a3 on the way to NA

[Dan DiBiase]

I don't think Audi views Subaru as its competition, it's more the other way around. They are more focused on the other premium German brands - Mercedes and BMW. So, I don't see them coming out with a stripped-down version of any of their cars, it would not fit the 'premium' image... If the car mags are to believed, it appears to be working as most of them are giving the A8L and new A6 good reviews, knocking out BMW in competitions, etc....
 
In thinking about the A3, it is probably a price-point issue. As someone already noted, the FWD A3 starts about 2 grand less than the A4 - adding quattro almost closes that gap. When the updated A4 comes out as a 2005.5 model (new face, new interior with real navi option, more horsepower across the board, if the rumors are to be believed) I am sure that will move up price-wise, allowing a quattro-equipped A3 to fit in.... IMHO, of course.
 
Dan D
'04 A4 1.8T q MT-6
Central NJ USA

Ed Kellock <ekellock at gmail.com> wrote:
I think Audi is very comfortable allowing Subaru to crow about its awd
supremacy. This A3-no-quattro intro is only more evidence to prove
the point. Now Subaru is yakking about "symmetrical" AWD. Big deal. 
Audi quattro has had that for what.. 25 years? blah blah blah. In a
sense, Audi invented the idea of awd in a normal passenger car. Not
4wd, but AWD. It's like they don't care though.

Bringing the A3 to market w/o quattro just doesn't make sense. I
mean, I'm sure some bean counter thinks it makes sense, but for brand
image it SUX.