Audi: Killing RS4, A4 Cabriolet, RS4 Cabriolet?

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Audi: Killing RS4, A4 Cabriolet, RS4 Cabriolet?

Read on if you heard rumors Audi will kill the Audi RS4, the A4 Cabriolet and the Audi RS4 Cabriolet.

Well, it's true these models are being axed (just in the USA for RS 4) but not for the reasons the story suggests. A4, S4 and RS 4 Cabriolets naturally will be replaced by A5/S5/RS 5 versions. Why develop a two-door version of the sedan when you have a more voluptuous coupe roughly the same size and on the same platform? Drop top A5s were expected to replace drop top A4s all along.

RS 4 is a slightly different story. For starters, a B8 RS 4 Avant IS in the cards and in development. Sources at Audi have told us this. RS aficionados may recall that the original RS 2 and B5 RS 4 were Avant only. There was never much of a business case for RS 4 sedans in Europe. When B7 development began, adding a USA model made development of an RS 4 sedan a positive business case. The US will now get the RS 5 and so will Europe, making not enough demand for an RS 4 sedan even for Europe. While the RS 4 Avant is expected, it will likely be a European model only as only 1 in 10 A4s sold in the USA is an Avant.