Werner Zimmermann, Audi's Head of Quality, says the Audi A1 will be the only premium Supermini
Audi are claiming that their soon to be launched Super Mini – The Audi A1 – will be the only premium car in its sector.
We’ve got a bit bored with the tease that is the Audi A1. After all, we have a pretty good idea what it’s all about and it seems to be being milked for all it’s worth. We did run the ‘Audi A1 Graffiti’ tease, and the ‘Audi A1 Design’ a few days ago. But we’d decided we wouldn’t do another until there was actually some proper detail.
But when the video here dropped in and we saw what Audi was saying we thought we ought to report it. The video is just a ‘Talking Head’ video, this time featuring Werner Zimmermann, Audi’s Head of Quality. But what he says will put the car amongst the pigeons, particularly as as far as BMW are concerned.
So what does he say? The good Herr Zimmerman claims that the Audi A1 will be the only premium car in its sector. Herr Zimmermann waxes lyrical (well, as lyrical as a Corporate German can) about the premium materials; the tight shut lines and panel gaps; the tactility of the instrument panel and the crisp precision of the switches.
Audi obviously doesn’t consider the MINI to be a ‘Premium’ car, or maybe they’re just courting controversy to get publicity. Or could it be that Audi are planning on making the Audi A1 a chunk more expensive than the equivalent MINI and are laying the groundwork for justification? That’s certainly a possibility.
I think it’s highly likely we will get some sort of riposte from MINI on this. I’d be putting together a VT right now if I were them, taking the Michael out of the newcomer. And it would be a lot more ‘Fun’ than the rather bland Herr Zimmermann.
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