A new revolution in automotive technology? Audi's new A3 technology preview

The new generation Audi A3 will be officially released at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. What new things will this new car, which is the first to fully adopt the MQB platform technology, bring to us? Compared with the technology used in previous Volkswagen-Audi models, what are its highlights worth mentioning? Below we will provide you with an exclusive analysis.

What is MQB?

MQB is the latest modular platform for transverse engines of Volkswagen Group (Modular Querbaukasten) , referred to as MQB. It will replace the current PQ25, PQ35 and PQ46 platforms. This modular platform will be widely used in the four brands of Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda and Seat, and produce four levels of models from A00, A0, A to B.

The development of the MQB platform draws on the research and development results of several new platforms of the Volkswagen Group, such as Audi's MLB longitudinal engine modular platform and Porsche's MSB modular standard platform. The launch of the MQB platform has also become a turning point in the development and manufacturing model of transverse engine models. MQB standardizes a large number of automotive parts, allowing them to be shared among different brands and different levels of models. Therefore, the application of this technology will greatly reduce the development cost, cycle and manufacturing cost of the model.

On the other hand, the application of the MQB platform will also change the traditional concept of automobile production lines. With the help of the new platform, Volkswagen and Audi will only need to distinguish between two different product lines, MQB and MLB, in the future, which will greatly enhance Volkswagen's flexibility in vehicle production and production line flexibility. In the foreseeable future, even two models with obvious differences in appearance and performance, such as Audi TT and Golf, can be easily produced on the same line with the help of modular platform technology.

● Family characteristics are more distinct

Since the models under the MQB platform have adopted a modular concept from the beginning of their design, the models of the same brand that also use the MQB model will also reflect a more distinct family style in terms of exterior and interior design styles. In layman's terms, whether it is Volkswagen, Audi or Skoda (SEAT may be slightly better due to its sports and personality route), as long as it is under the MQB model in the future, they will all be German-style "nesting dolls" of varying sizes.

"It is not difficult to see from the appearance of Volkswagen's current North American version of the car that Volkswagen's product style is now very similar."

In the case of the A3, it can be seen that the front face of the new A3 is very similar to that of the Q3, the new A6 (the A6 is based on the longitudinal MLB platform, but many designs are also very similar), and the flying wing headlights and inverted trapezoidal front grille are common to these new models, and the appearance of LED daytime running lights is not just a need to "distinguish models" as Audi designers say, but also better highlights the texture. The relatively slender taillights are also reflected in these new cars, making this family feature very prominent.

"The front face of the new A3 is very similar to the new A6 (left), Q3 (right) and other models."

"The taillight styling of these new Audi cars is also quite similar."

In fact, the differences between future MQB platform models will mainly focus on wheelbase, suspension selection, tuning, powertrain, transmission mode (two-wheel drive/four-wheel drive), etc. Behind these differences, about 60% of the parts can be shared by all MQB platform models as common parts. Although this greatly reduces the cost of the product and increases the competitive advantage, it may also face the problem of product homogeneity. Especially in terms of body appearance and interior, the models lose their individuality, just like they are carved out of the same mold... I really don't know what other car designers will think when the streets are full of large, medium and small Passats.

Editor's opinion:

Perhaps the two cars produced on the MQB platform, the Octavia and the Sagitar, are identical in powertrain, suspension structure, and interior components except for their respective family-style front faces. I wonder if you would care about this homogenized and boring design. Of course, price is often more important. If the models produced on the MQB platform have great advantages in price or configuration, then the models positioned in the ordinary home field will still sell well. After all, for models at this price, price and configuration are still a very sensitive and important factor that determines whether consumers buy them. However, for models like the Audi A3, which do not focus on cost-effectiveness but take sports and personality as market entry points, this may not be a good thing.

● Lightweight has a secret

In order to improve the vehicle's economy and power performance, the new MQB platform has also made great efforts in lightweighting. Not only does it widely use lighter aluminum alloy materials in the body and suspension, but it also replaces the previous design idea of ​​only strengthening the material itself by strengthening the structural design. According to Volkswagen's official information, the lightweight technology of the MQB platform can reduce the weight of the floor by about 18 kilograms, and the weight of the whole vehicle can be reduced by more than 40 kilograms , which is still very significant for ordinary civilian cars.

"The body materials of the current overseas A6, including the green, red and light blue parts, are all made of aluminum. The A3 does not rule out the possibility of using a large number of aluminum parts in the body."

Some netizens may think that "lightweight" is an excuse to cut corners when it comes to materials. However, from our previous disassembly of the bodies of Audi's current A3 and A1, we can see that these two small cars are indeed unambiguous in the materials used. Based on this, it can be inferred that the new generation A3 will also achieve lightweight while ensuring strength.

Editor's opinion:

Since Audi has already used a lot of aluminum materials in its A6, A8 and other models, and there was also a precedent of the A2 using an all-aluminum body, it is not impossible for the MQB platform to be lightweight on the A3, and it is not impossible to use a lot of aluminum parts. Considering the cost control of the MQB platform, I believe that aluminum parts will not raise the price of the A3. The only thing to worry about is the new trouble of maintenance. At the same time, due to the high positioning of the Audi brand, at least on the new A3, there is no need to worry about using lightweight interfaces to save some things that should have existed like the current domestic POLO.

● The new EA211 engine is introduced, with technical improvements but no breakthroughs

One of the important features of the MQB platform is that all engines will use the same support position, and the modular gasoline engine system (MOB) and modular diesel engine system (MDB) will play an important role in the MQB platform. The power output of the newly developed EA211 series gasoline engine ranges from 60 horsepower (40 kW) to 150 horsepower (110 kW). At the same time, the first mass-produced new 1.4ST engine will also introduce ACT variable displacement technology, making it the world's first four-cylinder engine with such technology.

『EA211 series engine』

The EA211's 4-cylinder engine has ACT variable cylinder (cylinder deactivation) technology, which is activated when the engine speed is between 1250rpm-4000rpm and the torque output is between 25-100N·m. After the cylinder deactivation function is activated, the engine can move the camshaft to make the two middle cylinders inactive, reducing fuel consumption at low speeds, and reducing fuel consumption by up to 20%.

"The two red cylinders in the middle are inoperative when the cylinder passivation is activated."

The new diesel engine series, codenamed EA288, has a peak horsepower output ranging from 90 hp (66 kW) to 190 hp (140 kW). The use of the new engine has reduced the number of Volkswagen engines and transmissions under the MQB platform by about 90%, and according to Volkswagen, this change has not brought any negative effects. At the same time, in addition to traditional internal combustion engines, the MQB platform can also be equipped with a variety of new power systems, such as natural gas power, hybrid power and pure electric zero-emission power systems.

However, through comparing some of the EA211 engine details we currently have with the previously disassembled EA111 series 1.4TSI engine structure, we found that the new EA211 engine still continues the mature design of the EA111 series in many structures, but also has some changes. From a technical point of view, there is a certain improvement, but there is no qualitative breakthrough.

Editor's opinion:

From the current A3 power configuration, the 1.4TSI engine in the domestically produced EA211 series gasoline engine is the key power of the A3 in the Chinese market in the future. We can ignore the diesel engine and hybrid power system in the Chinese market in the short term. EA211 has made many technical optimizations, such as the all-aluminum cylinder block, and the economy has also been improved. It can be said that it is still worth looking forward to. In addition, for the ACT variable cylinder design of small-displacement engines, we are also very concerned about how Volkswagen solves the vibration, fatigue and other problems of inline engines in the dual-cylinder working mode.

● Richer configuration, safety and human-computer interaction are the highlights

In addition to the improvement in body structure and power, MQB also creates conditions for the application of new technologies, with the focus on safety technology and human-machine interaction technology. In terms of safety technology, MQB will have active occupant protection, ACC adaptive cruise control, lane departure and other safety systems, and the latest developed multi-collision automatic braking system (Multicollision Brake) is the most eye-catching. This system can reduce the damage caused by secondary collisions by automatically applying brakes after the first collision. The overseas versions of Audi A3 and Golf 2012 models will have this system as standard equipment .

Golf A7 renderings, it will also come standard with a multi-collision automatic braking system

For other brands of anti-collision systems, please click on the picture to view:

"Safety equipment such as ACC adaptive cruise control and lane departure on Volkswagen CC will also appear on the new A3."

In terms of human-machine interaction system, Audi will also equip the new A3 with a human-machine interaction system that is easier to operate and more user-friendly. "The combination of German engineering and Silicon Valley technology" may be the best interpretation of Audi's new human-machine interaction system. The core of this system is a 1.2G dual-core processor (it is expected to be upgraded to a 1.4G quad-core processor in 2012). This T20 processor is paired with a high-speed graphics card and has multimedia capabilities that traditional models did not have in the past. Audi A3 will become the first model that can display three-dimensional images on the car. At that time, whether it is multimedia playback or navigation, the passengers on the car can see much richer information from various angles.

"The new human-computer interaction system is also the focus of the new A3 experience in the future, and we are very much looking forward to it."

At the same time, the new human-machine interaction system will also rely on the new progress of electronic technology, and will make a leap forward compared with current models in terms of touch control, LCD display, head-up display, etc. For example, the new head-up display can display three-dimensional road information in navigation mode. When the vehicle approaches a fork in the road, the three-dimensional transparent indicator arrow will be enlarged. When the distance reaches 10 meters, the simulated intersection can even be enlarged to the real size, which is undoubtedly a great blessing for those drivers who are "road-shy".

Editor's opinion:

The rich configuration that the new A3 is expected to obtain from the MQB platform also makes it easy to see Volkswagen's market strategy for future new cars - that is, to reduce costs while maintaining the existing price system through high configuration, from the CC equipped with an adaptive cruise system to the Tuozhuang equipped with automatic parking for less than 200,000 yuan, we can already see some clues. As a new car under the Audi brand with a higher positioning, the A3 will follow the route and positioning of this boutique small car, so the new A3 will definitely not disappoint consumers in terms of configuration, and of course the price will naturally not be low.

summary:

As the first model born from the MQB platform, the new generation A3 has many remarkable features. Whether it is the body, power, or electronic equipment, it has many features that previous models of this level did not have. However, from a technical point of view, just like the concept of platformization that Volkswagen initially introduced, it can only be regarded as inheriting a lot of innovations, and it is far from a revolutionary breakthrough.