If you want a new B6/B7 A4, you'll soon be able to buy 1 except its now called a Seat

E92

I don't know what to make of VAG sometimes! I have no idea what to say, truth be told.

Anyway here's the linky!

Del2005

Since most VAG cars share the same parts already all their doing is making them look similar. It's all about ecominies of scale, why only use a part on 1 type of car when if you use it on all of them you can save money on tooling etc.

Victor_M

Not only do all Audi's look like each other, they are bringing their overly conservative fear of designing something even remotely interesting to new lows by recycling old cars, so much for Vorsprung durch Technik.

_Kaiser_

Victor_M wrote: »

Not only do all Audi's look like each other, they are bringing their overly conservative fear of designing something even remotely interesting to new lows by recycling old cars, so much for Vorsprung durch Technik.

This is going on a while though - I don't care what they say but the current/just replaced? Skoda Superb is really just a slightly longer last gen Passat except for the uglier Skoda front-end.

E92

It's based on the previous generation A4(the B6/B7, well the B7 was basically a facelifted B6). Why not base it on the current B8 A4 if it must be based on an Audi? That one has a chassis set-up that is more in keeping with a fun to drive philosophy which is supposed to be an integral part of a Seat, since the engine is longitudinal like a rear wheel drive car is (i.e. the engine is facing north-south rather than east-west on it's side like most wheel drive cars are i.e. a transverse engine) and it is mounted behind the front axle again like a rear wheel drive car for better weight distribution.

colm_mcm

I'd guess they're basing it on the old A4 because it's cheaper to do so. they're probably using a lot of the old tooling to produce it

VW's Chinese version of the Superb is quite nice



Just spotted this Mk4 Golf facelift on sale in China too!

astraboy

Car companies need economies of scale. That is a fact. Using the same interior switches, even engines and gearboxes is acceptable enough. However VAG are getting to the stage of eroding the brand Audi have made for themselves. If Audi, or any other car manufacturer does not have their brand, they have nothing really. In this case you would be better off buying the cheaper Seat and you get similar build quality and engines to the Audi. We'll have quattro badged VW passats next.:rolleyes:

PaulKK

astraboy wrote: »

Car companies need economies of scale. That is a fact. Using the same interior switches, even engines and gearboxes is acceptable enough. However VAG are getting to the stage of eroding the brand Audi have made for themselves. If Audi, or any other car manufacturer does not have their brand, they have nothing really. In this case you would be better off buying the cheaper Seat and you get similar build quality and engines to the Audi. We'll have quattro badged VW passats next.:rolleyes:

This is not eroding Audis brand at all. Skoda have been doing this for years with the VW cars, using previous generation cars for new models, e.g the octavia/bora and the superb/passat. This hasn't harmed VWs brand at all, and has helped the image of the other brands.

If people like audis, want a new car but dont want to pay audi prices, they will buy one of those seats. The badge snobs will still buy the new audi, and it will still have its "staus" because the "new" car in the alternate brand is still a generation behind, just like the skodas.

I've heard loads of people who drive skodas go, "sure its a vw underneath". Its a major selling point.

Agreed on the economies of scale, there are many parts that are shared across the VAG range, it makes sense, whats the point in developing a few differnet versions of the same component? Loads of parts on my passat have audi stamps on them.

I can only see that seat being nothing but a success to be honest.

-Chris-

Sounds fair enough.

Buy a Seat and you get Audi A4 fit and finish for half the price (which is a decent boast, although there are non-Audi fans out there who will dispute it).

Buy an A4 and you get the latest chassis (comparable to the 3-Series, according to the press), the re-designed interior and the badge that ensures better residuals than the Seat.

That being said, if it's as similar to the A4 as they imply, it seems like some pretty lazy designer-ing from VAG...

colm_mcm

It just goes to show how overpriced the entry level Audis are.

mikedragon32

I doubt that the Seat is going to have the same quality interior or fittings, that would help bring the price down a bit.

Not having to spend money on design or research would save a few quid too, I guess.

As for Victor M's remark about the conservative Audi design department, you can't deny that the R8 is a work of art and certainly one of the most beautiful cars out there at the moment?

Victor_M

mikedragon32 wrote: »

I doubt that the Seat is going to have the same quality interior or fittings, that would help bring the price down a bit.

Not having to spend money on design or research would save a few quid too, I guess.

As for Victor M's remark about the conservative Audi design department, you can't deny that the R8 is a work of art and certainly one of the most beautiful cars out there at the moment?

I agree fully about the R8, only problem I have is that it's a Gallardo in a different suit, The best engine Audi have ever 'developed' is a Lambo one with 2 cylinders lopped off. (That's not a bad thing by any stretch obviously, but hardly innovative)
I just think they all look the same from the front though, hard pushed to tell the difference between a TT, R8, new A4 and Q7 (if you are a bit further away to make it smaller;))
Thats the problem I have with them at the moment. The old shape A4 was nice, a bit bland but nice, the new one is way too similar (i know there are loads of changes under the skin) to be anew model.

Have to say, I absolutely adore the new style interior though, BMW and Merc have all gone boring flat dash with a few buttons, Audi have gone driver focused curved like the E46 Bm used to be.