No successor for Audi A2

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speedfreak

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From the:

Automotive News Europe / March 04, 2003




Audi's slow-selling aluminum A2 won't be succeeded by another Audi-badged model, said Martin Winterkorn, CEO of Audi.

"For me, the A3 will be the bottom line for Audi's model line up," he said. "Given Seat's position in the Audi brand group, an eventual successor could be brought to the market by Seat."

The A2 does not contribute enough to Audi's profitability because the model's all-aluminum construction costs 1,000 euros more to produce than an equivalent steel car. Any Seat-branded successor to the A2 would be an all-steel car, Winterkorn said.

Winterkorn said that he doesn't regret the A2. "When we decided for that car, it was the right decision at the time."
 
I don't think Audi has exploited the Green market sufficently in the UK or USA - Just look at how Honda and Toyota have pushed their Hybrid designs - even getting Red Ken to make them Congestion Charge free in london. If Audi AG pushed the 1.2 TDI and VW it's Lupo 3L with the UK Govt powershift scheme they would sell a lot more of em!



Lukas

First A2 1.2 TDI in UK
Style pack + Chorus + Advance pack + winter wheels + iRiver MP3CD
 
Audi's marketing of the A2 has been a complete failure. Audi positioned the car as a "premium small car", but the A2 doesn't deserve that.
Even the name is dead wrong. A2, that sounds like a really small car that is smaller than the A3. Which is simply not the case. Nobody realizes that the A2 can compete with the Mercedes A-Class or the Golf.

The option politics is really uncomprehensible.
Why is the engine range so limited ?
Why is no automatic transmission available for the bigger engines?
Why are certain colors availailabe only with certain engines ??
Why is there no navigation system available for the 1.2 TDI ?
Why is the 1.2 TDI not available in the UK ?


I know this forum might not be the right place to express such thoughts, but I'll dare to do it [}:)]

The people who currently buy the A2 don't buy it because of the superior efficiency, but because it's "premium" and an exotic car. Which results in zillions of complaints about the car making noises where it is not supposed to make noises and the dealers being pestered about things which e.g. a Suzuki dealer would never be bothered about.

Audi should define the A2 primarily by 'efficiency', not by 'design' or 'premium'. They should target all the Golf and A-Class buyers and offer a car with the same comfort, size and price (a Golf with Diesel, aircon and automatic transmission is more expensive then the A2 1.2 TDI with aircon and automatic transmission!), but half the consumption.


VW just now demonstrates that a car manufacturer can offer and stand behind models even if these models don't make any profit: VW won't make any profit from the Phaeton for a very long time, but they are willing to spend this money because they hope it will positively affect the image of the company.

But now with Audi trying to become the sportive brand of the Volkswagen Group, they want to get rid of the A2 because it doesn't fit to the company's disired image any more.



I'm curious about Opel (aka Vauxhall). I have the impression that they are trying to occupy the niche that Audi and VW are deserting by discontinuing the A2 and the Lupo. But Opel does not have the technology yet. The Meriva with the 1.3 CDTI engine might become a really interesting car (but neither is the 1.3 CDTI available nor is the combination announced), if the Meriva was just 200 kg lighter...



Martin

(still enthusiastic about his 1.2 TDI)
 
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