Alex Davies / Business Insider
But while those first three brands all showed off their vehicles at the show, Audi didn't.
The company is saving the official debut of its 2015 A3 sedan for the Shanghai Motor Show next month, but didn't want to let its rivals hog all the spotlight this week. So it revealed the car Tuesday night, the eve of the show.
The packed event at Pier 59 in Manhattan was open only to journalists, so the public won't have the chance to see the car in person for a while.
But the reveal got Audi coverage from every major auto news source. Car and Driver, Jalopnik, USA Today, the New York Times, the Detroit Free Press, and many others reported the reveal.
So even without a car on display to rival the BMW 328d, Cadillac CTS, and Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG, Audi is being talked about. And that's just what it wants.