REPORT: Audi A1 production to start in October after Frankfurt debut
Audi Metroproject quattro concept - click above for high-res image gallery
A report out of Belgium is saying that Audi will begin series production of its new A1 mini-car in October following a public debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in October. Since 2007, we've seen two concept versions of the A1 in three- and five-door variants. The three-door is expected to launch first. Both cars will be built at the Brussels, Belgium factory that Audi took over from parent Volkswagen last year. The factory will be shut down in August for a five week period to re-tool for the new car. The Brussels plant currently builds the VW Polo and Audi A3. When production of the A1 starts, Polo production will end at the Belgian plant. In typical Volkswagen/Audi fashion, the A1 will have an array of gas and diesel engines. Given that the A1 is something of a competitor to the MINI, an S1 may join the fray as well to challenge the John Cooper Works edition. Unfortunately, at this time it looks like the U.S. will again be left out of the fun. Surprise.
Gallery: Audi Metroproject quattro concept
Gallery: Audi A1 Sportback concept
[Source: lesoir.be]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Win39 12:22PM (7/19/2009)
Stunning piece of updated semiretro Bauhaus design. So what is the real deal here about shutting the US out of so many pieces of Euro design? It seems to me that something like a Mini disproves that it is not profitable to sell such designs here. Well, I hope Fiat establishes a market here that others will be scrambling to compete with.
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Mark 12:36PM (7/19/2009)
There is the impression here in Europe that the American market is only for SUVs, light trucks and large sedans. Frankly I don't know why companies like Audi and VW don't ship a few thousand small cars over and try and sell them to see if they are liked, and then start selling big time. I imagine there are 1000s of ex GM dealer who would like to sell them?
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Swede 2:34PM (7/19/2009)
Unfortunately for the americans who do want this car, the focus groups does not. And while it may be prejudiced to say that americans only buy large thirsty polluting and generally useless pickups, it's true. Just look at the sales numbers. Or GM's attempt to introduce the Astra. I think the Fiesta will be the same, lauded before release, then bashed for not having cupholders / too small cupholders / not enough cupholders / too little power etc etc.
win39 5:10PM (7/19/2009)
I have to argue with Swede a little bit. The Fiesta in the UK built with right hand drive sells, as near as I can find on the internet, 4000 cars and last I heard that outsold every other model in that market. The pricey MINI in the US sells 4000 cars per month. The US is a huge market and just because the bulk of the market are heavy vehicles it does not mean there is not a good market for small cars. The problem for the most part is marketing here associates small with cheap and no features. There are huge volumes sold of slightly higher quality smaller Civics, Corollas, Fits, Yaris, and Versa. Civic and Corolla are in the top ten selling models and sold 700 thousand between them in 2008. That is almost 60,000 cars a month, 15 times as much as that best selling Fiesta in the UK with the costly low volume right hand drive modifications.
Most people buy the higher priced models for the better interior features. Hard to believe that that is not seen as a big market especially when a lot of people are settling for something they don't exactly want.
A lot of people ignore small cars because they want a really nice interior. I think that a lot of people who bought 4 cylinder Accords would have been even happier in a Civic sized car with a more upmarket Accord interior. The biggest mistake I think Honda made was to discontinue the Acura RSX. You see lots of them on the road, fewer than the Civic SI cars that they thought would take their place. It just shows, I think that people like small cars, but they want nicer one, not necessarily a faster one.
The problem with the Astra is that no one knew what it was because GM is selling trucks. I am more car savvy than any of my friends and I had to look it up. All the Saturn ads I have seen in the last 4 or 5 years are SUV ads. Of course the Astra failed along with Saturn. People assumed that the sedans were the same noisy, rough noncompetitive cars that Saturns have been in the past and while annual owner get togethers appeal to some, it is not enough to make a successful car division evidently.
nrb 12:48AM (7/20/2009)
"And while it may be prejudiced to say that americans only buy large thirsty polluting and generally useless pickups, it's true."
When gas prices went up, so did the sales of economy cars like the Ford Focus. The public reacts to the demands placed on it. Americans are no different than anyone else.
Remember when gas was inexpensive in Europe? Remember where Land Rover, Mercedes, Bugatti, Rolls Royce, Bentley, Maybach and other wildly impractical vehicles came from? If you look at history, Europe beats the US on "large thirsty polluting and generally useless" vehicles.
"Or GM's attempt to introduce the Astra."
The Astra was a nice little car, but it didn't have all that much going for it. The Euro design of a hatch isn't all that practical. The swooping down of the rear significantly reduces cargo room. The Astra also had a very small cargo opening. Why buy a hatch if it doesn't serve the purpose well? In addition, the car's power/mpg ratio didn't do well against economy cars.
The real problem with the Astra was that GM listened to enthusiasts. They wanted a nice driving, euro style vehicle. Great, but that's a pretty small audience (which didn't step up). When buying a small car, the American public wants practicality. The Astra didn't deliver.
"I think the Fiesta will be the same, lauded before release, then bashed for not having cupholders / too small cupholders / not enough cupholders / too little power etc etc."
It's hard to know how the Fiesta will do. If it does fail, it won't be for the reasons you suggest. As much as you would like to believe otherwise, people do have a clue.
nrb 12:50AM (7/20/2009)
Getting back to the Audi A1: That's one ugly car.
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Lorena Palin 11:57AM (7/20/2009)
I like it. It's not doing the whole "Fake Retro" thing like the mini does that just screams "mid life crisis, but I'm too green to get a Porsche...even though I really want one"
Personally I'd like the US to lower it's safety standards. Now, cars that were less safe would have to be clearly marked as such, and in showrooms the safety results would have to be on signs, but we allow motorcycles, we allow bungee jumping, so who do our cars have to have a million and one safety features?
this to me is why they can't just bring over small numbers of these, Fiat pandas/500's, Toyota IQ's, Ford Fiestas with small diesel engines (actually anything with small diesel engines)
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Audiman 9:23AM (7/26/2009)
Way to go Audi. As a loyal driver for more than 10 years, I was looking forward to my first purchase of a new Audi, hopefully a diesel A1. Instead, I have to settle for the overpriced and overpackaged A3, which costs almost as much as various new crossover AWD models with seating for 7. Ridiculous. It is so disheartening that you can still buy a Hummer in America, but try to find the fun and practical 2 and 3 door luxo-diesels that dominate Europe and good luck. And we wonder why we are paying so much for fuel.
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