The Active Lifestyle of the Year Awards is the only competition of its kind in the U.S. that combines the opinions of automotive journalists and elite athletes.  For 2012 the Audi A7 and the Audi Q7 won their respective categories for this award.

Both Audi models were among the 32 finalists for recognition.  The Audi A7 won as the best Luxury On-Road vehicle, while the Audi Q7 won in the best Family vehicle category.

2012 Audi A7  

The competition is made up of seven categories overall with each grouping of finalists judged by a panel made up of at least 10 elite and local athletes and journalists. The juries assessed the cars in each category on overall design, engine power, fuel efficiency, and cargo capability. The goal of the panel is to reward cars best suited for the needs of an active, sports lifestyle; for example stowing bicycles, kayaks, or golf clubs.

2012 Audi Q7 

Program co-founder, Nina Russin says, the objective of the competition “is to widen the pipeline between the people who plan, design, and engineer new cars and the consumers who ultimately buy and drive them. At previous programs athletes including professional football players, elite runners, swimmers, and tri-athletes have interacted with vehicle designers and product specialists.”