Snow-Bound Britain Cuts No Ice With Audi Quattros

MILTON KEYNES, UNITED KINGDOM – December 27, 2010: As the UK battles to keep its circulation going in freezing conditions, drivers of four-wheel-driven Audi quattro models are valuing the traction advantage they hold over other road users reliant on single axle propulsion more acutely than ever. The Vorsprung durch Technik brand offers UK motorists the widest and most diverse range of all-wheel-drive options currently available, with over 120 permutations taking in not just the rugged Q5, Q7 and allroad SUVs, but also compact hatchbacks, saloons, coupes and super cars.

In this, its 30th Anniversary year, the quattro system has been confirmed as the most successful all-wheel-drive system in the world, with well over 3.3 million cars featuring this key safety feature produced so far. Over 235,000 of these have found homes in the UK since the year 2000 alone, and quattro-equipped cars continue to account for around 30 per cent of total orders placed with Audi Centres annually.

By using propulsion from two driving axles rather than the usual one, the quattro system is able to constantly vary torque distribution in favour of the wheels offering most grip, ensuring a more progressive transfer to the road and far greater control.

Jeremy Hicks, Director of Audi UK, emphasised the accessibility and value of all-wheel-drive within the Audi range: “Audi offers quattro right from the A3 upwards, so it isn’t necessary to make the jump to an SUV to enjoy the feeling of reassurance in tricky conditions that only four-wheel-drive can truly bring. In the UK some form of precipitation falls on at least half of the days in each year on average, so although our trademark technology really comes into its own in the current extreme conditions, its benefits are considerably longer lasting.”

Audi has been an advocate of the many benefits of four-wheel-drive since the first coupe to reap its benefits made the transition from rally stage to road back in 1980. Next spring the new 155mph RS 3 Sportback compact hatchback will continue the tradition established all those years ago. Under the watchful eye of quattro this extreme performance car will make a remarkable 340PS available with typically fuss-free composure even when the going gets tough.