Audi ’s A1 premium small car will hit the European market later this year, but American buyers will have to wait until sometime next decade to get their hands on the high-content hatchback. Audi is keen on bringing the A1 to U.S. shores, but doesn’t think Americans are quite ready to pay a premium price for a small car.
In an interview with Automotive News, Audi of America President Johan de Nysschen revealed the A1 was part of the company’s North American plans, but not until the second-generation version of the car bowed. The next-gen A1 isn’t expected to hit the market for the next six to eight years.
De Nysschen says the reason for the delay is twofold. First, Audi must better establish itself as a premium brand in the U.S. market before moving down rank. Secondly, de Nysschen is not convinced that Americans are ready to pay top dollar for a premium small car.
Audi’s U.S. dealers were clamoring for the A1, that is until they heard the price. At current exchange rates, the A1 would list from about $25,000 – well above the threshold most Americans are willing to pay for a small car. De Nysschen said of Audi’s U.S. dealers: “They said: ‘This is impossible. You cannot charge this much for small cars.’ In their mind, they were thinking $18,000, because that’s the conditioning our society still has.”
With gas prices still relative low in the U.S., most buyers are still conditioned to buy their vehicles by the pound or the foot – i.e. the bigger the car, the bigger the price tag. However, if gas price return and stay at the $4 mark, the concept of a high-content small car will likely finally resonate with luxury car buyers.
