Come 2011, Audi will offer the A1 outside of Europe due to a significant amount of worldwide demand. To be precise, the A1's dedicated website attracted more than 150,000 interested customers from all four corners of the world. The German company had previously expected average production volumes of 100,000 A1 units per year, primarily for the European market at first.
Sales chief Peter Schwarzenbauer said that Audi will "expand [the Audi A1's] production capacities by 20 percent", pushing hard at the market owned by cars like BMW's Mini Cooper (because, sadly, Mercedes has yet to make a small car that actually competes in this segment).
"Reports from our international dealers show us that interest in the A1 is exceeding our expectations considerably," said Schwarzenbauer in a statement released by Audi.But here's the catch: it still isn't making it to the US or, for now, China. Don't worry, my Chinese friends, you'll be getting it sometime after 2011. Audi reps say they haven't made a decision as to when the car will enter the Chinese market, but it can be done "at short notice."
It seems that Audi's decision rests upon how young Chinese professionals take to the idea of a small Audi, as the brand expects to bring in 80% first-time Audi buyers with the car.
US consumers, on the other hand, shouldn't hold their breath. Bankhaus Metzler analyst Juergen Pieper says: "The U.S. will be a different story. The A1 is small and expensive. That's not going to work over there."
Guess Mr. Pieper has never heard of a brand called "MINI"...
By Phil Alex
Source: Bloomberg / Audi AG
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