Audi A1. The city car replaced by a 100% electric A2? AUTO During the e-Tron GT presentation, the Audi boss, told reporters that the A1 is not as successful and may not be replaced.
Asked about the commercial career of the A1, Markus Duesmann, boss of Audi, admitted that the entry-level of the brand did not work as expected, while the direct competitors within the Volkswagen group are experiencing some success.
Considering the cost of applying new safety standards and electrification, the A1 may not be renewed and be replaced by a small city SUV or a hypothetical A2. However, the little Audi has yet to say its last word as the current generation was only launched just under three years ago.
The current Audi A1 might not have a descendant. Instead, the manufacturer could offer a slightly larger electric city car in the once occupied by the atypical A2 segment.
The possible disappearance of the Audi A1, which we mentioned just a few weeks ago, is becoming more precise. Audi boss Markus Duesmann reportedly revealed more about this to British journalists at Autocar. The strong presence of other brands in the Volkswagen Group in the city car segment, which is becoming less and less profitable, would explain this strategy, which remains to be confirmed.
An Increasingly Less Viable Segment
“We are discussing what we do with the small segments. On the A1 segment, we have other active brands and have great success, with very high production, so we are wondering about the A1 at the moment, “said the official. The pollution control systems (or even electrification) required to comply with environmental standards are expensive, which is reflected in cars’ selling price, especially when the latter operates in a segment that must be affordable. Therefore, volumes are crucial to finding commercial viability, and SUVs are gaining ground every day over more conventional cars. “We will certainly (always) offer the Q2 and similar,” says Duesmann to confirm that Audi intends to remain present in specific segments of small vehicles.
Audi A1: Soon the end of the road for the Audi A1?
The return of the Audi A2 The A1 could be replaced with a slightly larger city car, which could mean the return of the A2. Asked about it, the boss reportedly replied, “Maybe not exactly with this design, but I like the A2. Indeed, we’re discussing the A2 segment as well. So it could be about an A2 or an E2 (presumably electric, editor’s note), or an A3 or an E3. We’re discussing that right now. ” One can easily imagine a versatile electric city car Audi E2 based on the MEB platform of the Volkswagen group, like the Volkswagen ID.3 and Seat el-Born.
Audi A2 Concept: The 2019 Audi AI
ME concept, electric and autonomous. Marketed between 1999 and 2005, the Audi A2 had among other features to be built entirely in aluminium, which induced a high price, contributing to poor commercial performance.
But in 2011, it presented the A2 Concept as a possible electric descendant of its versatile city car. In 2017 the firm announced an autonomous city car for 2021, and in 2019 it presented the B-segment concept car named AI: ME. It is further rumoured that the builder would be working on a spiritual heir to the A2 through its Artemis rapid development program. The A2 may never have been abandoned at Audi.