quattro digest, Vol 1 #4768 - No A3, why?

[Larry C Leung]

It was more of a marketing decision (no one wants a luxo
hatchback that is basically a tarted up Golf) that justified
the "not bother to crash test" issue. Crash testing is
apparently VERY expensive and MUST be done for every
"new for the manufacturer" platform. Since the A3 (Audi,
not VAG) platform was new for Audi USA, it would've
required a full compliment of tests. Since Audi would not
have expected Golf like sales volumes, it would not have
had the expected number of units to spread the costs of
testing. So, no tests, no importation. The car WOULD've
passed, it is, after all based entirely on an existing Golf
platform that has performed satisfactorily in US crash tests.

As for a Spartan Audi A3, spartan Audi's, Merc's, and BMWs,
as well as VW's exist in Europe. The only models that come
here are higher end (i.e. higher profit) units. A high end A3
would be JUST as nice (if not nicer) than a high end Golf.
We don't get the low end units here because the Germans
feel "why bother" compete totally on volume when higher
profit per unit models will sell just as well in cash rich/low tax
USA. The low end units in Europe are needed just for sales.
Prices of autos in Europe are SO much higher (and only
some of it is taxes, which are MUCH higher) than here. And
we so often complain on the west side of the Atlantic "how
come we don't get the good stuff?"

LL - NY



> Date: Wed, 26 Mar 2003 17:33:36 -0500
> To: JordanVw at aol.com, lindgre at online.no
> From: Brett Dikeman <brett at cloud9.net>
> Subject: Re: Audi A3...  why dont they import to US? (wasRe: Wheel
> size of
>  a 2001 TTq?
> Cc: quattro at audifans.com
>
> At 10:57 AM -0500 3/26/03, JordanVw at aol.com wrote:
>
> >  > They will fit the Audis A2 and A3, but that is of course no
> issue here.
> >  >
> >>
> >speaking of which, why did audi never import the A3 to the us?
>
> Crash testing- it wouldn't pass US standards, or so the rumors go.
> Which is hilarious.  Every POS GM cranks out not only passes, but
> usually does half-decent(which means "only a 50/50 chance of
> getting
> killed should you take on something larger than a gopher.")  The
> fact
> that an Audi didn't pass US crash testing is downright scary- the
> thing has got to be a death trap, or it flunked on some
> technicality...probably 5mph bumpers or something(which is also
> funny, but in a different way- you should see some of the damage to
> all sorts of models that ARE imported into the US, from 5mph
> testing.)

------------------- CLIP---------------------------------