Audi's New Q7 SUV Selling Better in Europe

Here’s a rare example of Americans looking down their noses at the Europeans. This doesn’t happen often, but Audi’s first foray into the SUV market — the new Q7 that Mike Hanley recently reviewed — is selling better in Europe than it is in the usually more SUV friendly United States. Audi had originally thought a full half of Q7s that rolled off the assembly line in Germany would be sold on American soil. Instead, only 30% of Q7s are being housed in U.S. garages.

There are a number of factors that could be contributing to the reversal of SUV fortune. American buyers are getting tired of SUVs in general and another entry based on the VW Touareg and Porsche Cayenne isn’t exactly hot stuff. The Q7 didn’t come to market offering a more affordable V-6 engine so shoppers first glimpse of a sticker price saw something just under $50,000 for the V-8 instead of just under $40,000 for the V-6. Audi says the problem is brand awareness. That doesn’t fly for us since the rest of Audi’s lineup like the A4 and A6 is at a record-setting pace.

Otherwise, we’re not sure why folks are staying away from the Q7 while many other new luxury SUVs like the Range Rover Sport and Cadillac Escalade are selling well. We’ll see if the new BMW X5 suffers a similar down trend or if it is just a case isolated to Audi.

[Q7 sells better in Europe than US, AutoWeek]