Audi to Debut A4, A6, Q5 and A8 Diesels in the US

Audi is looking to expand its product portfolio in the United States with the introduction of new diesel variants of no less than four models, namely the A4, the A6, the Q5 and the A8. The German carmaker has confirmed the news in a press statement in which it emphasized that selling more cars in the United States is a top priority.

“With around 186,850 vehicles delivered and a rise of 21.6 percent over the first two months, AUDI AG is on its way to achieving the most successful first quarter in its history in terms of sales,” said Peter Schwarzenbauer, Member of the Board of Management for Marketing and Sales at AUDI AG.

“The continued growth in the United States is based on a solid foundation – and shows that we are strengthening our position in the premium market through increased sales particularly in the luxury class.”

The diesel lineup will be released gradually, with the A8 and A6 luxury sedans to get their clean diesels engines in the next 24 to 30 months. The Q5 is likely to be upgraded with the new engine in the same timeframe as well, but Audi is also preparing a hybrid version of the crossover SUV. The A4 on the other hand will get a diesel option much later, after the debut of the new generation, probably in 2014 or 2015.

The United States market has brought significant sales increases for Audi, with deliveries totaling 15,565 cars in the US in the first months of the year, up 22.3 percent versus the same period of the previous month.

“Given the rising demand in the U.S. market for efficient diesel engines, we will introduce the Audi TDI clean diesel in both the A6 and the A8,” Schwarzenbauer said. “The proportion of our luxury class models already makes up 23 percent of our total volume in the United States – prior to the market launches last year it was around 13 percent.”