Like virtually every other company doing business in Canada, the Audi division of Volkswagen AG plans to create significant sales increases here by adding products in segments it doesn't compete in now.
The fact that this plan is not producing the kinds of volumes it was supposed to for other companies does not seem to matter, since Germany has ordered that 1.4 million units a year must be sold by 2015 and so consumers in North America and Asia will simply have to start buying more Audis.
In general terms, that means the lineup that currently exists with extra body styles with future iterations of those, plus two more SUVs and probably a crossover/faux-by-four model, and two more sportscars.
What the future may not hold for North America is a selection of diesel engines, though Audi would certainly like that to happen. The company is making a huge investment in diesel right now, headed by the first diesel-powered car to win a major race, the 12 Hours of Sebring.
This was all made plain by John de Nysschen, the executive vice-president in charge of Audi for the U.S. and Canada on the Autoline Detroit TV show, which is broadcast on Detroit's PBS outlet on Sunday mornings and is also available on the web at www.autolinedetroit.tv.
Though Audi had its second best year in North America in 2005 (about 90,000 units), the brand is not pulling its weight here against the other German luxury brands, BMW and Mercedes.
Audi growth has taken place mostly in Europe, de Nysschen noted, but "we will not be able to attain that goal (1.4 million units by 2015) if we continue to focus on Europe. We have to expand our presence here."
This means new products, of course, but it also means an upgrading of dealers to give customers the kind of upscale attention they get from other luxury brands. "We have some outstanding dealers," de Nysschen said, "and we have to upgrade the quality of the other dealers." This probably won't mean any new dealers, he added, unless required by new demographic conditions that require more sales outlets.
As for the product those dealers will be selling, de Nysschen says plainly that "our company will be expanding its product portfolio quite significantly."
The most recent addition is the Q7 SUV, and there'll be a second model, the Q5, in due course, and "we're evaluating the feasibility of a crossover type model, whatever that might be called." Whatever its name, it's not likely to be called the Q3, he noted.
On the sportscar front, de Nysschen said Audi is "looking at expanding our lineup. We will be introducing the successor to our current TT in the near future, and the new TT will be the junior entrant in our sports car lineup."
There'll be the previously announced R8, which he called "the ultimate sportscar," and "at least one model between those two in the sportscar lineup as well."
Audi is also looking at "new market niches off the current platforms as we roll out the next generation A4 and A6," de Nysschen explained. "We might have some coupes, or crossover models."
The fact that this plan is not producing the kinds of volumes it was supposed to for other companies does not seem to matter, since Germany has ordered that 1.4 million units a year must be sold by 2015 and so consumers in North America and Asia will simply have to start buying more Audis.
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| Audi Shooting Brake Concept (Photo: Audi) |
What the future may not hold for North America is a selection of diesel engines, though Audi would certainly like that to happen. The company is making a huge investment in diesel right now, headed by the first diesel-powered car to win a major race, the 12 Hours of Sebring.
This was all made plain by John de Nysschen, the executive vice-president in charge of Audi for the U.S. and Canada on the Autoline Detroit TV show, which is broadcast on Detroit's PBS outlet on Sunday mornings and is also available on the web at www.autolinedetroit.tv.
Though Audi had its second best year in North America in 2005 (about 90,000 units), the brand is not pulling its weight here against the other German luxury brands, BMW and Mercedes.
 |
| John de Nysschen (Photo: Audi) |
This means new products, of course, but it also means an upgrading of dealers to give customers the kind of upscale attention they get from other luxury brands. "We have some outstanding dealers," de Nysschen said, "and we have to upgrade the quality of the other dealers." This probably won't mean any new dealers, he added, unless required by new demographic conditions that require more sales outlets.
As for the product those dealers will be selling, de Nysschen says plainly that "our company will be expanding its product portfolio quite significantly."
The most recent addition is the Q7 SUV, and there'll be a second model, the Q5, in due course, and "we're evaluating the feasibility of a crossover type model, whatever that might be called." Whatever its name, it's not likely to be called the Q3, he noted.
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| 2006 Audi Q7 (Photo: Audi) |
There'll be the previously announced R8, which he called "the ultimate sportscar," and "at least one model between those two in the sportscar lineup as well."
Audi is also looking at "new market niches off the current platforms as we roll out the next generation A4 and A6," de Nysschen explained. "We might have some coupes, or crossover models."