US Might Not Be Ready for the Audi A1 This Year
Audi’s premium subcompact Audi A1 will enter the European market later this year. However, Johan de Nysschen, president of Audi of America, said that with the American’s mentality of small cars being cheap, the United States’ market might not be ready for the Audi A1.
According to an interview with Automotive News, Johan de Nyscchen said that the Audi automobile company is “seriously looking” at their plan to bring the Audi A1 to the United States six to eight years from now. He stressed that introducing the car earlier might spoil the car company’s hard work in building pervasive recognition for the brand.
Another interview at the Audi headquarters, de Nysschen said, “People who know us consider us very highly, but not enough people know us yet. I’d like to get that entrenched much more strongly, and it will probably take us another five to six years. That will be the time that you can kind of roll down the market with a smaller car.”
Audi’s American dealers asked for the A1 but somehow became wary when they found out its supposed price tag, de Nysschen revealed. While there have been no announcements yet for the European pricing, Audi A1 will most like cost 20,000 euros—$25,541 at present exchange rates. De Nysschen said that Audi’s American dealers thought it’s impossible to charge that much for such a small car.
Approximately 10 inches shorter compared to the A3, the Audi A1 in Europe is built to contend with BMW’s 1-series and the Mini models, which are both available in the European market.
