Audi has confirmed to Germany’s Auto Bild publication that it plans to build the future A1 vehicle, and will base it on its Shooting Brake concept car that was unveiled at the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show.A “shooting brake” is a British term for what is basically a two-door station wagon (in North American terms). Although the original show car was based on the TT Coupe (with a wagon area grafted on to its backside), the new car will be based on Volkswagen’s Golf Mk IV PQ34 platform. It’s expected to compete against smaller premium cars such as the BMW 1 series and the Mini, and will be slotted in Audi’s lineup below the A3.
Look for bigger wheels, a tapered roofline, and wheel arches that are square-shaped—the latter paying homage to Audi Quattro sedans of the 1980s.
A number of different engines will be available, including two 1.4 litre gas engines, putting out 65 and 150 hp, respectively, and two common-rail diesel engines (Bluetec, we surmise, though they may not be marketed with that name), putting out 70 and 105 hp.
Although Audi has not officially declared that it will be producing the A1 (which some are predicting will be built at a plant in Gyor, Hungary, saving the company the extra euros it would incur by building the car in Germany), sources say that Audi expects to have the car out in the 2009–2010 timeframe.
It’s hard to estimate North American pricing, yet (assuming Audi will be bringing this over), but the European pricing will probably fall somewhere in the €16,000 range (about $20,000 U.S., at current exchange rates).
Via: The Raw Story
Most Active