MattS

Sweet looking ride, but it seems like they are testing it in the European market. Anyone have any info on it?<br>

jon

<br>yes honestly, why dont they sell the A3 here? i first saw it in the spring in mexico and it is lovely, being a previous gti owner and now a loving audi owner i can honestly say the A3 is way better than Vw's new golf.<p>why why why <br>

RocketJohn

S3 way better than Golf? it IS a Golf... with fancy makeup and muscles...

Curious???

,

vertigo

Unfortunately the current A3 doesn't meet u.s. safety standards, so if they<br>wanted to import it there would be some redesign issues. Given where the<br>car is in its lifecycle, my guess is that if they import an A3 it will be the <br>next version of the car. HOWEVER, Audi has just purchased a new plant<br>in brazil where they will manufacture golfs for import to the u.s. The plant<br>will also produce the A3 for the south american market. It is not a long<br>shot to see production potential to fulfill north american demand also.<br>Nevertheless, I think we're talking 2 years + at least.

pdw

I think it's mostly a matter of marketing. Audi doesn't believe an expensive, small hatchback will sell in this country and they don't want to harm their reputation as an upscale manufacturer.

RocketJohn

No way, no more junky Bummers for me... Just statin' the truth, A3s, Golfs, Jettas... same compact car, different UNcompact prices...

vertigo

Yes, you are right regarding marketing issues. It isn't clear how well a <br>'hot hatch' would do in this market. Then again, VW can't keep their<br>$22k GTI GLXs in stock, and many dealers can sell them without <br>discounting. So perhaps there is a market for a luxury hatch if it really<br>moves, unlike the 318ti.<p>No, the A3 doesn't meet safety standards in spite of sharing its platform with<br>several cars that do. Keep in mind that the golfs sold in Europe do not meet<br>u.s. safety standards. The issues are more moderate--side impact beems, <br>design of the bumpers, etc, but nonetheless present. They could probably<br>modify the current car, and while it wouldn't be a herculean task, it wouldn't<br>be trivial either.

James J Dempsey

I recently wrote to Audi about the A3 (well, the S3) and whether it would come to the US. Their reply was that they had no plans to bring the car to the US now or in the future.<p>Sigh -- I'd love an S3.