German automobile manufacturer Audi has officially confirmed that it will unveil the much-anticipated Q1 model in Ingolstadt, Germany by 2016. A teaser image has been released with the announcement to display the concept car. There were speculations about the release of this model and industry experts have spoken extensively about specifications of this car. With this announcement and released of the image of concept car, reports about the car have been made by analysts.
Rupert Stadler, Chairman of Board of Management of Audi, said in a statement that Q1 will be a member of the company's broad-based Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs). He said, "The Q1 is part of our broad-based SUV strategy. It is designed on the basis of the modular transverse engine concept and will round off our Q series at the bottom end."
As per reports, this SUV will be designed on the concept of modular transverse engine. Though details are yet to be out in the market, this SUV will essentially be based on the MQB modular platform of Volkswagen, which has already been incorporated in Audi A1. There are speculations that the car will be powered by a 1.4-litre TFSI petrol engine and a 1.4 litre TDI powertrain. Boasting of a rugged exterior design, this SUV is believed to have a different design as depicted by sharp lines in the artist's impression of the concept car. However, whether the new entrant will feature its signature Quattro all-wheel driving system still remains a point of discussion.
Industry experts feel that use of MQB platform is going to be helpful in improving efficiency levels of the car. Modularer Querbaukasten (MQB), literally translated into English as Modular Transverse Matrix, utilises a group of components to improve efficiency levels of cars. Volkswagen Group has used this platform in cars from different brands that it owns, such as Audi, Skoda, SEAT and Volkswagen.
Experts from India have discussed prospects of this car entering the country's market in the future. Audi, in the past few years, has made a name for itself in India, clocking excellent sales consistently. In fact, this Bavaria-based car maker has overtaken Mercedes-Benz as the top brand in luxury vehicle segment in India. The brand with four rings launched a number of models in 2013, which included the entry level Q3 S utility vehicle. Introduction of low-cost cars was a strategy adopted by car makers to attract buyers in India and challenge tough market conditions. Audi also launched the celebration edition of A4 model at an aggressive price by reducing some prominent features. On the other hand, Mercedes-Benz achieved great success by launching A-Class and B-Class models.
