JUST as Volkswagen has its own low emission badges Bluemotion and Ford has Econetic, Audi has its low-emissions ‘ultra’ brand.

It’s a name born from the firm’s motorsport endeavours – particularly at Le Mans – where some of its cars wear the ‘ultra’ badge. But what does it actually all mean?

Well, Audi ultra is important to SME small fleet managers and company car drivers because it’s Audi’s low tax badge. And you’ll be seeing more of it.

But here’s your starting point.

Which models are available with the Audi ultra badge?

The ultra name was introduced on the A6 Saloon and Avant but it’s now available on the A4 and A5 family, too. Currently, a new 2.0 TDI engine powers every single Audi ultra model in the range.

What are the changes?

Aside from the new efficient 2.0-litre diesel engine, the changes vary by model. The Audi A6 ultra, for example, gets a new dual-clutch gearbox rather than the old CVT ‘box. The A4 and A5 are currently manual-only but all get subtle ultra badges.