Audi grows the niches with new Sportbacks

Audi's new Sportback concept will carry the A7 nameplate when it goes on sale next year. The luxury car – which features a five-door hatchback body – will be pitched squarely in competition with the Mercedes-Benz CLS.

A7 is yet another niche model from Audi, which is continuing its programme of expanding the range of models on offer from 30 “silhouettes” to 42 by the ed of 2010.

This includes a new small Mini-rival, the A1, which will come with either three- or five-door body styles, plus a similar but smaller 'sportback' based on the Audi A5, with hatchback body. Further down the line a new A2 is being considered.

The A7 will be positioned between the A6 and A8. Despite its size, it is actually based on the A4/A5 platform, using the basic architeture and much of the suspension of the mid-sized Audi models.

Meanwhile the next-generation A8 will maintain the aluminium spaceframe construction of the current model. It's powered by the 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel use in the Q7 SUV, which Audi claims already meets Euro 6 standards that are not due until 2014.

Despite the economic downturn, Audi achieved its 008 sales target of one million cars in 2008 for the first time in its history. With 1,003,400 cars sold worldwide, Audi increased its unit sales volume by 4.1 percent over 2007's 964,151. UK sales also performed strongly, topping 100,000 units, thanks to newA4.

A further boost is expected from the newly introduced Audi Q5 and Audi expects to outperform the market in 2009. Audi chairman Rupert Stadler said: “We’ll continue to draw on this strength in the difficult year of 2009. We have ambitious long-term goals: We want to make Audi the most attractive premium brand worldwide.”