A distinctive city car to rival BMW’s Mini will be part of Audi’s stated aim to become the most successful premium brand by 2012, a spokesman confirmed this week.
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Speaking at the UK launch of the Audi TT roadster in Brighton, PR chief Jon Zammett confirmed that both the new A1 small car and the Q5, a compact sister to the recently launched Q7 SUV, are in Audi’s launch schedule. However the Q5 is a year away from launch and the A1 will not be seen before 2009.
The A1, which is likely to be based around the Volkswagen Polo platform, will look similar to the TT Shooting Brake concept, which Audi unveiled at the 2005 Tokyo motor show and originally intended to build as a third variant in the TT range.
Zammett added that the current two-engine choice in the TT will soon be expanded, but would not confirm persistent rumours that future engines will include a diesel, a first for the model.
Phenomenal growth for the Audi brand has seen its range expand from six to 23 models in just 10 years. Audi sold 86,003 cars in the UK in 2006, up 3.63% in a market down 3.89%, and the 15th straight year of growth for the brand.
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By GlobalDataThat expansion is set to continue with the launch in June of the R8 supercar and the A5 coupe. The new models will spearhead a targeted 100,000 UK sales and 1.5m globally by 2015. Such plans have required serious finance, with some EUR11.5bn invested in the brand in just eight years.
Andrew Charman
