Audi: Quality as the basis for success

GermanCarFans put together a series of their latest articles about Audi's electronics. There are 10 articles so far, no. 3 is about "quality as the basis for success".

Only if innovations are of a high quality when they come to market will customers remain delighted with their brand in the long term.

The familiar core skills in technical development at Audi have previously comprised quattro permanent four-wheel drive, TDI engines, and the aluminium-built Audi Space Frame ASF, and Audi design. A new discipline can now be added to this list: its electronics expertise, which has brought innovations such as the Audi MMI (Multi Media Interface) operating concept, the cornering light system Audi adaptive light, adaptive cruise control (ACC) and the electronic parking brake onto the market. Almost all assembly groups in an Audi A8 or A6 incorporate electronic sensors or actuators. In modern cars, the electronics constitute the domain where all functions intersect, making them the definitive interface.

The satisfying outcome of this intensive in-depth work, comprising a wide range of intensive tests, stands up to scrutiny:
In the 2004 ADAC breakdown statistics, Audi secured top spot in three out of five vehicle categories. The number of breakdowns due to problems with the electronics was reduced by more than half between 2001 and 2004, even though many electronic innovations were simultaneously introduced. During the same period, the number of faults attributable to the electrics/electronics was cut by 39 percent.

Source: GermanCarFans

Labels: Audi