Photo: Audi
With a good chunk of new car buyers switching to crossovers and SUVs, and the inevitable ICE ban cloud hovering above the auto industry, automakers have had to rethink their long-term strategies.
Audi, for one, will ditch its small vehicles altogether, as the A1 and Q2 won’t live past their current generations. Thus, the entry-level role will be taken by the A3, which will be renewed, likely with electric power solely.
The information was confirmed by CEO Markus Duesmann earlier this year, during a talk with the media and investors, Australia’s Drive reports. “When it comes to the entry level, the A3 or its successor, that will probably be the entry level,” Duesmann said. “So, yes, I can commit that from the A3 segment, we will be offering a range [of vehicles].”
Even though a battery-electric A3 has yet to be confirmed, it appears that this will be strategy adopted by the premium subcompact model. The next generation is expected around 2027 or 2028, with certain outlets speaking about a 2029 launch, and by then, every new Audi introduced will be electric.
Audi’s plan to drop their small cars shouldn’t come as a surprise. In fact, the rivaling brands Mercedes and BMW have similar strategies in mind. The Stuttgart company has recently announced that they will drop three out of the seven compact models for the new generation, and while they have yet to point out exactly which ones will get the axe, rumors speak of the A-Class Sedan, CLA Shooting Brake, and B-Class MPV.
Over at BMW, a report from Autocar, dating back from late April, states that the Munich auto firm will face too many challenges by having to integrate electrification into the UKL platform, which is the foundation stone of their front-wheel drive-biased vehicles. This, combined with low sales volumes, might seal the fate of the 1 Series hatchback, and 2 Series Gran Coupe, at least when it comes to them featuring internal combustion units.
The information was confirmed by CEO Markus Duesmann earlier this year, during a talk with the media and investors, Australia’s Drive reports. “When it comes to the entry level, the A3 or its successor, that will probably be the entry level,” Duesmann said. “So, yes, I can commit that from the A3 segment, we will be offering a range [of vehicles].”
Even though a battery-electric A3 has yet to be confirmed, it appears that this will be strategy adopted by the premium subcompact model. The next generation is expected around 2027 or 2028, with certain outlets speaking about a 2029 launch, and by then, every new Audi introduced will be electric.
Audi’s plan to drop their small cars shouldn’t come as a surprise. In fact, the rivaling brands Mercedes and BMW have similar strategies in mind. The Stuttgart company has recently announced that they will drop three out of the seven compact models for the new generation, and while they have yet to point out exactly which ones will get the axe, rumors speak of the A-Class Sedan, CLA Shooting Brake, and B-Class MPV.
Over at BMW, a report from Autocar, dating back from late April, states that the Munich auto firm will face too many challenges by having to integrate electrification into the UKL platform, which is the foundation stone of their front-wheel drive-biased vehicles. This, combined with low sales volumes, might seal the fate of the 1 Series hatchback, and 2 Series Gran Coupe, at least when it comes to them featuring internal combustion units.
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