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Audi is introducing new filters for its air conditioning systems in time for peak hay fever season this summer. The new filters, which will be fitted to the A1, the A3, Q3, TT and the upcoming Q2 (which arrives on the Irish market in November) use three layers to capture and eliminate allergens in the air before they get into the cabin. To get technical, there are actually two versions of the filters - one uses a plant-derived polyphenol to capture allergens as they pass through the filter, the other uses a modified protein structure to do the same job. Both filters have been approved by testing agencies; SGS Fresenius, which investigates the allergenic properties, and Fiatec GmbH, which tests the filter properties.
Audi says that the multi-layered filters also clean the air of other nasties before they get inside, including particulates and unpleasant gases, thanks to an activated carbon layer.
Production and installation of the new filters starts in June.