Karl gets his crystal ball out, and predicts that 2017 will be the year when Audi takes the lead in the luxury car stakes…
The thing about the world is that we really can’t predict anything. First it was Brexit. Then the Chicago Cubs. After that came the greatest shock of all – President Trump is what we’ll all soon be saying. Yes, there are plenty of surprises just around the corner. Problem is, we don’t know it yet.
Crystal balling is a fine art. Actually, it isn’t an art at all, because it’s not possible. Keeping your finger on the pulse is one thing, but actually knowing what will happen is something entirely different. So, what surprises have we had in the past twelve months?
Well, Audi pulled the plug on its electric R8, which is a shame. But it’s really not, because when you’ve driven that glorious V10 in anger, you won’t care about a silent engine ever again. Speaking of electric cars, Jaguar announced its intention to take on Tesla with its I-PACE, which goes head-to-head with the Model X. While the launch was revolutionary (taking the use of virtual reality to a level not seen before in the automotive world) the car itself is the kind of stuff we expect these days from a high end EV. But the most interesting part is that we’ll see it on the roads in just over 18-months’ time.
We’ve seen perhaps some of the world’s best driver’s cars hit our roads this year, with the BMW M2, Ford Focus RS, and Lamborghini Huracan LP 580-2 all providing their own unique thrills. And who would have guessed that Toyota’s lead in the 2016 Le Mans 24-hour race would have been evaporated with just three minutes to go. Porsche, of course, won the race, but it was an empty victory.
It’s certainly been an interesting year, with not just some water under the bridge – it seems it’s been a torrent. It begs the question, then – what torrential flows will be happening in 2017?
Since I can’t seem to locate my crystal ball, I’m just going to have to wing it. Uber will be legalised in more countries. Tesla share price will go up and down like a yo-yo, the US will sell less cars than this year and the electric vehicle march will continue on, unabated. Easy predictions, sure, but here’s one that will go against the grain – Audi will take the crown for luxury vehicles in 2017.
It’s a close-run race between the three German manufacturers, but Mercedes-Benz has been the winner of late. However its rival from Ingolstadt has been biting at its heels, and has almost knocked off BMW. Thing is, Audi has an onslaught of products planned, and the further along we get, the more enjoyable the cars get.
Merc’s machines (apart from the AMGs of course) seem to be getting duller-and-duller, while BMW hasn’t improved its interior quality enough on its most popular cars to keep it in the running with other luxury machines.
That leaves the four-ringed juggernaut. Of course Dieselgate has taken a toll, but with clever platform use, brilliant engines, and arguably the best quality of the three Germans, Audi will become the best seller globally of luxury cars.
A big call? Perhaps. But if the past twelve months has shown us anything, it’s that anyone who makes predictions that go against the grain seems to be vindicated. You could even call it their Trump card.
Write your Comment