New Audi A3 Based Crossover To Target BMW's X1

What ever happenend to "Never Follow"

I'm afraid they never stayed true to that slogan.

Whatever happened to finding out the facts before jumping to conclusions?

It sounds like Automotive News stupidly assumed Audi's new A3 crossover is being developed to target the BMW X1.

But Audi already had the Q3 suv in quattro or front-wheel drive since 2011 (and will have the RS Q3 this year ) that competes with existing SUVs like the BMW X1.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b3/Audi_RS_Q3.jpg

It is BMW that is following Audi's lead in providing front-wheel drive. The next generation BMW X1 will drop the current rear-wheel-drive platform and change to an "Unter Klasse" front-drive platform -- which will also be shared with the MINI Countryman.
http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/paris-motor-show-2012/next-bmw-x1-go-front-drive

The existing and next gen Audi Q3 quattro or FWD suv will continue to compete with BMW's cost cutting inand 'Mini'-fication the X1 suv.


So the Audi crossover -- the Audi A3 Allroad Quattro -- isn't intended for the BMW X1 suv. The 'Audi allroad quattro' nameplate has been used by Audi since 1999 to signify semi-offroad ability.

Indeed rumours of an Audi A3 Allroad have been around since 2011. It again surfaced six months ago. The A3 Allroad is a logical product choice for Audi since it already has Allroad versions of the A4 and A6 and may even be planning an allroad for the A8.
http://www.automobile-magazine.fr/actualites/scoops/audi/audi_a3_allroad
http://news.autoplus.fr/news/1462923/Allroad-V40-Cross-Country-Q3-Audi-A3-Sportback
http://vw-dude.de/2011/08/audi-a3-neues-kompaktklasse-modell-kommt-2012/

Artist Rendering: The Audi AllRoad/Crossover will likely be based on the A3 Sportback
http://images-2.drive.com.au/2013/01/25/3979455/Audi-A3-Allroad-2014_729-620x349.jpg

WhatCar's Car of the Year 2013: Audi A3 Sportback
(WhatCar is Britain's second largest car magazine after Top Gear)
"The Audi A3 Sportback might look like a subtle evolution of what's gone before, but in fact our 2013 Car of the Year brings new brilliance to a whole host of areas.
It mixes excellent refinement and an accomplished driving experience with easily the finest cabin quality ever seen in a small family hatchback. These qualities mean that against some stunning rivals - not least stablemates from Seat (Leon) and Volkswagen (Golf) - the A3 Sportback manages to be the new benchmark and looks pretty keenly priced. That makes it a worthy Car of the Year."
http://www.whatcar.com/awards/car-of-the-year/index.html

WhatCar's 5-Star Review of the Audi A3 Sportback
http://www.whatcar.com/car-reviews/audi/a3-sportback/summary/25976-13
http://www.whatcar.com/car-reviews/audi/a3-sportback/full-review/25976-13
http://www.whatcar.com/car-reviews/audi/a3-sportback/full-review/25976-13#Ownership
http://www.whatcar.com/car-reviews/audi/a3-sportback/full-review/25976-13#InTheCabin

In the first week of April, Sport Auto's Horst von Saurma supertested the Audi R8 V10 Plus on the Nurburgring track with temperature around freezing (0C or 32F) and snow skirting the racetrack. He still lapped Nurburgring in 7:45 min!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2C0GNavG4U

Von Saurma's supertest article on the R8.

http://www.sportauto.de/supertest/audi-r8-v10-plus-5-2-fsi-im-supertest-mit-leistungs-und-getriebeplus-7054044.html\

http://www.sportauto.de/supertest/audi-r8-v10-plus-5-2-fsi-im-supertest-mit-leistungs-und-getriebeplus-7054044.html?show=2

http://www.sportauto.de/supertest/audi-r8-v10-plus-5-2-fsi-im-supertest-mit-leistungs-und-getriebeplus-7054044.html?show=3

http://www.sportauto.de/supertest/audi-r8-v10-plus-5-2-fsi-im-supertest-mit-leistungs-und-getriebeplus-7054044.html?show=4

you post things just to post things. The article is about A3 small sav to compete with the X1 & you bring up racing information and track results for a R8. wth?!!?

How bout provide a comment on something relevant to the topic? Technically the X1 came out prior to 2011. Therefore it was in the market [prior to the A3. The US didn't get the X1 until 2013 model. The X1 was actually debuted at the Franfurt Autoshow in 2009 and were released just after that ...

Technically, the Q3 did follow the X1. Truth hurts a bit doesn't it?

BMW4me4ever: You keep posting before you check your facts.

How could the Q3 have followed the X1 when the Audi Q3 concept was unveiled 1.5 years before the BMW X1 concept???

The X1 may have debuted at the Franfurt Autoshow in 2009... but it's concept was at the October 2008 Paris motor show.
http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/02/paris-2008-bmw-x1-concept/

The Audi Q3 concept was the Audi Cross Coupe quattro unveiled in Shanghai Motor Show in April 2007 -- 1.5 years before the X1 concept was unveiled.
http://www.autoblog.com/2007/04/19/shanghai-motor-show-audi-reveals-the-cross-coupe-quattro/

Design and development began following Audi board approval in the second half of 2007. The final Q3 was final unveiled in Auto Shanghai 2011
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audi_Q3

Truth hurts a lot, doesn't it?

actually you just justified what I was saying. The Q3 came into production in 2011. The X1 began production in 2009. Therefore the X1 came first and Audi Followed.

psst just cause you came out with a concept means little until you actually bring the car into production.

A concept car or show vehicle is a car made to showcase new styling and/or new technology. They are often shown at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or may not be mass produced. A concept car never goes directly into production.

Just to help you out since you seek the truth. Whatever truth that may be in your own mind.

BMW4me4ever: It doesn't matter when Audi chose to produce and introduce the Q3. Audi conceived the Q3 and introduced the concept Q3 1.5 years before BMW did with the X1 -- and the 2011 production car was close to the 2007 concept car. Big car companies like Audi, BMW, Mercedes stagger the release of new models over a 5 to 7 year planning cycle.

Now let's try to reconcile your comments: "a concept car or show vehicle is a car made to showcase new styling and/or new technology" and "technically, the Q3 did follow the X1". Nope, not possible to reconcile what you said because technically much of the Q3 came before the X1 -- as much of its technology was showcased in 2007.

That 2007 Q3 concept -- which was similar to a VW Tiguan concept that year -- was described as production-ready in April 2007 ("the layout is clearly production-ready"). Instead of the concept Q3's 2.0L TDI quattro (with 204 HP and 295 lb-ft of torque) with S Tronic dual-clutch transmission and Drive Select, in 2011 the production Q3 had 2.0L TDI quattro (with 177 HP and 280 lb-ft of torque) with S Tronic dual-clutch transmission and Drive Select. The 2011 Q3's design was close to the 2007 concept.
http://www.autoblog.com/2007/04/19/shanghai-motor-show-audi-reveals-the-cross-coupe-quattro/

On the other hand, BMW's October 2008 X1 concept left the same Autoblog website doubting its viability: "We're trying to find some redeeming qualities in the BMW X1 concept, but after staring at it on the show stand and navigating our way through BMW's lengthy press release (after the jump), we're at a loss... The X1 isn't quite ready to board the failboat, but it's on its way to the docks." Sounds like BMW rushed out a concept to follow the Audi SUV.
http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/02/paris-2008-bmw-x1-concept/

In any case, just because the X1 and Q3 were produced does not mean they targeted only each other. There are over a dozen vehicles in this segment in Germany alone, all selling quite well -- it wuld have been stupid of either company to be trying to follow only the other's car.

Really? So can you show us exactly which components and body panels on the A3 are the rebadged Golf and exactly what percentage it makes up on the whole interior and exterior of the car?

Even German comparison tests between the A3 and Golf show there are differences between how the cars drive.

If the A3/S3 is such a good car that's voted car of the year across all car categories, perhaps customers should consider a Golf before considering a BMW 1 Series, Mercedes CLA, etc.

Based on the Volkswagen Group MQB platform, the third generation is also available as a five-door "Sportback" and a four-door saloon to directly rival the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class.

From Wikipedia. It shares the same platform as the Golf, same engines and same transmission. Golf has a little less torque and the interiors are different yet earliy the same as one expects when the main components are shared.

In fact the Volkswagen Group MQB platform is shared by the A3, Golf, Seat Leon, Skoda Octavia. Yet German tests of these four cars always show different slightly performance and driving characteristics -- even though these VW group cars top the tests. E.g., in a German mega test of 11 compact class cars, the four VW group cars were the top four cars -- yet each had different scores in every category -- while the BMW 1 series abd Merceds A Class came in 9th and 8th respectively. Of all the German car mags, Autozeitung is the most meticulous about measuring the data and it has its own test track.
http://www.autozeitung.de/auto-vergleichstest/vw-golf-7-tsi-vergleich-gegen-10-kompaktklasse-benziner-mega-test-2013?page=0,12

This indicates that there are differences between the four VW group cars performa and drive -- in addition to how they look in interior and exterior design. Just because the A3 shares the Volkswagen Group MQB platform, does not make it a rebadged Golf anymore than it makes the Golf a rebadged A3.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audi_A3#Third_generation_.28Typ_8V.3B_2012.E2.80.93.29

The smart customer would not pick the car in ninth place (the BMW) over one of the top four cars (rebadged or not, lol).

Autobild did a comparo of the diesels: VW Golf 2.0 TDI vs Audi A3 Sportback 2.0 TDI. This gives an idea of the differences between both cars, but Autobild gae the Golf the win because it was the more "sensible car' based on price.
http://www.autobild.de/artikel/audi-a3-sportback-vw-golf-test-3727985.html

Obviously the Audi A3 is no rebadged Golf.

yet it does share platform, engine and drivetrain with the Golf? That was the point of my statement. Yes the interior is different, as I would hope so since it is more expensive and luxury version of the golf. Plus I would expect them to tune the engine more, and update the suspension a little bit. I would bet about 30 to 40% of the car is based directly or indirectly with the Golf.

If the A3's "platform, engine and drivetrain" were exactly the same as the Golf's, you wouldn't have such variances in driving and performance. Once you make changes that result in such different outcomes... it is not a rebadged Golf.

"I would bet about 30 to 40% of the car is based directly or indirectly with the Golf."
I would bet 100% that you have no idea how much of "the car is based directly or indirectly with the Golf". And if it just 30% or 40%, it's certainly not a "rebadged Golf".

One thing is for sure: of all the cars in the test, you can do not worse than choosing the four VW group cars (A3, Golf, Leon, Octavia) that were the top four, instead of the ninth place BMW 1 Series.

I would bet the next generation BMW X1 and MINI countryman have 68.3% of the same parts. Therefore, according to your logic, the next X1 is a rebadged MINI.

damn you never know if its A1, A3, A4, A5, A6, A8, Q1, Q3, Q5 or Q7. They all looks the same. Same sausage different length and high. Boring

^^^^
Same sausage different length and height, that is.

You obviously missed Audi's memo regarding its upcoming more aggressive, highly-differentiated design strategy:

https://www.audi-mediaservices.com/publish/ms/content/en/public/pressemitteilungen/2012/11/06/audi_design_close-up.html

The 2015 Audi A4 set for debut and sales launch in 2014 and the 2015 Audi Q7 SUV, also set for debut and sales launch in 2014 will showcase Audi's new design strategy for sedans and SUVs respectively.

the New 2015 A4 looks a lot like the 2014 A3 sedan. I am just saying.

BMW4me4ever: You don't know what the next A4 looks like. Car mag renderings are not the actual A4.

The poor Audi bashers.

Take a good long look at the column on the far right of this table in the link -- World Car Design of the Year. Now check how many Audi (4) and Volkswagen cars (2) are on the list... compared to BMW (2) and Mercedes (0) -- and Audi twice won the top award for the TT and R8.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Car_of_the_Year#Finalists_and_Top_3_Finalists

So it doesn't matter what these minority of sausage-brained Audi Bashers think -- they don't have the good taste to understand and appreciate a car family that's won multiple international awards for its beautiful car designs... unlike the poorly-designed sausage cars of these Audi Bashers :))

You take everything so personal. How many engine of the year awards has Audi won in comparison to BMW? While we are on that how many times has the A4 bested the F30 or E90 3-series in comparison tests? once, maybe twice in about 5 years of comparison tests. Yet you love to argue that the A4 is the superior driving machine and the A3 will best everything else. Where do you get your stuff?

Poor a123... with a name like a123 you really sound like a badge, lol.

You obviously don't know the difference between a Volkwagen and an Audi.

The A3 sedan wins another comparo.

German car magazine test: Audi A3 1.4 TFSI Sedan vs Mercedes CLA 180 (Auto Zeitung is known for its detailed tests and has its own dedicated test track)

http://www.autozeitung.de/auto-vergleichstest/audi-a3-limousine-1-4-tfsi-mercedes-cla-180-bilder-und-technische-daten-gn401387

http://www.autozeitung.de/auto-vergleichstest/audi-a3-limousine-1-4-tfsi-mercedes-cla-180-bilder-und-technische-daten-gn401387?page=0,1

http://www.autozeitung.de/auto-vergleichstest/audi-a3-limousine-1-4-tfsi-mercedes-cla-180-bilder-und-technische-daten-gn401387?page=0,2