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Audi A3 e-tron to undercut Holden Volt?
Prestige plug-in could sneak in below $60,000Audi Australia boss Andrew Doyle has hinted that the company's plug-in hybrid small car, the A3 e-tron, could yet be priced below the Holden Volt when it arrives here in November.
Speaking with local journalists last week, the Audi MD was wearing his poker face as he discussed the prospects in Australia for the A3 e-tron.
"Although there has been some history of sales in various models it's still early days in the Australian marketplace to see what will happen," he said. "We've driven the car... personally I'm very excited about it because it offers a fantastic all-round package in an A3..."
What Doyle didn't mention at the time – but clearly knew – is that the range-extended hybrid may prove harder to sell in Australia than Audi's flagship models costing three or four times as much. History has shown that alternative-energy vehicles like the Mitsubishi i-MiEV and the Nissan LEAF – both EVs (electric vehicles) – or another plug-in hybrid, the Volt – are tough to sell.
Despite slow sales of the radical, eco-friendly designs, Audi's archrival BMW appears to be charting the same course in the lead-up to the launch of its i3 in November. At least, however, BMW has developed a far-sighted strategy for its EV, promoting the holistic virtues of its sophisticated design and construction.
Audi's strategy focuses more on the conventional looks and packaging of the A3 e-tron, which the importer will market as a model just like any other A3 variant – albeit with an electric drivetrain.
"Not often we'll quote a marketing campaign headline as a reason for buying it, but that really sums up the car: 'Changes the world, but not your everyday life'," says Doyle.
"That's the beauty of it, you're basically driving an A3 Sportback; you get all the benefits of e-tron without any range anxiety or completely different concepts. For all intents and purposes yes, there's some reduced luggage [capacity] because of the battery and so on, but it's an A3 Sportback [otherwise]..."
A component of marketing the A3 e-tron as a practical, real-world product is likely to be the car's pricing. Doyle, asked where the Audi EV would be positioned against the i3, offered that the e-tron would be "around that area," but also remarked: "I think we can do better."
Given that the i3's entry-level pricing is known to be $63,990, undercutting that would also bring the A3 e-tron within striking range of Holden's Volt, which is a plug-in hybrid rather than a battery-electric vehicle like the i3. Doyle wouldn't admit to knowing whether the A3 e-tron could cut the Volt's lunch.
"Don't know yet; it's not confirmed. I think price is important obviously, in any equation, but it's more the concept of what we're offering. Of course it's important to launch it right and communicate it right. That's probably more an education process for the marketplace – as to what we're offering."
Audi Australia will sell the A3 e-tron through a select number of local dealers, Doyle mentioned, further suggesting only dealers in metropolitan areas will be chosen.
"We haven't announced or confirmed the dealers yet, but there'll obviously be a limited dealer network – with a spread across Australia. So you can kind of guess where that might be."
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Written byKen Gratton
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