Audi’s new baby, the recently revealed Q3 compact crossover, is still unconfirmed for sale in the U.S. despite the popularity of crossover models in this market as well as growing demand for more fuel efficient vehicles.
You may recall last month Audi board member for sales and marketing Peter Schwarzenbauer said it was undecided whether the Q3 would be sold in the U.S., and even if approved it wouldn’t make it to local showrooms for at least the next 12 to 15 months.
However, Audi is determined to become the top selling luxury automotive brand in the U.S. and to do so its key strategy is the launch of a fuller vehicle lineup. Thus, the Q3 is still being considered for local sale despite other small Audis, like the A1 hatchback, being ruled out for now.
The biggest hurdle is pricing. The current Q5 starts at $35,200, while the A3 starts at $27,270. The Q3 would need to be priced somewhere in between, while also not stealing sales from the A4 range, which starts at $32,300.
2012 Audi Q3
Further complicating matters is the introduction of rivals, such as the BMW X1, due this fall, as well as a rumored BLK compact crossover from Mercedes-Benz.
Audi appears to be taking a wait-and-see approach with its new Q3 but by the time it arrives the X1 and BLK could have already stolen much of the limelight.
For full details on the new Audi Q3, click here.
