Audi Q1 to debut in 2016

Audi Q1 to debut in 2016

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Audi will be adding a new member to its Q family of SUVs by 2016, the company announced in a statement yesterday. Called the Q1, the new model will, as its nomenclature suggests, slot in below the Q3 and serve as a new entry point into the range.

Details of the new vehicle remain scarce, but Rupert Stadler, board chairman of Audi AG, has confirmed that the Q1 will have a transverse engine layout, being based on the highly flexible MQB platform; an unsurprising detail, since the longitudinal engine architecture is typically used for bigger sized models.

The Q1’s scheduled debut of 2016 will come after the similarly-sized Volkswagen Taigun hits the market in 2015. It will join the ranks of many all-new sub-compact SUVs – examples: Honda Vezel, Ford EcoSport, and Mazda CX-3 – that are growing in popularity this decade, although Audi will be the first to launch a model of this size in the luxury segment. The closest competitor we can think of at the moment will be the MINI Countryman.

Production of the Q1 will take place at Audi’s home plant in Ingolstadt, where it currently makes the A3, A4, and A5 models. This is a decision viewed with great significance in Audi’s ranks as it shows a clear commitment to the staff of the plant of its continued importance as the brand’s key production site. With the Q1 and other new models to come, Audi plans to expand its product range from the current 49 models to 60 by 2020, with a sales volume of two million vehicles per year.

KON

Pictures: Official Audi release.

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