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NEWS
Audi stirs up the sporting top end
A slew of high-powered missiles from Audi makes up for a relative paucity of all-new volume modelsAudi has signalled an adrenalin boost in its push for the number one spot in the local luxury segment with a 2013 launch schedule heavily skewed to high-powered S and RS variants.
In a clear tilt at the top-shelf AMG/M end of virtually every segment, the upsurge heralds plans to parallel German rivals Mercedes-Benz and BMW not just at the volume end of each segment but at the brand-building excitement end as well. It parallels Japanese contender Lexus’s strategy to raise the profile of its own F Sport sub-brand for the same purpose.
More than half the new and updated models scheduled for release through 2013 bear Audi’s performance badges – seven warmed-up S and super-hot RS variants against six standard.
Asked about the implications against a relatively quiet year at the volume end, Audi Australia MD Andrew Doyle wouldn’t be drawn on the strategic implications of the shift. “But it is important to us not just to add to that end of our offerings, but to launch those variants earlier in the life cycle of each model,” he told motoring.com.au at a press briefing this week.
The company kicked off a busy year with Q1 launches of TT RS plus, RS4 Avant and R8 V10 plus models. The second quarter sees SQ5-badged versions of its mid-size SUV, in high-powered petrol and TDI variants. In Q3 comes a Cabrio version of the RS5 launched last year, to be followed in Q4 by the super-quick RS6 Avant and the S3 Sportback (both pictured).
The first half of 2014 will see an S3 sedan launched alongside its A3 sibling, in addition to an RS7 Sportback, an RS addition to the Q3 compact SUV lineup and an S8 version of its S Class/7 Series limo competitor.
By contrast, the company’s volume offerings are slim, most of the company’s resources there going towards the upcoming launch of the new A3. This will take place in two phases, with standard petrol and diesel engines (two each) in May, followed by a hi-po 1.8 TFSI and the super-frugal 1.4-litre petrol four with cylinder-on-demand technology allowing it to run on two or four pots as needed.
Earlier this year saw the arrival of new biturbo TDI engines for the A6/A7 platform; aside from these, the volume segment activity is restricted to specced-up limited edition A1, A4/A5 and Q7 models.
Competitive pricing is key, too. The company has already announced a $35,600 (plus ORCs) sticker on the base A3 1.4 TFSI, matching Benz’s A180 (from $35,600) and undercutting BMW’s 116i hatch ($37,300). With Benz’s A45 AMG set for release later in Q3 at a reported $75K, Audi has launched a pre-emptive strike with confirmation of $65-70K pricing for the S3.
Asked about the comparative paucity of new volume models, Mr Doyle reiterated the importance of the multiform A3 offering, adding that Audi’s strategy is long-term. “We’ve set our main goal for 2020. We don’t want to just grow for the sake of growing – it’s about growing on a stable and solid platform.”
This, he explained, is what lies behind the company’s multifaceted view of the number-one position to which it aspires – on quality, on customer experience, in minimising returns to the workshop. “It’s something we need to approach holistically,” he said.
He admitted the weak link in the company’s model range is probably the ageing A4, which finished 2012 0.1 per cent up on the year before but, with 12 per cent of its market, well behind Benz’s C Class (42pc) and BMW’s 3 Series (32pc). “Yes, it’s getting on, but we’ve nothing to hide with the A4. It’s holding up.” The next-generation A4 isn’t due here until 2015.
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Written byJeremy Bass
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