Audi & BMW attack on the American market

MUNICH / HAMBURG. "Currently, the A is not one planned for the U.S. market. We consider this but for a second generation," said Audi sales chief Peter Schwarzenbauer talking to the Handelsblatt. Volkswagen's premium subsidiary will introduce its new Edelkleinwagen A 1 in the early summer, first in Europe and thus make especially the "mini" of the Bavarian rival BMW competition. Since then, the "Mini" successful in the U.S., has apparently used in Ingolstadt a rethink.

With the battle in the small car segment, the duel between BMW and Audi is richer by one facet. Audi has in recent months with the new A4 on the buyers of BMW's mid successfully lured customers. From next year, the Munich defend themselves with the new edition of its standard types from the 3 Series and 5 Series. With the BMW Mini was so far unmatched in the segment and send the expensive small car. This advantage will make the introduction of the Audi A1 dashed.

It is the declared goal of the Ingolstadt, which rivals BMW and Mercedes to overtake the year 2015 in all markets. While Audi has already suspended the rivals in China and in Europe slightly ahead lies the VW subsidiary moves in the U.S. is still some way behind. Only in two or three years, Audi sold more than 100 000 cars in America, BMW currently stands at some 270 000 pieces. The Ingolstadt require lower list prices in the U.S., according to its own information but also give discounts less than the competition. Black farmers, who previously headed the U.S. operations of Porsche is to promote Audi in the U.S..

While the BMW Mini largely alone, produces the A shares a many of the components with the mass model VW Polo. It is a battle of David against Goliath: Because BMW has to finance its development costs of only around 230 000 cars sold, while the Wolfsburg-based company comes to two million vehicles on Polo basis. "The help of scale of the VW Group are at the A 1 lot," says Black Farmer. The A1 will be produced in the former Volkswagen plant in Brussels. Audi plans first with sales of around 80 000 units per year includes - but still much room for improvement. Experts draw confidence. The Institute of Automotive Industry (IFA) provides Audi already on the way to the world's most successful premium brand in 2015. It lies also on the cost benefits in the small car segment. Audi enjoys its membership of the VW group on cost benefits of those "others can only dream of," said Willi Diez, head of the IFA industry magazine "Auto Motor Sport".