Archive for the ‘A5’ Category

It's a busy news day in Germany: first comes word that the Porsche/VW feud is coming to an end, and now we hear that Volkswagen subsidiary, Audi, will debut a production model of its anticipated A1 minicar at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show.

Full production of the A1 is expected to begin in October. Even better -- at least for Europeans -- the A1 should roll into showrooms in the early part of 2010. The bad news? As of yet, Audi hasn't indicated any intention to bring the A1 to the U.S.

Whether the A1 could be profitable in the States is a matter for debate. On the one hand, the demand for minicars in America clearly pales in comparison to...

Audi is celebrating its 100th birthday as a brand these days, with ceremonies that included the unveiling of a 32-foot-long, 10-ton model of the Audi TT sports car.

So there was much anticipation around a gala event held last night at the Audi Forum in Ingolstadt, at which the company promised to unveil two brand-new Audi models in the presence of German prime minister Angela Merkel, among others.

One was the much-teased 2010 Audi A5 Sportback, a five-door hatchback version of the sleek 2009 Audi A5 coupe.  It's received widespread acclaim for its styling, though it apparently won't be sold in the US. That hatchback problem, you know.

But...

Audi fans: we have good news and bad news.

The good news? Audi has released a sketch and a teaser image for the upcoming 2010 Audi A5 Sportback, and although we can only see a sliver of the vehicle in the photo, we're definitely intrigued. In sketch form, the "five-door coupe" appears boxy but contemporary with its high beltline, and in the photo, the Sportback's rear end looks great--sleek, sophisticated, and not overly blinged. Not that we'd expect too much bling from Audi, but you never know.

The bad news? There's no mention of the Sportback coming to America. (Yet.) If you're one of our European readers, however, that's no big deal:...