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A four-door Audi A3 might eventually join the hatchback model in the U.S., according to the German outlet Financial Times.
While such a four-door hasn’t been given the final OK to move forward, it could be just what the U.S. A3 lineup needs to sell in larger numbers.
Through the first seven months of the year, the A4, A5, and A6 (plus the Q5 and Q7) all sold more than the less expensive A3. The option of diesel has begun to account for a good portion of A3 sales in the U.S., but an A3 with a trunk lid — no matter the powertrain — could yield big rewards.
A 2011 A3 five-door starts at $28,145; a four-door version would probably slot just below that. If the A1 is too small for American tastes, do you think an A3 sedan would be a good move for Audi?
Source: Financial Times
Zach, you needed to dig a little deeper for this article. When I went to my local Twin Cities Audi dealer earlier this summer to shop for an A3, they didn’t even have one on the floor to look at! A salesman told me that Audi is holding most A3s back for Europe as they can make a bigger profit over there. The upshot was that I could either order an A3 sight unseen–and untest-driven!–or settle for a Q5, which they were far more anxious to sell me. I, of course, did neither. My experience is a better explanation for slow U.S. sales than the need for an A3 sedan. Audi either needs to commit to seriously selling the A3 hatchback here in the states or drop it entirely.