Audi Boss Confirms Reveal Timelines For New Audi A5, Q5, And A6 e-tron
Key Takeaways
- Audi plans to roll out over 20 new models by 2025, starting with the Q6 e-tron and followed by the new A6 e-tron, A5, Q5.
- The A6 e-tron will share PPE underpinnings with the Q6 e-tron and is expected to have up to 510 hp and a 300-mile driving range in SQ6 form.
- New Premium Platform Combustion (PPC) architecture will underpin next-generation A5 and Q5.
- Despite industry trends, Audi remains committed to electrification, aiming to electrify all core segments by 2027.
Audi has just revealed the Q6 e-tron, but the German automaker has already turned its eyes to the next product in the pipeline: the A6 e-tron sedan and its Avant sibling. At Audi’s annual media conference, brand CEO Gernot Döllner stated that the “Audi Q6 e-tron is the start of an extensive product initiative that we will use to rejuvenate our portfolio over the coming years,” explaining that Audi is “planning more than 20 new models in 2024 and 2025, including the presentation of the Audi A6 e-tron in the summer of 2024.” This ambitious product roll-out is touted as the largest model initiative in Audi’s history.
The A6 e-tron will share underpinnings with the Q6 e-tron, meaning it’ll utilize the 800-volt Premium Platform Electric architecture that also underpins the Porsche Macan Electric. That means we can expect up to 456 horsepower in standard form and as much as 510 hp for the S6 e-tron, with an EPA-targeted driving range of 300 miles.
Audi Massively Committed To Electrification
Audi’s reaffirmation of the electrification of its product portfolio is at odds with what the industry at large is doing. Earlier this week, for example, Bentley announced a delay in the arrival of its first EV, citing reduced demand for electric vehicles globally. As a result, the luxury marque’s electrification plans have been pushed back to 2033.
But Audi sees things differently, and despite growing pushback from the buying public, Döllner is adamant the future is electric:
Despite the recent public debate, there is no doubt the future of the car is electric. At Audi, we will electrify all core segments by 2027 and have defined a fully electric target portfolio.
Additionally, it is believed Audi will launch a new electric crossover by 2027 to be called the Q2. This model will replace both the A1 and the existing Q2 in Audi’s lineup and will be an electric spiritual successor to the A2.
Combustion Hasn’t Been Forgotten Either
Döllner uses Audi’s 2023 sales figures as a motivation for this, citing a 50% increase in EV sales for the year. But Audi understands that a transition won’t happen overnight, and Döllner confirmed several new combustion models are in the pipeline. The next-generation Audi A5 and Q5 will arrive “in the second half of the year” and will be the first models based on the new Premium Platform Combustion (PPC) architecture, deviating from the MLB Evo platform that has been used in those segments for the previous generations.
Related
Audi Will Rename Its Range So That Even Numbers Represent EVs
The Audi A4 will soon become the A5 Sedan.
The A5 Döllner mentions will be different in another way, too, though. Audi is switching up its naming strategy and will give EVs an even numerical structure, while ICE-powered vehicles will get an odd designation. The current A4 sedan will thus become the A5, with a new electric A4 scheduled to arrive in 2025. That means we’ll likely have an S5 Sedan, too, and the RS4 Avant will be called the RS5 – a model we’ve already spied in preparation for its reveal.
