Audi's been teasing us with its upcoming A1 small car since the A1 Sportback Concept at the 2008 Paris show, though the production car is not scheduled to make its debut until the Geneva show in March 2010. Audi is hoping the premium subcompact will target a younger, hipper demographic who are clamoring for a premium automotive experience without the stuffiness of a sedan - or the high price tag.
To that end, Audi's latest A1 teaser features a video of a graffiti hooligan (that's 'street artist' for the more politically correct among us) who scrawls out a vague A1 rendering on a wall, giving us a better peek at the small car through his mischievous actions. It's a stylistic view of the premium subcompact, but it will have to do for now.
Audi will likely place BMW Group's Mini Cooper straight in its sight line with the new A1, with a host of small-displacement turbocharged four-cylinder engines under its hood (both gasoline and diesel) along with a six-speed dual-clutch gearbox. The last we've heard, Audi isn't able to make a business case for bringing the A1 Stateside, proclaiming that there is too limited of a market for premium small cars in America. We suspect that the Audi would have to be price competitive with the Mini Cooper in the U.S. in order to stand a chance.
Do you think that the Audi A1 could sell here? Let us know in the comments section below. And Click Here to watch the video.
Thanks to: Motor Trend