Audi’s latest A3 range already consists of a hatch, Sportback wagon and a sedan, and soon a convertible will be added, but further down the track we may see even more variants, one of which is tipped to be a MPV. The A3 MPV was championed by Audi’s recently ousted R&D chief Wolfgang Dürheimer and is expected to be previewed in concept form soon, possibly as early as this September’s 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show.

While no mention of an A3 MPV has been made via official channels, Autocar reports that the production green light has already been given. One need only look at the success Mercedes-Benz has enjoyed in Europe with multiple generations of its B-Class MPV to understand why other automakers are keen to enter the segment. That success has even convinced BMW to start development on its own MPV and we’re sure Audi doesn’t want to miss out on the action.

The key to understanding the popularity of such vehicles is demographics. As the proportion of older buyers in Western countries rises and the size of families shrink, vehicles that offer ease of ingress and egress, are practical, and fuel efficient will only increase in demand.

Developing an A3-based MPV would be straight forward for Audi thanks to the flexibility of the car’s underlying MQB platform. Key attributes would be a tall roof (allowing for a raised seating position), flexible seating options and extra storage space.  Both five- and seven-seat versions are expected.

A release date is expected to be several years away still.

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