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Audi Press Releases

Audi and Google are winning combination at Telematics Awards 2010

- Recognition for "Best Embedded Telematics Navigation Product"
- Audi A8 navigation system available with Google functionality
- Integration of Google Earth is a world first

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.





Top-selling Audi A4 and Q5 models earn Insurance Institute TOP SAFETY PICK rating

- Audi now has the most TOP SAFETY PICK ratings among German luxury automakers
- Stringent new rollover roof strength test added for 2010 by Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
- No structural changes needed for A3, A4, and Q5 models to be rated with the new TOP SAFETY PICK rollover testing criteria

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.