The A1, Audi feels it wouldn't sell...
 

http://blog.caranddriver.com/audi-un...12-a1-quattro/

3 door, affordable, AWD, reasonable power, luxury. I don't understand why they feel there wouldn't be a market for this vehicle in the US. It's true enough that we lean more toward bigger vehicles but there's no shortage of Mini's, VW GTI's, Focus Hatch's, Hyundai Velos, Toyota Matrix, WRX shagginwaggin and it's STI counterpart. Maybe I'm not seeing the big picture but if this car were released over here, I'd be ALL over it.

That's a cool looking little car. Direct competition for the Mini and the Fiat 500. It really is a shame how many cars that the US misses out on.

I would appreciate an A1 being offered here, but I also agree with Audi that it would sell poorly. Audi already struggles to move A3's here in the 'states, so that plus American's propensity for bigger = better means sales would likely be glacial.

On a personal note, I'm really tired of all these ridiculously proportioned tall "city" cars. Why can't cars be low anymore? [enter FR-S under a halo of light]

America doesn't like small hatchbacks plus their fat behinds probably wouldn't fit. >_>

It's a real shame though, because that A1 Quattro is pretty much my ideal grocery getter.

The typical American equates small car to a cheaply made car. That means if they're going to pay a lot of money for a car, they typically expect it to be a bigger car. Unlike in Europe, the idea of a small, premium car hasn't really hit critical mass in the U.S. :(

sounds like a case of the difference in demographics screwing everything up for the US market...again!

The problem with the A1 is because of its PRICE ...
The mini cooper(S) shoppers cross-shop with the GTI...
The price point of the A1 will pit it against the GTI head on
with the GTI being better in almost every dimension.

The A1 is consider a Super-MINI .. its like the Fiat500,Mini,SmartFor2 ..
for City folks with limited parking space.

I more or less agree with all of this. The tall thing is an epidemic

What if a buyer doesn't want a big fat GTI, and they want a small car? Your post is a great example why so many American's don't "get it". They equate price with size, when that may not be relevant at all. Personally, I don't want a big, or even medium size car. The Golf is the largest car I've owned in many years, and it bothers me. That and wanting to get back to an FR chassis has me looking at the 86.

I think they are right, they wont find the market they are looking for in america.

It's a shame Americans a so dumb/insecure and think they need huge cars. In Europe (ok Sweden to be specific) if you need to transport something large you go to any gas station and rent a small trailer. Many if not most cars have trailer hitches over there and are designed to tow small loads. There are tons of super cool cars in Europe that we don't get here because our fat asses need to drive huge cars. Such a shame.

Correction "your fat ass" :)