German Car Zone

Bartek Sikorski · 06-18-2009, 11:57 PM

Audi’s future includes A1, A5 and A7 Sportbacks, Q3, a new A2, and more.

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In a bid to better enable itself to overtake Mercedes-Benz and BMW and become the leading international premium brand, Audi has adjusted the timing of a number of future products, including the next generation of its A8 flagship. The 2010 A8 is being pushed back from a September debut at the Frankfurt auto show, where the launch was originally intended to take place. The car instead will be unveiled some time after December’s Los Angeles auto show; we’ve heard it may happen at an exclusive event in Florida. The Detroit auto show will be the first to host the new A8.
Launching the new A8 away from an auto show will make sure the new car isn't buried among a flurry of international unveilings. Audi wants to play up the design theme, and the aluminum-structured A8 will be another large step forward for the brand, particularly inside the cabin. It will boast, for example, the next-generation MMI system, which will then trickle down to other models.
Audi also doesn't want to kill sales of the current model. The A8 is still selling well in several markets, and a Frankfurt launch might bring orders to a halt before the new A8 arrives in dealerships in the spring of 2010. The A8 is one of the most significant cars for the brand; in Europe and China, the current model is a legitimate alternative to the S-class and the 7-series. Positioned as the sportiest luxury sedan, it was quickly seen as a welcome alternative to former BMW customers alienated by that brand’s polarizing styling and iDrive system.
With the next model, Audi wants to catch up in the U.S. and the rest of the world, too. Expect an engine lineup similar to the current one, including a naturally aspirated W-12. According to one Audi insider, the main reason for delaying the A8 is the economy; it’s not a good time to be launching ultraluxury cars that you expect to sell in high volumes.
A5 Sportback and R8 Spyder Coming to Frankfurt
The A5 Sportback, details on which are due soon, won't have that last problem. A hatchback sedan based on the A5 coupe, it will be a niche vehicle and play up Audi's emphasis on design. Unlike its somewhat plump competitor, the upcoming BMW 5-series Gran Turismo, the A5 Sportback looks sleek, with low, sporty lines.
The A5 Sportback will be exhibited at the Frankfurt show, as will the R8 Spyder. With its fabric roof, the R8 Spyder takes a classic approach. The conversion looks so good that you might think the R8 was styled with a topless version in mind from the beginning, which wasn’t the case, according to chief exterior designer Stefan Sielaff.
Audi's other hatchback sedan, the A7 Sportback, will be unveiled well into 2010. The Audi Sportback concept unveiled in Detroit this past January provides a clear idea of what the finished product will look like. Significantly longer than the A5 Sportback and more independent in style, it will be positioned between the A6 and the A8.
A1 and A2, and Away We Go . . .
Far bigger news for 2010 is the A1, a compact, three-door hatchback that shares many components with the new Volkswagen Polo. It is positioned well below the A3, which itself is due to be replaced in 2011. That year will also see the launch of a five-door A1, and the Q3—which recently was confirmed for production—a crossover based on the Golf/A3 platform and built by VW's subsidiary SEAT in Spain. The A6 is due to be replaced at that time, as well.
So Audi has a lot on its plate until 2011. What's next? Audi is considering its own variation of the tiny Volkswagen Up, and one possibility on that platform is an all-electric version. Another possibility is a version powered by a conventional combustion engine that could achieve well over 110 mpg in the European cycle.
Another project currently being explored is a second-generation A2. The fully aluminum A2—sold in Europe from 1999 to 2005—was a commercial failure despite sales of around 175,000 units, but it is nevertheless highly regarded as a technological breakthrough for small cars. It flopped because it was expensive and because it wasn’t particularly sporty; for most of its life, the top two engines made a measly 75 hp. Audi added more powerful engines late in the A2’s life, but they weren’t enough to spur success and the car was axed.
Now the A2 may come back.

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