plus features a highly
evolved operating concept incorporating a touchpad - known as MMI touch. Also
included are an integrated hard disk for navigation, phone and audio data and a
graphics processor capable of generating high-quality, three dimensional
images.
The all-new Audi A8 will arrive in U.S. showrooms by the end of
this year, with Google Earth technology available in early 2011.
First
shown as a prototype with Google in January 2006 at the Consumer Electronics
Show in Las Vegas, the online services in the new Audi A8 are the result of a
close collaboration between Audi and Google development teams
worldwide.
"We sincerely appreciate the acknowledgement from Telematic
Update and the support and partnership with Audi," said Jens Redmer, Principal,
New Business Development, Google Inc. "These products show the power of making
rich web content, particularly through Google's geographic tools, available
across more platforms. We look forward to continuing to explore ways to work
with automakers to bring more connectivity to drivers worldwide."
The A8
can retrieve up-to-date information from the internet through the rooftop
antenna via the car's own UMTS module. The user can search online with Google
Local Search for points-of-interest directly from within the MMI. The versatile
search engine accepts such free text search queries as "delicatessen" or "shoe
boutique". The results are then displayed on the onboard map or used as
destinations for route calculation.
The fast data transfer of the UMTS
module has allowed Audi to set a world first with the integration of Google
Earth in the MMI navigation plus. Google Earth imagery and a 3D terrain model
are combined with the detailed street network from the onboard navigation
database as well as calculated routes in a seamless integration of online and
offline content.
ABOUT AUDI
Audi of America, Inc. and its 272
U.S. dealers offer a full line of German-engineered luxury vehicles. AUDI AG is
among the most successful luxury automotive brands globally. During 2009 Audi
outsold all other luxury brands in Europe, while in the U.S. market Audi posted
the largest market share gain of any luxury automotive brand. Between 2010 and
2012 the Audi Group is planning to invest around ?5.5 billion, mainly in new
products, in order to sustain the Company's technological lead. Visit
www.audiusa.com or www.audiusanews.com for more information regarding Audi
vehicle and business issues.
HERNDON, Va., Jun 9, 2010 - Audi of America, Inc. today announced that the
Q5 and A4 models earned 2010 TOP SAFETY PICK ratings from the Insurance
Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
The two best-selling Audi models
join the Audi A3 in achieving the highest safety recognition granted by the
influential IIHS.
Today's news means Audi offers more vehicles with the
TOP SAFETY PICK rating than any German luxury automaker.
"Safety is a
leading criterion for customers wishing to purchase a luxury vehicle," said
Johan de Nysschen, President, Audi of America. "It is an important step that now
three Audi vehicles are designated with TOP SAFETY PICK ratings, the highest
number for a German luxury brand. In particular, the A4 and Q5 models are our
highest selling nameplates, whose value is only increased by these IIHS
results."
For the 2010 model year and beyond, IIHS included a new
rollover roof strength test. To earn TOP SAFETY PICK recognition, a vehicle must
earn the highest rating of good for roof strength in rollover crashes. To
measure roof strength, a metal plate is pushed against one corner of a vehicle's
roof at a constant speed. The maximum force sustained by the roof before 5
inches of crush is compared to the vehicle's weight to find the
strength-to-weight ratio. This is a good assessment of vehicle structural
protection in rollover crashes.
A vehicle earning a good rating can withstand
a force equal to at least 4 times the vehicle's weight. Current federal
standards require a vehicle's roof to withstand 1.5 times total weight.
TOP SAFETY PICK also recognizes the vehicles that earn the highest
rating of good for front, side, rollover, and rear crash protection, and that
have electronic stability control, which is standard on all of these models.
None of the three Audi models with the TOP SAFETY PICK rating required
any structural changes to meet the rollover testing criteria. The A3 has been on
sale in the U.S. since Spring 2005 and received interior and exterior trim
updates in Fall 2008. Its year-to-date sales are up over 100% due to the
introduction of a TDI clean diesel variant in November 2009. The current A4 was
completely redesigned with a U.S. market introduction in fall 2008, whose sporty
upgrade variant, the S4, has yet to lose a comparison test. The Q5 went on sale
in the U.S. in February 2009, quickly becoming one of the most successful
nameplates in the Audi global product portfolio.
"You can't predict what
kind of crash you're going to be in, so it's important to buy a vehicle that
will protect you in all kinds of crashes," said IIHS president Adrian Lund. "The
A3, A4, and Q5 are in an elite group of vehicles that afford the highest level
of front, side, rollover, and rear crash protection, and that have electronic
stability control to help prevent crashes from happening altogether."
ABOUT AUDI
Audi of America,
Inc. and its 272 U.S. dealers offer a full line of German-engineered luxury
vehicles. AUDI AG is among the most successful luxury automotive brands
globally. During 2009 Audi outsold all other luxury brands in Europe, while in
the U.S. market Audi posted the largest market share gain of any luxury
automotive brand. Between 2010 and 2012 the Audi Group is planning to invest
around ?5.5 billion, mainly in new products, in order to sustain the Company's
technological lead. Visit www.audiusa.com or www.audiusanews.com for more
information regarding Audi vehicle and business issues.
ABOUT
IIHS
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is an independent,
nonprofit, scientific, and educational organization dedicated to reducing the
losses - deaths, injuries, and property damage - from crashes on the nation's
highways.