- The third model from Audi’s China-only AUDI brand will be a sedan.
- It’s coming next year and will join the E5 Sportback and E7X.
- All AUDI models will be purely electric.
It feels as if a new car brand is born in China every other day, but a recent entry carries a familiar name. Audi and SAIC strengthened their ties in 2024 to launch AUDI as a separate entity focused exclusively on electric vehicles. The E5 Sportback led the way, positioned somewhere between an SUV and a wagon. The E7X arrives this year as a true SUV.
Come 2027, a third model will join the AUDI range. It too will forgo the famous Four Rings, instead featuring the company’s name spelled out in capital letters. The upcoming vehicle will be a sedan, which makes sense given that Chinese customers still favor the traditional three-box shape. As a matter of fact, the A5 sold locally is a proper sedan with a trunk lid, whereas the rest of the world gets a five-door liftback instead.
Speaking with Reuters, the CEO of the Audi and SAIC Cooperation Project shared some preliminary details about the third AUDI model. Aside from confirming the sedan body style, Fermín Soneira described it as a “sporty model for the high-end market.” The head honcho explained that engineers need only two years to develop the car, as the process can be fast-tracked since it will comply solely with Chinese regulations.
Photos by: Audi
Photos by: Audi
SAIC and rival domestic brands are working at so-called “China speed,” something global automakers can only dream of. Major industry players typically take three to four years, or even longer, to develop a new product. With SAIC’s help, AUDI can bring new models to market at a pace similar to that of other Chinese brands. Well, AUDI itself is technically a Chinese carmaker.
It’ll be interesting to see how the car stacks up against Audi’s own A6L E-Tron sold locally and developed through the Audi-FAW joint venture. Audi’s first foray into the Chinese market dates back to 1988, when it entered through First Automotive Works, a state-owned car manufacturer. Since 2021, Audi has also been working with SAIC, another state-owned automaker.
In the meantime, sales of the first AUDI model have reached 10,000 units since the E5 Sportback launched last September. The E7X goes on sale in the second quarter of this year, ahead of the sedan’s arrival in 2027. The existing models target younger, affluent buyers seeking something different from the usual Audi lineup, as evidenced by their completely distinct designs inside and out.
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Source: Audi
Motor1’s Take: The luxury space is getting crowded in China, as the rise of local automakers has intensified competition with long-established brands. It’s too early to say whether AUDI can carve out its own slice of the market, but it certainly faces an uphill battle.
The A8 dies this year, and Audi won’t have a replacement until later this decade. While AUDI’s large electric sedan won’t be a successor to the traditional flagship, we’re curious to see what the “sporty model for the high-end market” entails.
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