DETROIT — Saying it is targeting the Toyota Prius and the Honda Insight, Audi on Sunday rolled out its 2010 A3 2.0 at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show. The A3 2.0 is slated to go on sale in the U.S. in the first quarter of 2010.
Audi said pricing will be announced closer to the timing of the U.S. launch. The Audi Q7 is scheduled to go on sale here in April.
With the introduction of its diesel A3, Audi said it is moving "into a market space presently unoccupied in the luxury segment, that of a highly efficient diesel small luxury car."
In addition to the Prius and Insight, the German automaker said competitors will include the BMW 1 Series, the Mini Cooper and the Volvo C30 and S40.
The EPA has not yet released official fuel economy numbers on this Audi diesel.
The front-wheel-drive Audi A3 2.0 gets a 140-horsepower inline-4 turbocharged clean diesel with common-rail direct injection. It is linked to a standard S tronic transmission.
Standard features include hill-hold assist, Sirius Satellite Radio, leather seating surfaces, leather steering wheel and auxiliary audio input. Audi Magnetic Ride is optional.
Inside Line says: Other automakers may be going electric, but Audi is betting on diesel in the U.S. — at least in the short term. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent
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