Audi A1 Confirmed for October

Audi A1 will finally enter production in October, just as initially planned, an Audi official revealed also pointing out that the German manufacturer will close the production plant in August for no less than five weeks to adjust the assembly lines for the A1. Alfons Dintner, head of Audi's Brussels plant, told Belgian newspaper Le Soir that Audi A1 is expected to arrive in European dealerships as soon as early 2010 and will be initially available as a three-door model.

Nevertheless, a five-door Sportback will join the range later, but details are yet to be released.

Just as expected, the car will be based on the A1 Sportback Concept displayed at the 2008 Paris Motor Show but will obviously be a little different, as some features would not make sense on a production model. According to Carscoop, it will rely on 4-cylinder diesel and gasoline engines, including 1.2- and 1.4-liter TSI powerplants.

Audi A1 won't show up at the Frankfurt Auto Show in September, despite the fact that Audi initially planned to bring the car at the show, together with a couple of new models. Furthermore, the A1 is one of the vehicles that might arrive in the United States, as part of the company's plans to "assault" the country and expand its coverage outside Europe.

But still, the price of the car, likely to go around 20,000 euro, might be a problem for Americans.

“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,” Audi of America President Johan de Nysschen said earlier this year.