2019 Audi RS 3 Sportback [render]

Audi will launch an all-new A3 Sportback in 2019, and this model鈥檚 range will include an S variant and an RS variant. The third generation Audi A3 hatchback was available in 3-door and 5-door (Sportback), and its RS variant was exclusive to the 5-door (Sportback) version. Audi stopped producing the 3-door version last year citing a significant decline in demand. The next-gen Audi RS 3 Sportback rendering borrows cues from the latest Audi A1 Sportback and Audi Q3. It features a more angular hexagonal Singleframe inspired by that of the A1 Sportback, sharper, wedge-shaped headlamps with LED DRLs in a pattern reminiscent of the Q3, reshaped side air vents and revised lower air intake. The current Audi RS 3 Sportback employs the 2.5-litre TFSI turbocharged five-cylinder petrol engine that produces 400 PS and 480 Nm of torque. The 7-speed S tronic DCT and the quattro permanent AWD system work together to send power to the wheels. Audi claims a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of 4.1 seconds and a top speed of 280 km/h. The next-gen Audi RS 3 Sportback is said to get an uprated version of the 2.5-litre TFSI engine, but that鈥檚 about what is known of this car.

995 destination and delivery charge. 600 less than the starting price of the current CLA, which will soon be replaced by a new model. 32,500, buyers can enjoy this base model with the advanced MBUX multimedia system which premiered last year. This new system includes Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, a 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster and a 7.0-inch touchscreen multimedia display. The A 220 also comes standard with a Panorama roof, 17-inch wheels, and LED headlights and taillights. The second A-Class Sedan model bound for U.S. A 220 4MATIC. As the name implies, this variant is virtually identical to the A 220 but incorporates an all-wheel drive system. Both the A 220 and A 220 4MATIC models come with safety features like Active Brake Assist, Crosswind Assist, and adaptive braking technology that includes a Hill Start Assist and HOLD function. Active Distance Assist Distronic with Route-Based Speed Adaptation, Active Steering Assist, and other driver assistance technologies are optional extras. According to some reports, the U.S. 鈥檛 receive any A-Class hatchback models but could get future A35 AMG and A45 AMG Sedan models. 32,500 in the U.S. BMW doesn鈥檛 offer a direct rival (yet) to these two.

From its roots as a provider of graphics processing power for video games, Nvidia has risen to become one of the most important Silicon Valley companies developing technology for self-driving vehicles. This was underscored recently when the company announced further collaborations with two major OEMs鈥擵olvo and Volkswagen鈥攁nd top global automotive supplier ZF. Together, the announcements signal that automakers are using Nvidia鈥檚 technology for a broad range of autonomous systems, some of which are tilting from research-and-development projects into firm production plans. Chief among them: Volvo will use Nvidia鈥檚 Drive PX computing platform, pictured above, to develop advanced software and artificial-intelligence applications for autonomous vehicles. The announcements come at a time when competitors such as Intel are investing billions in self-driving technology and the race to provide chips, platforms, and artificial intelligence is ramping up. Tesla Motors was the first to use the Drive PX in production vehicles, and Nvidia has a long-standing relationship with Audi.

More recently, it has inked deals with Toyota, Mercedes-Benz, and global supplier Bosch. 鈥淥n the platform side, Nvidia is clearly dominating in the development and early-implementation phases of autonomous vehicles based on the announcements that have come so far,鈥?says Mike Ramsey, research director at Gartner, a global technology consulting company. At Volvo, Nvidia will be developing both hardware and software while working with the Swedish automaker鈥檚 top supplier, Autoliv, as well as Zenuity, a new subsidiary of both companies formed earlier this year to focus on software development. Some of the work will remain proprietary to Volvo, while in some cases, Autoliv will be free to market products to other automakers. 鈥淭his is significant, because a lot of the development work we鈥檙e doing can be leveraged by other automakers,鈥?said Danny Shapiro, senior director of Nvidia鈥檚 automotive business unit. Look no further than ZF, which also announced a deal with German lighting and sensor component supplier Hella. The companies plan to work together on camera and radar ventures that could help OEMs meet upcoming European New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) standards being developed for the mass deployment of semi-autonomous and autonomous vehicles.

Nvidia is now a piece of that puzzle. Drive PX will underpin the efforts of ZF and Hella to create artificial-intelligence software that optimizes camera and radar data for autonomous or semi-autonomous functions. Stefan Sommer, CEO of ZF Group, says perfecting the combination of that artificial-intelligence information with mechanical systems is vital. 鈥淲e need to be a systems supplier, and we need to understand the whole system to understand the functionalities of the future and see business models that we can sell with software solutions,鈥?Sommer said. With Volkswagen, the fruits of Nvidia鈥檚 collaboration are a bit further down the road. The two companies are working at VW鈥檚 Silicon Valley Data Lab to explore how vehicular information stored in data centers can be gleaned for insights, such as how traffic flow can be improved in particular cities. They鈥檙e using artificial intelligence in data centers instead of in the cars themselves, but in many ways, Nvidia鈥檚 Shapiro said, that鈥檚 just as important.