Small, in automotive terms, has always been associated with the word cheap. But it seems those terms may be parting ways as automakers experiment with the idea that small could successfully be associated with luxury.
At the Geneva auto show next month, Audi will unveil its Mini-size A1, a economical but luxury-infused subcompact. The A1 should go on sale by this summer in Europe at a price starting of about $22,000.
But while Audi says the A1 will “redefine” notions about what is possible for a premium subcompact, the company doesn’t seem to believe that Americans can get their heads around the concept. So there are no plans to sell the car in the United States because Audi says demand would be “too weak.”
Can Audi honestly think that demand would be weak for a hot, luxurious hatchback that also gets from 43 to 61 miles per gallon? (Yes, that’s United States gallons.)
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