Grokking New-Age Luxury.(forecast of luxury cars market)(Column)

Byline: Steve Thompson

Speaking at this year's Automotive News World Congress, Scott Keogh, Audi of America's chief of marketing, said that Audi henceforth would try to embody "new-age values coming mostly from the West Coast.'' In addition to the presumably old-age values "traditionally grounded in Europe,'' this "new luxury'' would be generated by innovation and design to create "a more casual attitude, a sense of Zen and spirit and those types of things.''

As a longtime Left Coaster, I wonder which "types of things'' from these climes might make Audi's "new luxury'' list. Probably not the style of immense SUVs riding on chromed artillery wheels, occupants hidden by blacked-out windows. Nor probably the freeways full of jacked-up pickups or parking lots packed with Bimmers, Benzes, Lexi and 'Finitis in black, silver or white. Where's the Zen? In Camrys, Accords and Civics; RAV4s, Outbacks, Kias and Hyundais; Hogs and 'Busas?

Wisecracks aside, the question behind Audi's strategy has never been more important: Whither luxury in cars? It's especially important to Ratan Tata's company in India, which is about to take control of Jaguar and Land Rover. In an automotive universe now saturated with what used to be the trappings of luxury in cars, ...