A3 1.8T Sport

[quk@sievers.com (Phil Payne)]

In message <1.5.4.32.19970119211745.00680354@mail.atcon.com> Ron Joiner writes:

> Will Audi of America ever import the A3 1.8T Sport or any variation of the
> A3. My opinion is that it is a Golf on steriods though the front end is
> attractive. I believe that importing this car will degrade Audi's image in
> America because the A3 would simply be seen as a luxo econobox. And no
> quattro version from what I can see. Some opinions?

I find the whole A3 project a little odd, given that VAG is bringing on both 
SEAT and Skoda in the European market from "below" the VW brand.  I would have 
expected a consistent approach to have been allowing SEAT and Skoda to displace 
VW at the bottom end of the market, exerting upward pressure on the VW brand 
and thus allowing VW to put pressure in its turn on Audi - moving Audi up to 
the Daimler-Benz position.
 
Horizontally speaking, Audi's "unique" is the quattro system, and again it's 
hard to see how the A3 fits in.  It's not what I was expecting Audi to produce 
next.  

--
 Phil Payne
 phil@sievers.com
 Committee Member, UK Audi [ur-]quattro Owners Club