There’s some good news and some bad news for Audi buyers in the U.S. The good news is that the handsome Audi A5 Sportback [pictured above] is likely to come to the States when the A5 lineup is redesigned next year. The bad news is that the new 2017 Audi A4 won’t offer a TDI diesel option as previously was planned. As reported by Automotive News, these tidbits come straight from Audi CEO Scott Keough, who hinted that the next-generation Audi A5, set to arrive in 2017, would offer a third bodystyle in the States. By process of elimination, the Sportback?currently a Europe-only four-door hatchback in the vein of the larger Audi A7?is the only possibility, as the A5 coupe and convertible variants are already sold on our shores. This would give Audi a competitor to the BMW 4-series Gran Coupe, and given the attractive looks and extra practicality of the outgoing A5 Sportback, we’re not complaining.
On the other side of the coin, the new 2017 Audi A4 will not gain a diesel-powered TDI variant, going against Audi’s previous plans to market the oil-burner in the U.S. Keough told Automotive News that this decision was related to market trends rather than the company’s diesel emissions scandal.

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We’re have a hard time believing that excuse, as the A4’s market seems to...