Audi's New Line-up

It's the Product, Stupid

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One of the most overused statements in the auto biz is "there is no problem that a great product cannot fix." We hear this all the time from the bosses of various companies during the hoopla of a new model introduction, and then sit back and see more of the same boredom get pushed out of their factories.

A striking anomaly has been slowly taking place at the venerable brand Audi. I recall at the Frankfurt Auto Show several years ago when the Audi TT was highlighted by executives as the true start of a large design-driven renaissance at the company. As mentioned, we have heard that many times from many companies, but it hit me this week that they were serious at Audi.

2008 Audi R8

While the TT was never known as a great driver's car, no one can deny its powerful design statement and the impact of bringing a new wave of buyers into Audi's showrooms. And now, in 2007, we find a direct evolution of this powerful design in the all new TT...and A3...A4...A6...A8...and Q7...and in the mack daddy R8. And wait until you see the new Q5 and A1. This is a brand that has delivered on the original TT's promise, and has seen sales up over 9% vs. this time last year during a very tough period for many of their competitors and for the industry in general.

So what does this tell us? That the old adage is as true today as ever before--maybe even more so as quality and reliability are fast becoming a common trait among all manufacturers. In order to succeed, a brand and their models better look sharp.

Posted on 2007-08-27 | Permalink | |

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