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2014 Audi S3 Cabriolet

Drivers are either droptop people or they're not. As most usually aren't - at least as far as the willingness to buy one is concerned - all convertibles tend to remain strictly niche cars. Thus, automakers must ask a noticeably higher price for them.
The Audi S3 Cabriolet is about as niche as you can get in the open daylight of mainstream automaking. Of course, the S3 cab doesn't really need to sell in big volumes; it exists because it's an easy and not too costly bit of flair for the company. In the US, this model would probably base out at around $44,000 if it were to join our fleet, which is problematic, as I'll soon explore.
In what may be a sign that Audi is essentially okay with all this, it had me up to central Sweden to twist around on the snow and ice in the open S3. The grounds ended up offering precious little ice and snow, so I drove the two-door ragtop on dusty, thawing Scandinavian roads. This was a blessing really, since ice driving in a cabrio - even a Quattro one - doesn't really reveal much of anything about such a car in its typical day-to-day life.

Audi to show hydrogen Q6 in Detroit

Audi is allegedly bringing a hydrogen-powered concept to the Motor City next month. The report comes from Autocar, which cites German media in claiming the new concept, tipped to be called the Q6 H-Tron, will ride on the same MLB architecture as the E-Tron Quattro Concept, shown at Frankfurt earlier this year. In fact, it sounds like the Detroit concept will look more or less like the Frankfurt concept, just with low-mounted hydrogen fuel cells instead of battery packs. That said, Audi didn't come right out and tell Autocar that the Q6 H-Tron was coming to Detroit. Instead, a company spokesman told the website that "a concept car with new drive technology" will be shown at next month's show. But this seems like a safe bet. As Audi continues to cope with the fallout of its diesel emissions scandal, shifting focus to an even more alternative fuel source would be a sound strategy, even if it is just a PR move. Whatever Audi ends up showing in Detroit, we'll be live at the show to report on all of it. Look for more in mid January.

KBB: VW diesel prices have dropped 16%

There are a lot of post-scandal theories and metrics concerning Volkswagen's performance during the diesel emissions scandal, although none of them has created a clear picture of where things are headed. Kelley Blue Book has a few more to add to the spreadsheet, though, finding that average auction prices for VW diesels and Internet shoppers perusing them have both gone down in the past four weeks on KBB.com. Auction prices on the site are down an average of 16 percent for VW oil burners, which compares to a decline of 2.9 percent for gas-powered VWs. Shoppers are still on the lookout, though, even if the numbers are slightly reduced. Overall, "new-car shopping activity" for the small-capacity VW diesel offerings is down 2.4 percent, a number held partly in check by searches for the Jetta SportWagen being up by 3.7 percent. Shoppers are looking harder at the Audi A3 diesel, too, its activity up 1.6 percent. The Golf, though, is down 3.7 percent and the Golf SportWagen down 6.2 percent. Shoppers leaving the diesel fold aren't necessarily going for high-mileage options, either, KBB saying that the Ford Fusion and Honda Civic are quick alternatives to the Jetta TDI, while the Mercedes CLA and BMW 2 Series are getting new looks from those interested in the Audi A3 diesel. You can read the full release from KBB below. VOLKSWAGEN DIESEL VEHICLE PRICES DECLINE NEARLY 16 PERCENT, ACCORDING TO KELLEY BLUE BOOK DATA New-Car Shopping Activity Also Impacted by Recent Emissions Issue IRVINE, Calif., October 21, 2015 – Kelley Blue Book www.kbb.com, the only vehicle valuation and information source trusted and relied upon by both consumers and the automotive industry, today reports that average auction prices, along with new-car shopping activity on KBB.com, for Volkswagen diesel vehicles have declined four weeks after the diesel emissions issue was announced. The average auction price for Volkswagen diesel models dropped by nearly 16 percent since the news broke of the emissions crisis.[1] The average auction price for the brand's gasoline-powered vehicles declined by 2.9 percent.1 On KBB.com, Volkswagen new-car shopping activity for affected TDI models has decreased on average by 2.4 percent. "According to Kelley Blue Book Field Analysts, some auctions are still holding off on selling the affected Volkswagen inventory," said Tim Fleming, analyst for Kelley Blue Book.