Audi may also decide to launch something like the A2 to compete with Mini, he said, but not in the near future.
As for diesel engines to power any or all of these models, de Nysschen said "we are watching developments in the U.S. market very, very closely," since any diesels in that country will have to meet enormously tough emissions restrictions.
Audi can meet those restrictions, de Nysschen says, "but that would require additional investment on the diesel engines available in Europe. To be quite candid, that's exactly what we're discussing with our parent company right now. The real issue is that new engines will have to be developed to meet the new U.S. emissions regulations and for us it's purely a matter of evaluating the business case."
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| 2007 Audi S4 Cabrio (Photo: Audi) |
Audi can meet those restrictions, de Nysschen says, "but that would require additional investment on the diesel engines available in Europe. To be quite candid, that's exactly what we're discussing with our parent company right now. The real issue is that new engines will have to be developed to meet the new U.S. emissions regulations and for us it's purely a matter of evaluating the business case."