The Audi A1 may no longer have a long life. None other than Audi CEO wonders aloud whether that car still has a right to exist. The Q2 may now be the entry-level model, although there is also the rumor that the A2 will return.
With the A1, Audi wanted to get a piece of the pie in the very successful B segment. That has partly succeeded: Audi has built more than a million to date since its unveiling in 2008, but in terms of sales, it cannot be in the shadow of its Volkswagen brother, the Polo. Since its introduction in the Netherlands, Audi sold more than 23,000, while the Polo was sold about as often in a year in the first years of the A1. The second generation could not turn that tide and now Audi CEO Markus Duesmann is wondering aloud whether there is still a future in it.
The CEO mainly looks at his sister brands in that segment and realizes that the A1 is not up to this: “We have other brands that are active in it and are very successful and build a lot, so we are currently questioning the A1”, quotes the British Autocar. The A1 cannot compete against the Seat Ibiza and Skoda Fabia either. Duesmann therefore thinks that in the near future the offer could well start at the Q2. “We may not go any smaller than that.”
Audi AI: ME Concept
If a compact Audi still needs to be added, it may be an electric newcomer. According to Duesmann, Ingolstadt is not yet sure about this. A ‘new A2’ is a serious option, he says. If we then dig into the box of still unused concept cars, we end up with the AI: ME of 2019. That was an EV based on MEB that, in terms of technology, is quite in the vein of the Volkswagen ID3, but was slightly larger. . Due to its fairly high body and curved glass rear window, it was clear that some inspiration had been gained from the old A2. That would not be a direct replacement for the A1, but it would probably be an addition at the bottom of the range at Audi. According to Duesmann, the Q2 will remain anyway.