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Audi unveils an electric E concept representing the new AUDI brand, which will be launched together with partner SAIC from 2025, previewing a new design and technology direction for the Chinese market.
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The concept is powered by a 100 kWh battery, produces 764 hp and has a range of 700 kilometers. dropping the four-ring logo and adopting a new design language that has little in common with the automaker’s current cars.
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Audi and parent company VW have seen their dominance in China decline in recent years, after more than three decades of leading the market among European brands.
The Volkswagen Group is the European automaker with the longest presence in China, having launched production in the Central Kingdom back in 1984 with the debut of the locally produced VW Santana sedan. The Audi brand has been present in China since 1988 – also a long time in terms of joint ventures between European and Chinese car manufacturers – in collaboration with Shanghai-based SAIC.
In that time we’ve seen more than a few oddities found only in China, including Hongqi limousines based on now-vintage Audi sedans, in addition to a variety of unique nameplates and body styles sourced from the larger VW parts bin with funky names as Sagitar.
Suffice to say, VW and Audi are big in China, or at least they are had for most of the past four decades. But the VW Group’s market share has taken a hit in the past five years as upstart Chinese brands have become increasingly popular.
To revitalize its image in this important market, Audi has now spawned AUDI, in all capital letters, in China with partner automaker SAIC.
“To this end, the company is launching its first new brand alongside the Audi E concept: AUDI – without the four-ring logo but spelled in four capital letters – indicates both the connection and the distinction with the sister brand,” the car manufacturer explains.
In fact, the company now considers the two as separate brands.
Introducing this new brand and design direction is the sleek concept, which represents a generous dual-motor electric Sportback with exterior styling that has little in common with the familiar lower-case Audi range.
But the design has quite a bit in common with other modern EVs, even if we can’t quite place it. Without the AUDI lettering, we probably wouldn’t be able to identify the E concept if it were shown to us badgeless. But the automaker is betting that this design language is what buyers in the largest EV market are looking for now.
Powered by a 100 kWh battery, the AUDI E concept promises nothing less than 764 hp and a range of 700 km, along with a 0-100 km/h launch time of 3.6 seconds.
Those who have been following VW Group’s electric models for a while will probably guess from these specs that the PPE platform is underneath, but the brand is calling it the Advanced Digitized Platform.
“The joint platform will form the basis for a new generation of state-of-the-art, intelligent, connected vehicles, exclusively for China,” said Audi CEO Gernot Döllner. “The upcoming models are aimed at a promising yet demanding new customer segment.”
Of course, the unique exterior and interior designs are key here, with the model penned by the automaker’s Beijing Design Studio taking into account the urban lifestyle of the country’s megacities.
“Audi design – tailor-made for Chinese customers: the exterior design of the concept car is minimalist and calm, yet striking, thanks to the flowing round wheel arches and the confident, wraparound light graphics at both ends,” says the automaker.
The interior deviates slightly from established Audi design themes, with a hexagonal steering wheel hinting at a degree of Ingolstadt pedigree, but the rest is at once contemporary but also a bit anonymous, with a curved 4K touchscreen that extends from pillar to pillar.
Like the exterior design, the interior can be difficult to attribute to a specific brand when seen without badging.
This concept exercise clearly pulls Audi’s design in the direction of a number of Chinese brands currently on the market there, as well as Lucid, with the aim of attracting a new and savvy target group that is now accustomed to this common design language.
“The automotive industry is undergoing the greatest transformation in its history. With our partnerships in China, we are playing a decisive role in this transformation,” adds Döllner.
There’s no immediate danger that AUDI will make its way to the United States, at least for now, but it’s still wise to view this experiment as a preview of what we’ll see in China starting next year.
Would Audi be diluting its unique design by going this way? and drop some well-known, established design elements? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
