Thursday 15th June 2006

Audi to build rival for Mercedes CLS

Expect to see four-door coupé in 2009

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Mercedes CLS: imagine it with an Audi grille

Audi is to build a direct rival for the good-looking Mercedes CLS, the so-called four-door coupé, to be called the A7. It's part of the German company's drive to build a million cars per year, a move that would place it in the top bracket of carmakers.

It's not confirmed for production, according to Autocar, but you could expect to see a concept within the next 12 months.

The car's likely to be around the same size as the A6, and based on the company's new modular platform, an adjustable floorpan that provides Audi with a single design for all its longitudinal-engined cars. Effectively, without such a system, the company couldn't build the A7, given that this machine is likely to be a relatively low volume product.

It'll arrive in 2009 at the earliest - and we've no details yet.

[scotty_917]

Not another '4-door' coupe? The end of the noughties will see Porsche, Aston Martin, presumably BMW, etc, all doing the same thing...we're getting too many niches within niches...