Germany - Audi has announced it will launch two new Q-badged SUV's and three e-tron battery-powered electric vehicles. The brand will also replace five ‘core’ models.
Rupert Stadler, chairman of the Audi board said: "We are rejuvenating our model portfolio enormously and will renew five existing core model series by mid-2018.
"In addition, we will expand our successful Q family by 2019 with two new concepts – the Audi Q8 and the Audi Q4 – and we will launch our battery-electric e-tron models."
Three electric Audis on the way
Audi plans to launch three new electric models by 2020. The brand also will gradually add battery-powered versions to its core models.
Audi South Africa confirmed to Wheels24 that the Q8 will be launched in 2018 and the Q4 in 2019. Exact dates and local specifications will be confirmed closer to their respective launch dates.
The focus this year is on top-end models with the new generations of the Audi A8 and Audi A7. The premium manufacturer will unveil the A8 at the first Audi Summit to be held in Barcelona on July 11.
Next-gen crossover SUVs: Audi announces Q4, Q8 production dates and sites
With this new event concept, the Ingolstadt-based company will create an exclusive presentation format all around the Four Rings. “There, we will show the world everything that defines Vorsprung durch Technik and our brand,” explained Stadler.
Over 30% fully or partially electric sales by 2025
Audi is systematically utilising group synergies in order to implement topics of the future even faster and more efficiently.
In April 2017, the brand agreed on new development cooperation with Porsche for future vehicle architectures. Part of the cooperation is the development of shared premium architecture for electrification – an effective lever to enhance the competitiveness of electric cars. By 2025, Audi intends to achieve a proportion of one third fully or partially electric models in its unit sales.