Audi rolls out 6m Quattro off assembly plant
The six-millionth Audi with quattro drive rolled off the production line at the Ingolstadt plant last week, about one and a half years after the five-millionth quattro. To this end, Audi will deliver the Audi SQ5 3.0 TDI Quattro jubilee car in monsoon gray metallic, to a family in the United States.
This new production record demonstrates the global success of Audi quattro. Since the original quattro, the first Audi with permanent all-wheel drive in the year 1980, the automaker said the technology has conquered the roads of the world. With approximately 170 versions, the brand with the four rings offers the biggest selection of all-wheel drive vehicles amongst the premium manufacturers.
“Dynamism and sportiness, the utmost technical precision and safety – that’s what Audi’s quattro technology stands for. More than 30 years ago, it was recognised as a pioneering accomplishment; today, it is synonymous with technical progress,” states Hubert Waltl, board of management member for production at Audi AG.
Last February, Audi celebrated its five-millionth car with permanent all-wheel drive. After just one and a half years, the company has reached the six-million mark. “Six million times Audi quattro drive – that’s an outstanding performance.30 years of quattro success are a credit to our motivated production team, which consistently and efficiently implements the Audi production system.
“Our colleagues’ expertise in the field of all-wheel drive is impressive; it demonstrates our ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’ and thus makes an important contribution to the brand’s image,” says Peter Mosch, chairman of Audi’s General Works Council. “Without our qualified and flexible team, this milestone would not have been possible in such a short time,” he added.
In 2013, Audi produced a total of 710,095 automobiles with quattro drive. At the two German sites in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm, a total of about 2,000 Audi models with all-wheel drive roll off the production lines every day. Permanent all-wheel drive convinces customers worldwide. 44 percent of all Audi customers decided in favour of a quattro model in 2013.
No other premium manufacturer sells more cars with all-wheel drive. The best-selling model was the Q5, followed by A4. Audi’s all-wheel drive is in particularly strong demand in the United States, Canada, Russia and the Middle East. Audi models with quattro are in high demand also in Germany: In the first half of the year, the company produced approximately 61,150 quattro drive models for the German market.
With approximately 170 quattro-model versions – including the different body shapes, engines and transmissions, it offers the biggest selection of all-wheel drive cars amongst the premium brands. The technology is available across all model series. The Q7, R8, A4 and A6 all road, and all S and RS models are only available with quattro drive.
In 1980, the four rings presented quattro drive for the first time at the Geneva Motor Show in the legendary original quattro. That model, which was actually planned for production in a small series, stayed in the product range until 1991. Since then, it has continuously developed its quattro drive system.
MIKE OCHONMA