Audi Says A1 Is Affordable Enough

Although sales aren't really going as planned, German carmaker Audi says the A1 isn't expensive and the price is not the one that affects sales of the recently-released model. Priced from EUR15,800 in Germany, the A1 has only attracted a limited number of buyers, but Audi believes the company will be able to meet its 30,000 sold units target this year.

"The A1 is enjoying considerable success: The company stands by the estimate made at the time of the car's launch that around 50,000 units will be built by the end of 2010 and 30,000 of them delivered to customers," an Audi spokesman was quoted as saying by Automobilwoche.

"The Audi A1 is a premium car for mobility in cities. It is therefore a product aimed at a very wide target group," he added.

Curiously, expectations were much higher earlier this year when Audi representatives even stated that sales could top 50,000 units this year. The company wants to roll off the assembly lines a total of 80,000 units next year.

"In view of the high demand, orders could surpass the production capacity this year," Peter Schwarzenbauer, Audi's head of sales and marketing, said earlier this year when the German brand was still hoping to see A1 exceed expectations.

The car was offered at the beginning (new engines were added after the launch) with four engines (two gasoline and two diesel), all direct fuel injected and turbocharged: entry-level 1.2 TFSI (86 hp/160 Nm), 1.4 TFSI (122 hp/200 Nm), 1.6 TDI (105 hp/250 Nm) and another version of the 1.6 TDI (90 hp/230 Nm). By choosing turbocharging over size, Audi says the engines in the A1 have a fuel economy of in between 3.8 and 5.4/100 km (43-61 mpg).