Audi has become the focal point brand of Volkswagen in the United States. The company has a stated goal of overcoming BMW and Mercedes in the market for luxury automobiles. Now Audi is considering taking aim at an entirely different part of the market in America - the sporty subcompact.
Ask any American about the cars offered by Audi and they'll bring up the series of sedans starting with the A4. This raises the rather logical question of why Audi started the models at A4? What about A1, 2 and 3? Well, there is actually a legitimate answer. Audi actually made an A2 model that was released in Europe for a number of years. It was tiny, but not exactly appealing from a visual standpoint. It was never released in the United States because the company didn't think there was a viable market. The Mini Cooper proved that wrong.
The A1 has long been a car on the design table, but never in the showroom. No longer. It is set to go to production in 2010. The car is considered an "adult" Mini Cooper. It is roughly the same size, but has more of the rounded off styling features found on the A4. The primary design difference is the A1 is a hatchback that has a passing resemblance not to a Mini Cooper, but to a MazdaSpeed 3.
The car is going to be built in Brussels, Belgium. Current design specifications call for a host of engine options including normally aspirated, turbo and diesel options. Launch date is currently set for March 2010.
So, can Audi challenge the Mini Cooper in the sport subcompact market? It is difficult to say. Audi is coming very late to the party. Not only does it have to deal with the Mini Cooper, but a host of other great small cars offered by Subaru, Mazda and the like. Audi will definitely make its mark, but there is nothing about the engine offering of the A1 that suggests it will offer better performance than anything currently on the market. With nothing to set it above the competition, it is hard to see Audi winning this battle.
Ask any American about the cars offered by Audi and they'll bring up the series of sedans starting with the A4. This raises the rather logical question of why Audi started the models at A4? What about A1, 2 and 3? Well, there is actually a legitimate answer. Audi actually made an A2 model that was released in Europe for a number of years. It was tiny, but not exactly appealing from a visual standpoint. It was never released in the United States because the company didn't think there was a viable market. The Mini Cooper proved that wrong.
The A1 has long been a car on the design table, but never in the showroom. No longer. It is set to go to production in 2010. The car is considered an "adult" Mini Cooper. It is roughly the same size, but has more of the rounded off styling features found on the A4. The primary design difference is the A1 is a hatchback that has a passing resemblance not to a Mini Cooper, but to a MazdaSpeed 3.
The car is going to be built in Brussels, Belgium. Current design specifications call for a host of engine options including normally aspirated, turbo and diesel options. Launch date is currently set for March 2010.
So, can Audi challenge the Mini Cooper in the sport subcompact market? It is difficult to say. Audi is coming very late to the party. Not only does it have to deal with the Mini Cooper, but a host of other great small cars offered by Subaru, Mazda and the like. Audi will definitely make its mark, but there is nothing about the engine offering of the A1 that suggests it will offer better performance than anything currently on the market. With nothing to set it above the competition, it is hard to see Audi winning this battle.
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