Photo: Audi
Introduced at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show, the Q2 was expected to sell pretty well due to its relatively affordable pricing for a crossover with the coveted rings from Ingolstadt. Be that as it may, Audi failed to account for the prospective customers who are put off by the SUV’s entry-level status.
I mean, if someone were in the market for a jacked-up Audi, they would probably consider the Q3 and higher models instead of the Q2. In any case, sales were never stellar. 2017 was the nameplate’s first complete year on sale, during which 81,426 units were moved in Europe. Last year, sales slid to 57,825 units in the Old Continent where small crossovers are very hot.
Given these circumstances and the imminent launch of the A3 Citycarver, the subcompact crossover is going the way of the dodo with a whimper and its tail between the legs. Chief executive officer Markus Duesmann confirmed its cancellation to Düsseldorf-based publication Handelsblatt.
“We have decided not to build the A1 anymore, and there will be no successor model from the Q2 either,” said Duesmann. “We have realigned Audi as a premium brand. We’ll also limit our model range at the bottom and expand it at the top,” which is the right call for the German company.
Audi needs to differentiate itself from Volkswagen a little better than it currently does, right? However, Audi further needs to understand that prospective customers won’t buy into the premium stuff if they’re poorly executed. The e-tron electric crossover produced in Belgium comes to mind, one of the worst electric crossovers of the mid-size segment in terms of driving range (441 kilometers or 274 miles). By comparison, Tesla is rocking up to 533 kilometers (331 miles) from its Model Y Long Range.
Turning our attention back to the Q2, there’s no replacement in sight for the subcompact crossover. The A1 doesn’t have a successor either, and that’s fine because watering down the lineup with undesirable products is the perfect recipe for losing customers. Mercedes-Benz knows it very well.
Given these circumstances and the imminent launch of the A3 Citycarver, the subcompact crossover is going the way of the dodo with a whimper and its tail between the legs. Chief executive officer Markus Duesmann confirmed its cancellation to Düsseldorf-based publication Handelsblatt.
“We have decided not to build the A1 anymore, and there will be no successor model from the Q2 either,” said Duesmann. “We have realigned Audi as a premium brand. We’ll also limit our model range at the bottom and expand it at the top,” which is the right call for the German company.
Audi needs to differentiate itself from Volkswagen a little better than it currently does, right? However, Audi further needs to understand that prospective customers won’t buy into the premium stuff if they’re poorly executed. The e-tron electric crossover produced in Belgium comes to mind, one of the worst electric crossovers of the mid-size segment in terms of driving range (441 kilometers or 274 miles). By comparison, Tesla is rocking up to 533 kilometers (331 miles) from its Model Y Long Range.
Turning our attention back to the Q2, there’s no replacement in sight for the subcompact crossover. The A1 doesn’t have a successor either, and that’s fine because watering down the lineup with undesirable products is the perfect recipe for losing customers. Mercedes-Benz knows it very well.
Google News