Audi is looking to enter a market they’ve never been in before. Car’s like BMW’s X3 and Acura’s RDX have all but dominated the small SUV/Crossover segment. With the combination of high driving position without the intimidation of driving a large vehicle, this new segment has seemingly exploded with potential buyers over the last couple of years.

Now Audi wants a piece of the pie and they already have an entrant. The company’s Q5 small SUV is already for sale in Europe and in a few other countries and makes a perfect companion to the larger Q7 in Audi’s U.S lineup.

The company has also expressed their desire to offer a hybrid version to compete with the upcoming hybrids in the market. Though the comapany’s first choice for alternative propultion is their tried and tested diesel drivetrains, Audi’s board of directors seem to think that a hybrid is needed to show customers Audi can provided them with whatever they need.

Wolfgang Hatz, head of powertrain development for the Volkswagen group, had this to say at a recent interview; “If you look at what you have to spend to get the advantage of the hybrid and what you have to spend on other technologies like diesel, the diesel is much more cost-effective,” Hatz said. “We have to do hybrids in order to show people that we are able to do them.”

Europeans have been reaping the benefits of modern, clean, diesel technology for over 20 years. As a company it’s only fitting that Audi would rather allocate their R&D resources somewhere else. Still, it seems that the hybrid fad will be here for a few more years so Audi must reluctantly follow suit.

The Q5 will go on sale in the states in March. Pricing is still to be announced but a quick gander at competitors prices should give you a firm idea of the kinda cash you’re gonna have to spend to get a hold of this particular Audi.

Source: AutoWeek

Photo: Audi AG