Audi A0 in development based on VW Up!

Fri, 15 Nov 2013

Bigger, it seems, is no longer better. Volkswagen has made waves with its Up! city car, a plucky three-door that's been a bit of a hit since it burst onto the automotive scene, spawning a number of variants during its short life. And while our European friends have gotten a Cross Up!, a commercial version, an EV model, Seat- and Skoda-badged variants, and a rumored diesel-electric Twin-Up!, the small city car has been lacking in terms of its premium content.

That fact makes this rumor rather tantalizing - Audi might be working on its own version of the front-engined, front-drive city car, to be called the A0. The report comes from AutoExpress, which claims Audi CEO Rupert Stadler wants a premium Up! that features a distinctive interior and exterior treatment.

Changes could include a trapezoidal grille, in addition to premium exterior features like LED lighting and alloy wheels. The cabin would feature leather and likely a version of Audi's MMI infotainment system, while power would come from a 109-horsepower, 1.0-liter engine found in the Up! GT Concept.

Of course, consume your regularly sized grains of salt for this one. Audi currently has the still-fresh Audi A1 holding down the bottom of its range, and for some reason, the idea of an Audi Up! stinks ever so slightly of brand dilution. What do you think? As Mini has proved, there's a market for small, premium cars, but is there a market for small, premium city cars?

By Brandon Turkus