IF Audi Q5 Sales Ever SINK, HOW Does The Brand Stay Alive In the USA?

Autospies, I have known you guys since 2002 and you have gotten worthless over the years reporting useless news and trying to stir emotions on this forums rather than report the facts!! You used to report spy news that no one else had at that time now you are all about the drama and etc and nothing interesting or WOW like others are reporting on the website. Get over yourself.

What 'facts' are we missing? Audi's numbers are clear as day.

And our readers are asking the same question. Outside of Q5, WHERE is the silver lining?

001

the only thing autolies cares about is maintaining their position up teslas ass

http://autospies.com/news/Audi-Pulls-A-Rabbit-Out-Of-The-Hat-In-October-With-A-19-4-Leap-In-Sales-100587/

We're fans of Audi and previous customers. But any reasonable, thinking person would look at their sales mix and worry right now.

And none of the Agents own a Tesla NOR do they advertise with us. LOL!

001

Advertising and greasing the palms of are two different things though.

Audi is very much in trouble should the Q5 fail. Same goes with Lexus and the RX lineup. It is not the sign of a healthy brand when one model out of more than a dozen + others carries the entire sales number month after month. Something needs to change.

Agreed is not healthy for a brand to rely only to 1 model. But Lexus is in a much better position than Audi. Lexus has NX and ES which are strong sellers, while Audi doesn't have a 2nd or 3rd strong sellers for back up. Lexus does need to better its sedans so they can compete with BMW and MB.

Small SUV's are all the rage today for manufacturers and will continue to be for some time as prices keeping rising putting larger versions out of reach of most folks.

The problem is that Audi has no compelling small SUVs. Their naming system creates the following situation: "Oh, you bought a Q3. Couldn't afford a Q5?" As opposed to being a valid reason to buy a Q3 over the Q5.

Audi has gotten complacent in numerous ways. We have the A12345678 and the Q12345678. Too many models, so buyers are not aware of the identity of any of them. Nor do they have any personality.

They are not really special in any way. The styling got progressively more boring and their answer is to add garish features.

Their first EV was a gigantic stumble.

Where is their G-wagen?

I'd prune the sedans down to the A3 and A6, reduce their prices considerably, and make them stylistically distinct from each other rather than same=sausage-different-lengths.

How about below the Q5 they create a very stylish, dynamic, "Bronco Sport" kind of product and call it the Audi Fox?

VW is really the old GM all over again and Audi is Oldsmobile, a division that historically did well, but it likely for extinction.

Audi's crossover array is completely wrong for the market. The Q5 is sort of their Lexus RX, but the Q7 and Q8 are obviously NOT the steps up they need.

Audi used to be more reasonably priced compared to BMW or Mercedes, but now they seem to think they can match those prices. I like Audi, having owned a Q5 in the past. But I didn't even consider them when it was time for a new car. Too expensive, and desired options weren't/aren't available in the lower priced models.

Repositioning Audi to the Buick/Subaru level would work wonders for the brand, but VW would also have to slide down market. Audi's problem is that VWAG sees VW as a premium brand when the reality is that it's a crap-for-basic brand.

Audi was originally a Volvo/Saab near premium competitor. THe 5 cylinder Audi 5000 was what got it on the map in the US but it competed with Buick/Chrysler/Mercury - not Lincoln or Cadillac then.

I still do not see Audi as a true upper tier premium vehicle - much as Lexus has it sales basically the ES(Avalon based) and the NX/RX - and does not sell well at the true high end. Neither did Infiniti - whose only claim was the original active suspension Q45. (THeir other product was thinly disguised Nissan for years)

But AUDI has been a out of warranty money pit for years - which is why their VALUE Plummets after about 3-4 years.

If BMW 3 series sales sink, how will the BMW brand stay alive in the U.S.?

Toyota will own BMW.

Easy. The X1 sales are up and the X3 and X5 sell very well.

If Mercedes Benz C class sales sink, how does the MB brand stay alive in the U.S.?

They've rested on their laurels and it's about to bite them in the ass.

It that horrible looking Q5 is still selling well I'd say they have nothing to worry about.

After all the soccer moms get over their crossover phase we can finally get back to automakers focusing on performance coupes and sedan.

The 2022 Ford Fusion--I think--will be a sign of the next step i.e. a more car-like crossover AKA a slightly lifted station wagon.

Just like having a bazillion sedans went boom, so will having a bazillion crossovers.

Hey...how come we have no personal luxury coupes anymore like the Monte Carlo and Cordoba (and the bazillion others)?

Hey...how come the number of hatchbacks is so small when in the 1980s there were a bazillion hatchbacks?

Answer: Being trendy is where the money is. Manufacturers will ride a trend to its death.

VW though will be the last to arrive.

When Genesis launches their GV80 SUV. Consumers will eventually tire of the same old-same old from Audi.
Audi is relying on a formula they have used for over two decades. Time to get aggressive.

Hyundai needs to get its marketing of Genesis in check. Wen the first Genesis sedan was planned, Genesis was going to be a brand in the USA and then Hyundai changed its mind. The second Genesis was to be a brand beginner then Hyundai changed its mind and then changed its mind back. Hyundai went shopping for dealer owners that would build stand-alone stores. Some groups bought land and some began construction only to have Hyundai change its mind. Now Genesis is to be stand-alone once again, only this time most of the dealer groups they wanted got burned previously so they are not enthusiastic.

Is this why Hyundai named a new president for Genesis last week?

Truth be told, a lot of brands would have significant worries if their compact/mid-size SUVs suddenly lose interest. The GLC/GLE, X3/X5, RX/NX make up a significant portion of each brand's monthly sales. While the Q5/Q7 are a higher percentage of Audi's total sales, its position is actually much better than if Acura's RDX/MDX start tanking.
With that said, if the bread-and-butter segment for premium SUVs does implode, then what does that mean? Does that mean that buyers would be going back to sedans? If so, Audi is in good position with their current offerings. Same with Benz and BMW. Lexus would be in a tougher position outside of their ES. And Acura, would be in deep caca. If it means that buyers suddenly realized that a non-premium SUV these days is probably the better buying choice, then the premium brands are all kinds of screwed unless they would react by offering cars like the new Benz GLB, offering decent room, utility, luxury at a good starting price.

Same could be said about BMW if X3 sales tank for some reason. Audi is better equipped (financially) to weather an extended downturn (due to VWs resources) than BMW or even Mercedes. Audi has the ability to discount further than BMW or Mercedes should they chose to, which will cause a quick rebound in sales as most lease customers in these entry segments shop across makes and chose largely based on lease numbers.

Audi not a competitor to BMW/Mercedes? What are you guys smoking? Have you ever driven in an Audi? Audi is easily on par with MB/BMW and has much better reliability than BMW nowadays (reversed from the 1990s/2000s where BMW was more reliable). As for the question, it's a stupid one; Audi US sales don't significantly affect the WORLDWIDE mix. The new Q3 is going to sell similar to the Q5 (maybe more because the pricing is strong) and the Q7 is and will remain also a high volume vehicle (also just got a face-lift). As for the sedans, they are struggling; but aren't all sedans? As for pricing; Audi needs to get a grip a bit on the A6/A7/A8, they are overpriced by 8-10%. I drive the new 2019 A7 and got 14K off a 78K MSRP vehicle. This is my 9th Audi and I've never gotten close to 18% off MSRP especially on a new body style.