Audi’s New Model Names Make Sense Again
Letters and numbers will once again signify the model and size of an Audi car or SUV, while EVs will simply add the "e-tron" moniker. The post Audi’s New Model Names Make Sense Again appeared first on The Drive.
Audi is changing its naming structure again. The automaker had initially dropped engine displacement badges in favor of arbitrary numbers. More recently, it changed its alphanumeric nomenclature to use odd numbers for combustion cars and even numbers for EVs. Now, it’s throwing that out and returning to a more traditional system.
So this is how it works: the letter and number will signify the body style and size/model of the car, similar to how it’s always been. “A” will be a sedan and “Q” will be an SUV. An A6 will be a midsize sedan but an A4 will be a smaller sedan. You get the idea. However, to delineate which models are electric, it will employ different badges. Electric models will get “e-tron” badges, while gasoline cars will wear “TFSI”, and diesels will get the good old “TDI” moniker. This new system certainly simplifies things and brings back a familiar style of Audi structure. We hope to be done with the constant changes and back-and-forth.
According to Audi, dealership and customer feedback is what prompted the switch. “This decision is the result of intensive discussions and also follows the wishes of our customers as well as feedback from our international dealers,” said Marco Schubert, a member of the board of management for sales and marketing at Audi. “Our nomenclature now provides all customers worldwide with an intuitive orientation in our portfolio. We choose the names of our models in a way that reveals size and positioning at first glance.”
The first car to use its newest naming setup will be the Audi A6. Previously, the A6 was going to be electric and called the A6 e-tron, while the gas-powered version of the same car was going to be the A7. Now, though, both will be called the A6 but will be separated by their powertrian badges: A6 TFSI, A6 e-tron, and A6 TDI. Much better. Unfortunately, Audi won’t be applying this structure retroactively, so the existing A4 and A5 will continue to have separate names despite being electric and gas versions of the same car.
I applaud Audi for recognizing a mistake and fixing it. Corporations can often be hesitant to make changes so suddenly but Audi heard its customer and dealer complaints and did the right thing.
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The post Audi’s New Model Names Make Sense Again appeared first on The Drive.
