Under the new scheme, the number in the model designation will reflect the size and class of the car, regardless of the type of engine - petrol, diesel or electric.
Those who don't follow Audi news much may have a question, but was it otherwise? The answer is yes. In 2023, Audi announced that it was moving all of its internal combustion engine models to odd-numbered indices to allow electric cars to take over the even-numbered ones. The intention was to create a clear separation between the two types that would allow buyers to distinguish between them more easily.
Marco Schubert, Member of the Board of Management for Sales and Marketing at Audi AG, said that the company's new decision on the model designation scheme was the result of intensive discussions and is also in line with customer wishes and feedback from international dealers.
The new scheme works as follows:
The letters A and Q remain:
- A - passenger cars (sedans, station wagons, sportbacks)
- Q - crossovers and SUVs
The numbers (1 to 8) will indicate the model class, not the type of powertrain. The engine designation will be separate:
- TFSI e - plug-in hybrid
- TFSI, TDI - petrol or diesel engine
- e-tron - electric car
The first new model to use this nomenclature will be the new Audi A6 with an internal combustion engine. It will be unveiled worldwide on 4 March. For example, the A6 Avant TFSI will be a station wagon with a petrol engine. According to the previous scheme, this model was to move to the designation A7.
Interestingly, there are no retrospective name changes planned for models that are already on sale. This means that the A5 with an internal combustion engine, which replaced the A4 last year, will remain the A5. However, its future electric counterpart will have the A4 designation, as originally planned.
Source: Audi