2012 Audi A6 (0)

Audi has created an intelligent combination of various materials, rendering the body of the new Audi A6 extremely light, safe, and stiff. Thanks to its composite steel-aluminum construction, the body weighs approximately 15 percent less than a conventional steel construction, earning the sedan with the four rings a top ranking among the competition. Providing 130 kW (177 hp) of power, the Audi A6 2.0 TDI tips the scales at just 1,575 kilograms (3,472.28 lb), not including the driver.

Aluminum components make up more than 20 percent of the body. The strut mounts at the front of the car are castings; the struts in the engine compartment and the crossmembers behind the bumpers are sections made of this lightweight material. All add-on parts, such as the front fenders, the engine hood, the rear hatch and the doors, but also the bulkhead and the crossmember in the luggage compartment, are made of aluminum panels.

High-end steels also play a key role in the new Audi A6. The best of these are the hot-shaped steels, which get their extreme tensile strength from a temperature increase during the shaping process. These steels are found in some areas of the passenger cell and at its transition to the front end of the car. In many areas, tailored blanks are used. These are panels of various thicknesses that are thicker and stronger in areas subjected to higher loads.

The new Audi A6 sedan is extraordinarily quiet. Thanks to a sophisticated aeroacoustics system and extensive insulation, the noise level in the interior remains very low even at high speeds on the highway. The excellent vibrational comfort is the result of painstaking tuning of all components, systematic hydraulic damping in the axle and drivetrain bearings, and the extremely stiff body.

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2012 Toyota Yaris (0)

The Toyota Yaris Hybrid introduces the first downsizing of Toyota's HSD technology. The new powertrain has been optimised for installation within the vehicle's compact, extremely efficient packaging design, without detriment to either system quality and performance, or passenger accommodation and loadspace. The downsized full hybrid system combines a new, 1.5 litre petrol engine with a lighter, more compact electric motor, transaxle, inverter and battery pack. Total system weight is 42 kg less than that of the Auris Hybrid, making the new powertrain 20% lighter.

The 1.5 litre Atkinson Cycle petrol engine is 16.5 kg lighter and 10% shorter than the 1.8 litre unit of existing Toyota HSD powertrains. When used in combination with a cooled Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system, an Atkinson cycle engine offers significant gains in fuel efficiency and the reduction of emissions.In the Atkinson cycle, compression and expansion are asymmetrical, and the valves close late, delaying compression. This creates a high expansion ratio for less compression, converting combustion energy to engine power more effectively. Though more fuel efficient, an Atkinson cycle engine is marginally less powerful than the more common, Otto cycle unit. However, it is supported by an electric motor in Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive®, boosting total system power under acceleration.

The use of a smaller E-CVT electric continuously variable transmission and a more compact electric motor effects a 6% reduction in the length of the Yaris Hybrid's transaxle, and an 11 kg weight saving over that of the Auris Hybrid.

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