Autoblog

Audi's plans for expansion have been covered endlessly on these pages, and with a goal of selling 1.5 million vehicles globally each year by 2015, Audi understands that success in the U.S. is a key to its goals. Audi is aiming to sell 200,000 units annually to Stateside consumers and the automaker hopes that a portion of those sales will come from a small CUV that slots in below the Q5. Johan de Nysschen, executive veep at Audi of America, is calling the unnamed softroader a "lifestyle" product, which is expected to go on sale early next year. However, a deal with Nissan that only allows Audi to use the "Q" designation on its larger vehicles (the Q5 and Q7) means that it won't be called the Q3... supposedly.

The Autoweek article goes on to say that Audi is considering adding another supercar into its lineup, but de Nysschen didn't offer up any details. Could it be another R8 powered by either a V10 or a V12 TDI? Time will tell, but a halo vehicle to take on the forthcoming Mercedes uber-coupe or BMW M1 revival isn't out of the question.

The A1, however, won't be coming to the U.S. in its first lifecycle. And the future of Audi diesels remains an open question, with the oil-burning Q7 due to hit the market next year and an A4 diesel supposedly in the works.

[Source: Autoweek]

Audi is going to put off the launch of three new SUVs into its arsenal until the end of the decade, primarily for marketing reasons. Really, it's only one new model – the compact Q5 – plus diesel and hybrid versions of its Q7 crossover.

The reason for the delay is primarily to avoid Audi's newest entrants from getting lost in the ether of year-end sales drives, and thus allowing all three vehicles to be marketed as 2010 models, which were originally destined for sale in the third quarter of 2008.

Although we haven't seen the Q5, meant to compete with BMW's X3 and Mercedes' upcoming GLK, it's been well known that the new cute 'ute has been under development for some time, finding a home atop the VW Tiguan platform. The diesel Q7 will be arriving around the same time, and will come to market packing a three-liter turbo-diesel V6, producing 230 HP and 400 lb.-ft. of torque. Since the new engine will be 50-state compliant, it's "just a matter of formality," according to Audi's U.S. head Johan de Nysschen, that the oilburner will find its way into the A4, A6 and A8 models of the future.

All three vehicles, including the 280 HP V6 hybrid-equipped Q7, are all likely to be revealed in Detroit in 2009.

[Source: Automotive News – Sub. Req.]