Audi

One third of the three major German luxury car manufacturers, Audi differentiates itself by its long-adopted quattro all-wheel-drive. The company has a long association with rally-racing, and features turbocharging in almost all its models. Newer e-tron models are fully battery-electric, but still feature the quattro all-wheel-drive that built Audi's reputation for decades.

The four rings that form the badge every Audi wears stretch back to the 1930s, but the brand we know is far more modern. Formerly a cluster of German manufacturers known as Auto Union, Audi was bought up by Volkswagen in the 1960s, and merged with a fifth automaker, NSU. After a rather stuffily conservative period during the 1970s, Audi arrived in the 1980s with a bang and crackle of turbocharged engines, and widebody box flares. Fire up the quattro!

Every German automaker now offers some kind of all-wheel-drive in their sedans and crossovers, but Ingolstadt-based Audi was among the first. When performing winter testing of the brand's front-wheel-drive sedans, Audi engineers noticed that a modestly-powered four-wheel-drive support vehicle — a Volkswagen Iltis — was easily able to keep up. The decision was made to incorporate AWD into the Audi range, and the legend of quattro was born.

First on the scene was the Ur-Quattro, a turbocharged coupe that embodied all the squared-off excess of the 1980s. In rallying form, with the likes of Walter Rohrl or Michele Mouton at the wheel, the Ur-Quattro smashed the competition and redefined performance. BMW would have its nimble M3, and Mercedes its mighty AMG cruise missiles, but Audi's brand would from here on out be all about maximum grip. Given Canada's generally snowy winters, Audi soon gained traction here.

The initial hit came with the Audi A4, which paired turbocharging with all-wheel-drive, and quickly became the sport sedan of choice among the apres-ski crowd. Sportier S and RS models soon joined the range, first offering even more turbocharging, but soon changing to V8 power.

Older S and RS models still have a reputation as maintenance nightmares, as Audis have always been complex. When the engineering did all work, however, they were some of the coolest cars on the road. The RS2, not sold in Canada, established the ideal of the hot Audi wagon, which continues even today with the RS6 Avant.

Big fast Audi sedans were also a major player in popular culture, whether driven by Jason Statham in the Transporter movies, or as the pursuit car of choice in Ronin. Audi was quick to recognize the value of product placement, and memorably featured its Q7 crossover in the first Iron Man movie.

Today, Audi is primarily a crossover company, offering five sizes in its Q range to fit any customer. The Q3 and Q4 are aimed at urban professionals, the Q5 and Q7 are more family friendly, and the Q8 is essentially a Q7 with a bit more style. For those interested in a bit more performance, there are S models through the range, and even an RS version of the Q8.

Sports sedans are still a mainstay for Audi as well, with six models spread out between entry-level and luxury flagship. The A4 is still popular, and can be ordered as a small wagon, but the A5 has the most variety of bodystyles, from coupe to four-door hatchback. The A6 and A7 provide a little more space, and the A8 sits at the top of the range. The A3 and S3 are technically entry-level Audis, but are the most fun and nimble of the bunch.

Audi also has two battery-electric offerings in its range, with more on the way. The e-tron crossover offers Q7-sized practicality in a fully electric package, while the e-tron GT is an electrified take on a fast Audi sedan.

Rounding out the lineup are the fun little TT and mighty R8, both available as either coupe or roadster. Both of these will soon join the e-tron lineup as electrified models. The bang and crackle of turbocharged engines will be no more, but as the e-tron GT proves, the power and boxy flares are still very much part of Audi's future.