MoRbiD
02-07-2005, 01:11 PM
Read this today in Autoweek
Audi says it will offer two SUVs for the U.S. market; Q7 to be followed by A4-based model
Automotive News|Posted Date: 1/31/05
In the next few years, Audi of America will offer two SUVs.
The seven-seat Q7 goes on sale in March 2006. About three years from now, the Q7 will be followed by a smaller SUV based on the A4, Johan de Nysschen, executive vice president of Audi of America, said Sunday.
Audi decided SUVs were a necessity in the U.S. market.
"You cannot be one of the leading players in this market if you do not have an SUV," de Nysschen said. "We probably waited a bit too long here at Audi."
The Q7 will be priced at about $40,000, he said. De Nysschen thinks Audi can sell up to 50,000 of the all-wheel-drive Q7s a year. But sales in 2006 likely will be between 15,000 and 20,000 units, he said.
"Based on the fact that we are completely unrepresented in that product segment and have no customer base, 50,000 is not attainable out of the box."
Audi says it will offer two SUVs for the U.S. market; Q7 to be followed by A4-based model
Automotive News|Posted Date: 1/31/05
In the next few years, Audi of America will offer two SUVs.
The seven-seat Q7 goes on sale in March 2006. About three years from now, the Q7 will be followed by a smaller SUV based on the A4, Johan de Nysschen, executive vice president of Audi of America, said Sunday.
Audi decided SUVs were a necessity in the U.S. market.
"You cannot be one of the leading players in this market if you do not have an SUV," de Nysschen said. "We probably waited a bit too long here at Audi."
The Q7 will be priced at about $40,000, he said. De Nysschen thinks Audi can sell up to 50,000 of the all-wheel-drive Q7s a year. But sales in 2006 likely will be between 15,000 and 20,000 units, he said.
"Based on the fact that we are completely unrepresented in that product segment and have no customer base, 50,000 is not attainable out of the box."