Audi of America CEO Scott Keogh has announced that the RS3 high-performance compact car and the Q8 SUV will be sold in the United States.
Keogh said the Audi RS3 sedan would be the best fit for the United States, although such a variant doesn’t exist yet.
In Europe, the RS3 is currently available exclusively as a five-door hatchback, powered by a 362hp (367PS) 2.5-liter five-cylinder turbocharged gasoline engine which allows it to sprint from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.3 seconds.
The Audi A3 lineup in the US currently consists of the A3 sedan, sporty S3 sedan and the A3 e-tron plug-in hybrid five-door hatchback.
“We really, really want the RS 3,” Keogh was quoted as saying by Automotive News, adding that the sedan is would be a great halo car. “I’m very confident we’ll see that car in the market. That’s as far as I’m going to go,” Keogh said.
The executive also confirmed that the US market will also get the new Q8 SUV. While he didn’t offer a time frame, the Q8 could arrive stateside in 2017 after its launch in Europe. The Q8 will be a sportier, more premium variant of the Q7.
“The Q8 looks to be a home run product for the U.S., if you look at its size and where it’s going to be positioned. That is absolutely a car that we will see in the United States,” Keogh added.
As for the upcoming Audi Q1 small crossover, the executive said that the US market is unlikely to get it because it might not have the combination of price and value for American consumers.
Renderings courtesy of X-Tomi Design
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