Audi is luxury brand, everybody will agree. That makes the German manufacturer going the opposite way of Asian brands. Hyundai is trying to move upmarket (with this Genesis and Equus), and with this little A1, Audi’s trying to appeal to small car buyers. Of course not bargain hunters, but hip and trendy city dwellers. Young, well informed professionals, who will want all the luxury and equipment of a big car, in a small package for city use. To seduce them, Audi has just released this video.

Appealing? The A1 is available in Europe since yesterday, with price starting at 15.800 euros in Germany ($20.161). But if you live in the United States, you’d better not like the Audi A1 as it won’t be available in America before 2018 at the earliest, according to Audi. The base engine is a downsized turbocharged and direct-injected 1.2-liter four-cylinder, making 112-hp. That smallish motor is enough to take the car to 113-mph, but the car requires 11.7 seconds for the 0-to-62-mph acceleration.

I understand Audi, Americans are not prepared to pay that kind of money for a car this small with only average performance. Even with a 46-MPG rating. The Audi A1 looks really nice, but I hope it will get better by 2018…