We’re taking a break from all the hoopla surrounding the Frankfurt Motor Show to give some bit of good news to all Audi enthusiasts in America.
Boys and girls, the Audi A1 is headed to the US.
That news comes according to Peter Schwarzenbauer, head of Audi’s sales division. The decision to bring the A1 to the US came as a result of the company’s intent to give the MINI some stiff competition in the American market. Incidentally, MINI is owned by BMW – Audi’s local rival in Germany – so it was pretty much easy to put two and two together.
If you don’t know, Audi has set its sights on global auto domination by 2015 so its staking all efforts in ensuring that it surpasses heated rivals BMW and Mercedes in all the important global auto markets, the biggest of which, is, of course, the US.
Truth be told, Audi has a tall order in front of it if it wants to overcome Mercedes and BMW in America, especially when you consider the strong market hold BMW has in the US.
But then again, you don’t get to the top without having to work for it; so you can expect that the Audi A1 won’t be the last Audi to be released in the US in the coming future.
In a recent interview with the CEO of Audi Brussels, Dintner Alfons, he confirmed that the compact Audi A1 city car will definitely go into production this October and the three door version will be the first of the space efficient Audis to hit the market. In order to prepare for the new wave of manufacturing, Audi’s plant in Brussels is planning to hit the stop button on the assembly line and scheduled to close its doors for five days while the German automaker retools the production facility to accommodate the new vehicle which is expected to be in showrooms sometime early in 2010.
The production version of the A1 will remain close to the concepts that preceded it, like the Metroproject Quattro and the A1 Sportback Concept. The compact city car will be powered by a range of engines made up of a pair of four cylinders displacing either 1.2 or 1.4 liters that will burn both gasoline and diesel fuel, while the top of the line version will be the 200 HP S1.
Top Speed first reported that the German automaker Audi had delayed the launch of their luxury limousine and that the A8 would not be making an appearance this September at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The large parking space won’t be the only empty one at the show because the member of the VW Group just announced that the little A1 compact car is going to suffer the same fate. However there is still some good news, the A5 Sportback is still on schedule. Both the longest and smallest members of the Audi lineup will still debut before the end of the year.
Apparently the problem recent issue with the A1 has nothing to do with mechanical defects, but the dealers that will sell the 20,000 Euro city car. In an interview earlier this year with Audi of America President Johan de Nysschen, “They said: ‘This is impossible. You cannot charge this much for small cars.’ In their mind, they were thinking $18,000, because that’s the conditioning our society still has." It doesn’t look like the luxury automaker will be dropping the price anytime soon, so hopefully consumers will find value in the diminutive vehicle’s comfort and economy.
As for the new Audi A8, it is believed that the Germans will wait until the next big trend setting auto show in L.A. The luxury limousine will be powered by a few different 8 cylinder engines, two burning gasoline and the other pair running on diesel, displacing either 3.0 or 4.0 Liters. However the factor tuned S8 will have a 5.0 Liter FSI V10 under the hood, capable of making over 600 HP.
Ever since Volkswagen announced pricing for the production Blue Sport Roadster, it was only a matter of time before Audi would come up with a rendering of their own. Although this looks a bit smaller and despite being both turbo and supercharged it’s got front wheel drive. They are calling it the A1 Targa, to be sold alongside the A1 sportback, convertible and roadster.
Like all the other versions of Audi’s subcompact, the Targa will get both the 140 HP and 170 HP versions of the 1.4 Liter TSI turbo/supercharged power plants currently found in the Golf GT Sport. These unique power train combinations will use Volkswagen’s signature DSG six-speed double-clutch gearbox to drive the front wheels. The German automaker expects that TSI versions will be sales leaders because of an appealing combination of Audi refinement, Vorsprung durch Technik performance and city car economy. The four ringed automaker will offer a 150 HP 1.8 Liter turbocharged engine alongside the high performance TSI unit. For car buyers wanting to capitalize on the economical aspect of the A1, there will also be an entry-level model powered by a 1.6 Liter four cylinder engine making 102 HP and two 2.0 Liter TDI oil-burners rated at 140 HP and 170 HP.
If a German tuning firm like ABT could get their hands on one of these A1 Targas, equip it with a bigger set of wheels, widen the already pronounced fenders and add a lot more boost from both power adders; this little A1 could become a force to be reckoned with.
Although Audi was toying with the idea of bringing the A1 to the U.S., it should surprise no one that Audi has now confirmed its smallest car will stay in Europe. In an inteview with Automotive News, Audi’s global sales and marketing boss, Peter Schwarzenbauer said, "Audi is engaged in an aggressive campaign in the U.S. market to build brand awareness. Until that takes hold, Audi won’t be bringing small cars such as the A1 to the United States."
Part of this decision may also be centered in what a car the size of the A1 may do to Audi’s reputation. Small cars and luxury cars do not intersect well in the minds of Americans. If Audi were to bring something the size of the A1 to the U.S., it would not only have a hard time justifying a lofty price tag, but the A1 may also hurt its premium brand image.
Hummer who? From two importers who have been following the "bigger is better" model for the last few years comes a little redemption. Both Toyota and Audi are considering bringing their smallest models in the line-up to the U.S. market. Even if both iQ and A1 were developed with only the European market in mind, company executives are thinking that these two models might be successful in the U.S.
The A1 (see the latest A1 Sportback Concept unveiled at the Paris Auto Show) is about 10 inches shorter than Audi’s A3. Peter Schwarzenbauer, Audi’s worldwide sales and marketing boss said, "A year ago, I would have said no... I think (the market) has changed. Therefore, we definitely have to reconsider the A1."
The A1 concept is a hybrid that combines a turbocharged, 148-hp, 1.4-liter inline four-cylinder engine with an electric motor that boosts torque. While this setup may make production, it is likely that the first production A1s will use a conventional gas-only setup if it appears in the U.S.
Foreign automakers may still be a little weary about sales of small cars in the U.S. Although Americans are becoming more conscious about fuel efficiency, it is a big risk to spend the money to send low-profit small cars to a country where they have historically sold poorly. Both Audi and Toyota have not made any final decisions about their small cars future.
At the Paris Auto Show Audi unveiled the A1 Sportback, the last concept version before the A1 production version that will be revealed in 2009. The difference is not down to the two extra doors alone: the styling of the fivedoor concept vehicle is a consistent development of the three-door study, the Audi A1 project quattro from the year 2007. Surfaces and lines are distinctly tauter and more masculine.
Under the hood Audi placed a 1.4-litre TFSI engine developing 150 hp, whose power is directed to the front wheels by means of the S tronic dual-clutch transmission. A 27 hp electric motor integrated in the drive train is able to deliver up to an additional 110.63 lb-ft of torque when the vehicle is accelerating.
Despite its sporty performance, with acceleration of 0 to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in 7.9 seconds and a top speed of 200 km/h (124.27 mph), the Audi A1 Sportback concept requires only 3.9 liters of premium fuel per 100 km (60.31 US mpg); CO2 emissions are an efficient 92 g/km (148.06 g/mile)
Press release after the jump.
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At the Paris Auto Show Audi will get a step closer to the production version of the A1 hatchback with the unveiling of the A1 Sportback Concept. The Concept is an evolution of the A1 Metroproject Quattro Concept that was unveiled in Tokyo last year.
Under the hood Audi placed a 150hp 1.4-liter TFSI engine which is combined with a 20Kw (27hp) hybrid unit. The engine is mated to a dual-clutch S-Tronic gearbox.
The A1 Sportback Concept makes the 0 to 60 mph sprint in just 7.9 seconds, while the fuel consumption is just 3.9 liters per 100km. Although Audi has announced that they are looking at the A1 in North America, it is unlikely to come here and cannibalize the already small sales of the A3.
The Pairs Motor Show begins this weekend, so more details will follow soon.
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The first glimpse of the 2010 Audi A1 was given at last year’s Tokyo Auto Show with the 3door A1 Metroproject quattro concept. Before we’ll have the chance to see the production version, Audi will also unveil a 5door concept version at the Paris Auto Show. Carscoop reports that the Paris Show concept car will be closer to the production version than the A1 shown in Tokyo.
Audi A1 will go on sale in 2009. It will be built on VW group’s new MQB modular architecture for small and mid-sized cars with transverse engines.
According to AutoExpress the future A1 Cabriolet will look exactly like this when will make its official debut at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. When will go on sale next year, its biggest competitor will be Mini.
Under the hood of the future A1 Cabriolet, Audi will offer both 140bhp and 170bhp 1.4 TSI turbo and supercharged units currently found in the Golf GT Sport. These will use a six-speed double-clutch gearbox powering the front wheels.
TSI versions are set to be sales leaders, due to their appealing combination of refinement, performance and economy. A 150bhp 1.8 turbo engine will line up alongside the clever TSI unit, and the range will also include an entry-level 1.6 with 102bhp. Two 2.0-litre TDI oil-burners will feature, rated at 140bhp and 170bhp.
The S1 version will be powered by the same engine as the 261bhp S3 when it arrives in 2011.
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