Report: Audi won't be seeing the Up! side - but a Q1 could be in the cards

Noah Joseph — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 09:28:00 EST

Filed under: Audi

While some automakers - American ones especially - may be consolidating their product line-ups around the world, German automakers seem to be in a constant state of expansion. Audi is no exception, with no fewer, according to Automotive News Europe, than 37 model variants, set to further expand to 42 by 2015. That reportedly won't, however, include a version of the Volkswagen Up! city car program.

Audi CEO Rupert Stadler was quoted as saying he simply could not picture slotting another small car into the line-up underneath the new A1. The marque could, however, go ahead with plans for a compact SUV to fit in beneath the Q3. The vehicle likely to be called Q1 is apparently under consideration.

As for the A1, Audi still does not plan to bring the premium hatchback to the U.S. market, preferring instead to focus on its current line-up while the Brussels plant tasked with assembling the A1 struggles to keep up with demand. Expanding production, as we recently reported with GM's plans for the Chevrolet Volt, will largely depend on the production capacities of the independent suppliers making the components.

[Source: Automotive News Europe - Sub. Req.]

Report: Audi won't be seeing the Up! side - but a Q1 could be in the cards originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 24 Jan 2011 09:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rendered Speculation: Audi's new up!-based city car

Chris Shunk — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 18:31:00 EST

Filed under: Budget, Hatchback, Audi, Volkswagen, Rendered Speculation

The up! is primed to be VW's long-awaited encore to the "People's Car," providing consumers abroad with an extremely efficient run-about that can get up to 95 European MPGs. The up! sounds like a vehicle VW should have been building all along, but does it sound like an Audi? The scribes over at Auto Express think so, and their rendering of an Audi up! looks the part. The image is a lightly reworked version of the stylish little up! concept, with body panels and roof lines looking very much like the V-Dub city car from that was first unveiled at Frankfurt.

The headlights are more vertical on the Audi and the open mouth look on the up!'s lower fascia is truncated by Audi's trademark split grille. The C-pillar is more triangular than the up! and the taillamps look like they were ripped from an A4 and stretched vertically.

Auto Express is reporting that an Audi version of the up! will be available in 2012. If that's true, it's unlikely we'll see the micro-Audi in the States in '12 anyway. We colonials aren't usually up (rimshot) for spending a big premium for a really small car that isn't named MINI.

[Source: Auto Express]

Rendered Speculation: Audi's new up!-based city car originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Oct 2008 18:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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