Audi Will Not Sell Small Cars in the US...

Peter Schwarzenbauer says Audi will not build a Mini-like vehicle

...for now. Even if it longs to enter the "big league" of luxury small cars on the American market, currently occupied by both Mercedes and BMW rivals, Audi officials admit their company is not yet strong enough to support selling the likes of the A1 on the US market.

Peter Schwarzenbauer, Audi's global sales and marketing boss, told Autonews Audi is currently undergoing an aggressive campaign to raise the American consumer's awareness of the brand. This means that at least for a while, until the effect of the campaign become noticeable, Audi will not bring small cars into the United States.

Set to go on sale in Europe sometimes in 2010, the A1 is some 10 inches shorter than the smallest Audi present in the US, the A3. Even if it is unclear how long will take for the campaign to take its toll, Schwarzenbauer says the German manufacturer is "looking seriously" into bringing the A1 to the States.

Still, the official remains skeptic regarding the future of small car segment in the US. The muscle car/high torque/burnout driven American consumers may not be yet ready to embrace small cars, especially if the price tag they wear is not easily affordable.

"I'm not so sure yet we really see a trend to small cars in the United States." said the official.

As for the competition, Audi has ruled out, at least for now, the possibility of building a Mercedes Smart or BMW Mini challenger.

"If you look at Mini or Smart, you say, 'Yeah, maybe.' On the other hand, if you look at the real numbers, it's not huge volumes," Schwarzenbauer told the aforementioned source.