Hot New Audi Option: ‘Semiconductor Shortage Package’
Some Audi buyers are being forced to read the writing on the wall. Or rather, the items on their Monroney.
If you’ve been shopping for a new car lately, well, you know how bad it is out there. Inventory is down, prices are way up, and scoring the vehicle you’re looking for, with all the options you want, is a longshot. Along with the pandemic, the semiconductor shortage has been wreaking havoc on global vehicle production — and now some Audi buyers are being forced to read the writing on the wall. Or rather, read the items on their Monroney sticker.
Because as AudiWorld member audixy noticed last month, some new Q5 45 TSFI premium pluses are being shipped with a “Semiconductor shortage package,” which deletes some pretty desirable options. Along with Adaptive cruise control with Traffic Jam assist and Audi phone box (which allows wireless charging and Apple CarPlay), the “options package” also deletes safety features like Audi active lane assist and side assist and rear cross traffic warning. Now, for the record, the sticker does reflect a $1,200 credit for the missing features.
But as Wires pointed out, knocking $1,200 off the price of something that costs north of the $50k mark doesn’t seem remotely fair, and like a lot of other folks on the thread, figured that cars so “optioned” would take a bit hit when it came to resale value. At this point? I almost feel like joking about how Porsche is actually charging for this. But it wouldn’t surprise me if Stuttgart has figured out a way. After all, this is the crew that took a convertible, put a roof on it — and then upped the price.
Later in the thread, audixy posted a more granular explanation of the deletions, where they wrote:
Assuming VIN is continuous, so far, there are two deletion patterns across 45 Regular Q5 and Sportback with the last few digits of VIN# greater than 20 68200, everything before 68200 has been without deletion related to these features.”
- For Premium, it is a $350 credit with “DELETE – Audi side assist & rear cross traffic warning”
- For Premium Plus, it is the $1200 credit “Semiconductor shortage package”
- Haven’t seen any 45 or 45 Sportback Prestige with VIN greater than 2068200, would expect the same credit for PP or no deletion at all.
It looks like 55 PHEV variant is not affected by this campaign yet; I see a few 55 PHEV VINs in the range of 2068200 – 2077700 without the deletion for both Premium Plus and Prestige.
Also haven’t seen any SQ5 variants with VIN greater than 2068200, so won’t know for sure.
Honestly, this is a killer example of just how awesome a resource the forum can be, and I heartily encourage you to give audixy some kudos. It’s also, unfortunately, an example of just how dire the situation with semiconductors is right now, and just how far automakers will go to continue shipping product. So if you did somehow mange to score the vehicle with everything you had on your checklist? Make sure to give it a through inspection before you drive it off the lot.
Photos: AudiWorld