1.

Company Description

1.1.Audi Compay: AUDI designs, engineers, manufactures and distributes automobiles and motorcycles. Audi oversees worldwide operations from its headquarters in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany. Audibranded vehicles are produced in seven production facilities worldwide.Audi has been a majority owned (99.55%) subsidiary of Volkswagen Group since 1966, following a phased purchase of AUDI AG's predecessor, Auto Union, from Daimler-Benz.Volkswagen relaunched the Audi brand with the 1965 introduction of the Audi F103 series. The company name is based on the surname of the founder, August Horch. "Horch", meaning "listen", becomes "Audi" when translated into Latin.

The four rings of the Audi logo each represent one of four car companies that banded together to create the company. Audi's slogan is Vorsprung durch Technik, meaning "Advancement through Technology". Recently in the United States, Audi has updated the slogan to "Truth in Engineering". Audi is part of the "German Big 3" luxury automakers, along with BMW and Mercedes-Benz, which are the three best-selling luxury automakers in the world. Originally, in 1885, automobile company Wanderer was established, later becoming a branch of Audi AG. Another company, NSU, which also later merged into Audi, was founded during this time, and later supplied the chassis for Gottlieb Daimler's four-wheeler. On 14 November 1899, August Horch (18681951) established the company A. Horch & Cie. in the Ehrenfeld district of Cologne, but because of a dispute between him and the supervisory board, he had to leave the company. In 1909, he established a second company, Horch Automobil-Werke GmbH. The first Audi automobile, the Audi Type A 10/22 hp (16 kW) SportPhaeton, was produced in 1910 in Zwickau. In 1909, Horch was forced out of the company he had founded. He then started a new company in Zwickau and continued using the Horch brand. His former partners sued him for trademark infringement, and the German Supreme Court (Reichsgericht in Berlin), finally determined that the Horch brand belonged to his former company. Since August Horch was banned from using "Horch" as a trade name in his new car business, he called a meeting with close business friends, Paul and Franz Fikentscher from Zwickau, Germany. At the apartment of Franz Fikentscher, they discussed how to come up with a new
1

name for the company. During this meeting, Franz's son was quietly studying Latin in a corner of the room. Several times he looked like he was on the verge of saying something but would just swallow his words and continue working, until he finally blurted out, "Father audiatur et altera pars... wouldn't it be a good idea to call it audi instead of horch?" "Horch!" in German means "Hark!" or "hear", which is "Audi" in the singular imperative form of "audire" "to listen" in Latin. The idea was enthusiastically accepted by everyone attending the meeting. The first Audi car, the Type B, 10/28PS was delivered early in 1910. Audi started with a 2,612 cc inline-four engine model followed by a 3,564 cc model, as well as 4,680 cc and 5,720 cc models. These cars were successful even in sporting events. The first sixcylinder model, 4,655 cc appeared in 1924. August Horch left the Audi company in 1920 for a high position at the ministry of transport, but he was still involved with Audi as a member of the board of trustees. In September 1921, Audi became the first German car manufacturer to present a production car, the Audi Type K, with left-handed drive. Left-hand drive spread and established dominance during the 1920s because it provided a better view of oncoming traffic, making overtaking safer. Model introductions: In the mid-to-late 1990s, Audi introduced new technologies including the use of aluminum construction. Produced from 1999 to 2005, the Audi A2 was a futuristic super mini, born from the Al2 concept, with many features that helped regain consumer confidence, like the aluminium space frame, which was a first in production car design. In the A2 Audi further expanded their TDI technology through the use of frugal three-cylinder engines. The A2 was extremely aerodynamic and was designed around a wind tunnel. The Audi A2 was criticised for its high price and was never really a sales success but it planted Audi as a cutting-edge manufacturer. The model, a Mercedes-Benz A-Class competitor, sold relatively well in Europe. However, the A2 was discontinued in 2005 and Audi decided not to develop an immediate replacement. The next major model change came in 1995 when the Audi A4 replaced the Audi 80. The new nomenclature scheme was applied to the Audi 100 to become the Audi A6 (with a minor facelift). This also meant the S4 became the S6 and a new S4 was introduced in the A4 body. The S2 was discontinued. The Audi Cabriolet continued on (based on the Audi 80 platform) until 1999, gaining the engine upgrades along the way. A new A3 hatchback model (sharing the Volkswagen Golf Mk4's platform) was introduced to the range in 1996, and the radical Audi TT coup and roadster were debuted in 1998 based on the same underpinnings. The engines available throughout the range were now a 1.4 L, 1.6 L and 1.8 L four-cylinder, 1.8 L four-cylinder turbo, 2.6 L and 2.8 L V6, 2.2 L turbo-charged five-cylinder and the 4.2 L V8 engine. The V6s were replaced by new 2.4 L and 2.8 L 30V V6s in 1998, with marked improvement in power, torque and smoothness. Further engines were added along the way, including a 3.7 L V8 and 6.0 L W12 engine for the A8.

Audi's sales grew strongly in the 2000s, with deliveries to customers increasing from 653,000 in 2000 to 1,003,000 in 2008. The largest sales increases came from Eastern Europe (+19.3%), Africa (+17.2%) and the Middle East (+58.5%). China in particular has become a key market, representing 108,000 out of 705,000 cars delivered in the first three quarters of 2009. One factor for its popularity in China is that Audis have become the car of choice for purchase by the Chinese government for officials, and purchases by the government are responsible for 20% of its sales in China. As of late 2009, Audi's operating profit of 1.17-billion ($1.85-billion) made it the biggest contributor to parent Volkswagen Group's nine-month operating profit of 1.5billion, while the other marques in Group such as Bentley and SEAT had suffered considerable losses. May 2011 saw record sales for Audi of America with the new Audi A7 and Audi A3 TDI Clean Diesel. In May 2012, Audi reported a 10% increase in its sales at 480 units which was 408 a year ago. Audi has 7 manufacturing plants around the world, although many sub-assemblies such as engines and transmissions are manufactured within other Volkswagen Group plants around the world. In September 2012, Audi announced the construction of its first North American manufacturing plant in Puebla, Mexico. This plant is expected to be operative in 2016 and produce the successor to the Q5.

1.2.BMW Company:

Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (English: Bavarian Motor Works), commonly known as BMW, is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1917. BMW is headquartered in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad. In 2010, the BMW group produced 1,481,253 automobiles and 112,271 motorcycles across all its brands. BMW is part of the "German Big 3" luxury automakers, along with Audi and Mercedes-Benz, which are the three best selling luxury automakers in the world. BMW was established as a business entity following a restructuring of the Rapp Motorenwerke aircraft manufacturing firm in 1917. After the end of World War I in 1918, BMW was forced to cease aircraft engine production by the terms of the Versailles Armistice Treaty.

The company consequently shifted to motorcycle production in 1923, once the restrictions of the treaty started to be lifted, followed by automobiles in 192829. The first car which BMW successfully produced and the car which launched BMW on the road to automobile production was the Dixi, it was based on the Austin 7 and licensed from the Austin Motor Company in Birmingham, England. By the year 1959, the automotive division of BMW was in financial difficulties and a shareholders meeting was held to decide whether to go into liquidation or find a way of carrying on. It was decided to carry on and to try to cash in on the current economy car boom enjoyed so successfully by some of Germany's ex-aircraft manufacturers such as Messerschmitt and Heinkel. The rights to manufacture the Italian Iso Isetta were bought; the tiny cars themselves were to be powered by a modified form of BMW's own motorcycle engine. This was moderately successful and helped the company get back on its feet. The controlling majority shareholder of the BMW Aktiengesellschaft since 1959 is the Quandt family, which owns about 46% of the stock. The rest is in public float. BMW acquired the Hans Glas company based in Dingolfing, Germany, in 1966. It was reputed that the acquisition was mainly to gain access to Glas' development of the timing belt with an overhead camshaft in automotive applications. Glas vehicles were briefly badged as BMW until the company was fully absorbed. In 1992, BMW acquired a large stake in California based industrial design studio DesignworksUSA, which they fully acquired in 1995. In 1994, BMW bought the British Rover Group (which at the time consisted of the Rover, Land Rover and MG brands as well as the rights to defunct brands including Austin and Morris), and owned it for six years. By 2000, Rover was incurring huge losses and BMW decided to sell the combine. The MG and Rover brands were sold to the Phoenix Consortium to form MG Rover, while Land Rover was taken over by Ford. BMW, meanwhile, retained the rights to build the new Mini, which was launched in 2001. In June 2012, BMW was listed as the #1 most reputable company in the world by Forbes.com. Rankings are based upon aspects such as peoples willingness to buy, recommend, work for, and invest in a company is driven 60% by their perceptions of the company and only 40% by their perceptions of their products.

In 2006, the BMW group (including Mini and Rolls-Royce) produced 1,366,838 fourwheeled vehicles, which were manufactured in five countries. In 2010, it manufactured 1,481,253 four-wheeled vehicles and 112,271 motorcycles (under both the BMW and Husqvarna brands). The BMW X3 (E83) was made by Magna Steyr, a subsidiary of Magna of Canada, in Graz, Austria under license from BMW until 2010. More than 45,973 were produced in 2009. Starting October 2010, the new BMW X3 (F25) is produced at BMW US Manufacturing Co., Greer, Spartanburg County, South Carolina, USA

It is reported that about 56% of BMW-brand vehicles produced are powered by petrol engines and the remaining 44% are powered by diesel engines. Of those petrol vehicles, about 27% are four-cylinder models and about nine percent are eight-cylinder models. BMW also has local assembly operation using complete knock down components in Thailand, Russia, Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia, and India, for 3, 5, 7 series and X3. BMW began building motorcycle engines and then motorcycles after World War I.Its motorcycle brand is now known as BMW Motorrad. Their first successful motorcycle, after the failed Helios and Flink, was the "R32" in 1923. This had a "boxer" twin engine, in which a cylinder projects into the air-flow from each side of the machine. Apart from their singlecylinder models (basically to the same pattern), all their motorcycles used this distinctive layout until the early 1980s. Many BMWs are still produced in this layout, which is designated the R Series. During the Second World War, BMW produced the BMW R75 motorcycle with a sidecar attached. Featuring a unique design copied from the Zndapp KS750, its sidecar wheel was also motor-driven. Combined with a lockable differential, this made the vehicle very capable offroad, an equivalent in many ways to the Jeep. In 1982, came the K Series, shaft drive but water-cooled and with either three or four cylinders mounted in a straight line from front to back. Shortly after, BMW also started making the chain-driven F and G series with single and parallel twin Rotax engines. In the early 1990s, BMW updated the airhead Boxer engine which became known as the oilhead. In 2002, the oilhead engine had two spark plugs per cylinder In 2004, BMW introduced the new K1200S Sports Bike which marked a departure for BMW. It features an engine producing 167 hp (125 kW), derived from the company's work with the Williams F1 team, and is lighter than previous K models. BMW introduced anti-lock brakes on production motorcycles starting in the late 1980s. The generation of anti-lock brakes available on the 2006 and later BMW motorcycles pave the way for the introduction of electronic stability control, or anti-skid technology later in the 2007 model year. BMW has been an innovator in motorcycle suspension design, taking up telescopic front suspension long before most other manufacturers. BMW Group, on 31 January 2013 announced that Pierer Industrie AG has bought Husqvarna for an undisclosed amount, which will not be revealed by either party in the future. The company is headed by Stephan pierer (CEO of KTM). Pierer Industrie AG is 51% owner of KTM and 100% owner of Husqvarna.

The 1 Series, originally launched in 2004, is BMW's smallest car. Currently available are the second generation hatchback (F20) and first generation coupe/convertible (E82/E88). The 3 Series, a compact executive car manufactured since model year 1975, is currently in its sixth generation (F30); models include the sport sedan (F30), and fourth generation station wagon (E91), and convertible (E93) and third generation coupe (E92). The 5 Series is a mid-size executive car, available in sedan (F10) and station wagon (F11) forms. The 5 Series Gran Turismo (F07), debuted in 2010, created a segment between station wagons and crossover SUV. BMW's full-size flagship executive sedan is the 7 Series. Typically, BMW introduces many of their innovations first in the 7 Series, such as the somewhat controversial iDrive system. The 7 Series Hydrogen, featuring one of the world's first hydrogen fueled internal combustion engines, is fueled by liquid hydrogen and emits only clean water vapor. The latest generation (F01) debuted in 2009. Based on the 5 Series' platform, the 6 Series is BMW's grand touring luxury sport coupe/convertible (E63/E64). A 2-seater roadster and coupe which succeeded the Z3, the Z4 (E85) has been sold since 2002. The X3 (E83), BMW's second crossover SUV (called SAV or "Sports Activity Vehicle" by BMW) debuted in 2003 and is based on the E46/16 3 Series platform. Marketed in Europe as an off-roader, it benefits from BMW's xDrive all-wheel drive system. The all-wheel drive X5 (E70) was BMW's first crossover SUV (SAV), based on the 5 series, and is a mid-size luxury SUV (SAV) sold by BMW since 2000. A 4-seat crossover SUV released by BMW in December 2007, the X6 is marketed as a "Sports Activity Coupe" (SAC) by BMW. The X1 extends the BMW Sports Activity Series model lineup.

2. Product Presentation

Audi Q7

The Audi Q7 is a full-size luxury crossover SUV unveiled in September 2005 at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Production of the Q7 began in autumn of 2005 in Bratislava, Slovakia.It is the first SUV offering from Audi and went on sale in 2006. Later, Audi's second SUV, the Q5, was unveiled as a 2009 model. Audi has since unveiled a third SUV model, the Q3, going on sale in the 3rd quarter of 2011. It shares a platform with the Volkswagen Touareg and the Porsche Cayenne. The Q7 (internally designated Typ 4L) utilizes a modified version of the Volkswagen Group PL71 platform. Previewed by the Audi Pikes Peak quattro concept car, the Q7 is designed more for on-road use, and was not meant for serious off-road use where a transfer case is needed. In an off road test through the Australian outback it fared well for a "soft roader". Although it lacks a low-range transfer case, it has quattro permanent four wheel drive system with a central differential lock, and an adjustable-height air suspension which helps in off road situations. The Q7 hybrid was a concept vehicle using the engine from the 4.2 FSI with an electric motor to provide 200 Nm extra torque, and nickel-metal hydride battery. It has 0100 km/h acceleration of 6.8s. The vehicle weighs 2,410 kg (5,300 lb), 140 kg (310 lb) heavier than the petrol counterpart. The vehicle was unveiled at the 2005 Frankfurt Motor Show. Audi reportedly was going to introduce a hybrid version of the Q7 sometime in the future. However, the low US dollar caused Audi to drop the plans for the US market, but stated limited quantities would be available for the commercial market.
7

Audi's research and development chief, Michael Dick, later announced Q7 hybrid would be produced in limited numbers for test purposes only and that development work would focus on a more advanced lithium-ion battery-based hybrid system for the Q5. Q7 V12 TDI (2008-): The engine was based on the diesel technology from Audi R10 TDI race car, but with larger displacement. The only twelve-cylinder diesel engine used in any passenger car, it was rated at 500 PS (370 kW; 490 hp) and 1,000 Nm (740 lbft). This gives the vehicle a 0100 km/h acceleration time of 5.5 seconds. The Q7 V12 TDI is, according to Audi, the best handling Q7 due to a revised suspension, tires and brakes. Audi claims the Q7 V12 TDI can handle a lateral inclination of over .9 g on a 300-foot (91 m) skid-pad. Audi had announced V12 diesel version for the US market using diesel emission treatment technology jointly developed with Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz under the label "BlueTec". Audi cancelled the plan to federalize the Q7 V12 TDI for the US market due in part to the global financial crisis of 2008. This V12 version is no longer available for the model year 2013 in anticipation of the cosmetic and mechanical update of Q7 for 2014. The auto listing websites, mobile.de and autoscout24.de, have shown the 2012 model year availability of V12 version.

BMW X5

The BMW X5 is a midsize luxury CUV (Crossover Utility Vehicle) (J-segment in Europe) produced by BMW. The first generation of the X5, with the chassis code E53, made its debut in 1999. It was BMW's first SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle), also known as "Four-by-Four" (4x4) in the UK, which featured 4WD all-wheel drive and was available with either manual or automatic transmission. In 2006 the second generation X5 was launched, known internally as the E70, featuring the torque-split capable xDrive all-wheel drive system mated to an automatic transmission, and in 2009 the X5 M performance variant was released as a 2010 model. BMW branded the X5 as a Sport Activity Vehicle (SAV) rather than an SUV, to emphasize its on-road ability despite its size. Like the Lexus RX 300, the X5 heralded the shift from light truck-based body-on-frame SUVs to crossovers underpinned by unibody car platforms that would come to fruition in the late 2000s. Among German luxury automakers, while the Mercedes-Benz M-Class had beaten the X5 to the market by a year, the X5 was the first to use a unibody chassis whereas the M-Class used a light truck platform until its second generation. While the Lexus RX is based on the Toyota Camry mass market sedan, the X5 shares its underpinnings with the BMW 5 Series performance luxury sedan. X5s are manufactured in Greer, South Carolina at the Spartanburg BMW plant and in Mexico at the BMW de Mxico Toluca plant. Since July 2009, some assembly operations are also performed in Kaliningrad, Russia by Avtotor. Starting with the X5, BMW's Sport Activity Vehicle (SAV) series has since expanded to be derivatives of other BMW number-series models, first in 2003 with the BMW X3 compact luxury crossover, and then in 2008 with the BMW X6 midsize coupe luxury crossover.

E70 Second generation (2006present): The BMW E70 is the second generation X5 Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV). It replaced the BMW X5 (E53) in November 2006. The second generation X5 features many new technological advancements including BMW's iDrive system as standard equipment and, for the first time in a BMW, an optional third row seat raising passenger capacity to seven. The branding for the X5 from late 2008 onwards follows the new BMW nomenclature scheme, for example the X5 3.0i is now called the X5 xDrive30i, and the X5 4.8i is called the X5 xDrive48i. The BMW X5 M high performance variant was introduced to the press at the New York Auto Show in April 2009, and started appearing in BMW dealerships in September 2009 as a 2010 model. Sharing the same powertrain as the BMW X6 M, the X5 M features the first M Power V-8 Turbo, 555 hp (414 kW) and 500 lbft (680 Nm) of torque, and comes with M Dynamic Performance Control for impressive handling. The X5 received a mid-generational refresh for the 2011 model year featuring new front bumper and air intakes as well as a variety of minor cosmetic changes. For the gasoline-powered X5 models, the naturally aspirated engines in the xDrive30i and xDrive48i (N52 straight-6 and N62 V8) were replaced by turbocharged engines (N55 single-turbo straight-6, N63 twin-turbo V8) and which will also be mated to 8-speed automatic transmissions,being rebadged as the xDrive35i and xDrive50i, respectively. The xDrive35d received the same exterior changes as the rest of the lineup but otherwise no other updates.

Comparison Between Audi Q7 and BMW X5:

With the introduction of the BMW X5 and Audi Q7, it is possible to get a sports utility vehicle without sacrificing luxury. Compare the BMW X5 vs. Audi Q7 to see which vehicle has the features you need. While shopping for a luxury SUV, it is important to check car rankings and read reviews so you understand the pros and cons of each model. The 2013 X5 has all the features you would expect from the German auto manufacturer. This import comes with an 8-speed shiftable automatic transmission and 3.0L Turbo engine. The X5 seats five people and has plenty of head and leg room. The X5 is also available with a 4.4L engine if you desire a more powerful vehicle. Two options are available for the interior trim, leatherette or premium leather. Color choices for the leatherette are beige or black. The leather trim has the following color options: Black Nevada Cinnamon Brown Nevada Oyster Nevada Sand Beige Nevada Tobacco Nevada

10

This model is available in the following exterior colors: Vermillion red metallic Sparkling bronze metallic Platinum gray metallic Jet black Black sapphire metallic Alpine white Deep sea blue metallic Orion silver metallic Space gray metallic Titanium silver metallic

The BMW X5 gets good fuel economy for an SUV. The buyer's guide for the X5 says it gets an estimated 16 miles per gallon in the city and 23 mpg on the highway. The advantages of the X5 include the luxurious interior, stability at high speeds and excellent handling. Critics cite the stiff standard steering and big price tag as major disadvantages. The retail price of the X5 base model is $47,500. If you want the X5 with the 4.4L engine, the price tag jumps to $64,200. When comparing the BMW X5 vs. Audi Q7, you will notice that fuel consumption is almost identical. The Q7 performs just as well as the X5 in the city, but it gets only 22 mpg on the highway compared to the X5's 23 mpg. Audi makes up for the slightly lower fuel economy with more passenger room: The Q7 seats seven people. According to the car buying guide for the Q7, this model comes standard with a 3.0L V6 engine and an 8-speed transmission. The color options for the interior leather trim are limestone, cardamom, black or espresso. The Q7 is available in the following exterior colors: Atlantis blue metallic Glacier white metallic Ice silver metallic Lava gray pearl effect Orca black metallic Mugello blue pearl effect Teak brown metallic

The retail cost of the Q7 is $48,600 for the base model. If you are comparing the BMW X5 vs. Audi Q7, it is important to consider the safety ratings of each vehicle and the available premium features. Reading owner reviews of these vehicles is also important.

11

The Q7 has a five-star consumer rating compared to the X5's three-star rating. Scanning through consumer ratings and reviews written by automotive professionals can help you avoid picking a car that does not perform as well as expected. Whether you prefer the smooth ride of the X5 or the extra passenger room of the Q7, it is important to compare these two vehicles' features before scheduling an appointment for a test drive.

12