Hot! Audi: What's Next?


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Meaning it’s over for the A8.

As we've known it since it's inception, pretty much so.

Filling it's void will quite likely be a "double whammy" SAIC-AUDI BEV/REEV luxury "sedan meets shooting brake" crossover PLUS an Audi SPORT J2 (SSP Sport) BEV etron GT successor.
 
Filling it's void will quite likely be a "double whammy" SAIC-AUDI BEV/REEV luxury "sedan meets shooting brake"
If they do end up making that car, which hasn't even been announced yet, it would only be for China, being a SAIC product.
PLUS an Audi SPORT J2 (SSP Sport) BEV etron GT successor.
I also don't see a successor to the E-TRON GT on the horizon. Sales have plummeted, there are no prototypes in sight, and a $100,000 four-door coupe must be the last thing Audi has in mind in this industry climate.

The Q9 is what we have and what we'll have for a few years.
 
If they do end up making that car, which hasn't even been announced yet, it would only be for China, being a SAIC product.

I also don't see a successor to the E-TRON GT on the horizon. Sales have plummeted, there are no prototypes in sight, and a $100,000 four-door coupe must be the last thing Audi has in mind in this industry climate.

The Q9 is what we have and what we'll have for a few years.

*Information sources include reportedly unnamed contact networks between Audi AG-Neckarsulm/Volkswagen AG and the Heilbronn/Neckarsulm region daily newspaper "Die Stimme". Translated from German into English by Google Translator:

Information regarding the Audi e-tron GT successor and the SSP SPORT platform is based on official corporate announcements from the Volkswagen Group as well as reports from specialist media (as of May 2026): 1. Official Platform Strategy (VW Group) SSP (Scalable Systems Platform): In official strategy updates—such as the *Product & Tech Update 2025*—the SSP is confirmed as the Group's future unified platform, intended to replace both the MEB and PPE architectures. SSP SPORT: Porsche is leading the development of the performance-oriented variant, "SSP Sport," which is designated for sporty models from Porsche, Audi, and Bentley.
2. Product Cycles and Model Updates Current Facelift (2025/2026): Audi has comprehensively updated the current e-tron GT (including models such as the S e-tron GT and the 925 hp RS e-tron GT performance). Given that this facelift has only just been introduced to the market, a complete platform switch to SSP Sport is technically only realistic for the next model cycle (approx. 2028–2030). Successor Project: Specialist media outlets—such as the *Heilbronner Stimme*—report on a "Project C-Sport," which envisions a new electric sports car starting in 2027/2028 at the Böllinger Höfe facility in Heilbronn—the current production site of the e-tron GT.
3. Technological Outlook Software Integration: Audi CEO Gernot Döllner has confirmed that future models (beginning with the A4 e-tron in 2028) will be based on the SSP architecture in order to benefit from the Group's new software stack (E³ 2.0) and a collaboration with Rivian. In Summary: While the current e-tron GT is still based on J1 technology (from Porsche), SSP Sport is the officially designated platform for all of the Group's future high-performance electric vehicles—a category that includes the e-tron GT successor."

Certainly, times are highly volatile and 2028-2030 is a ways off, hence strategic decisions will be subject to alteration or perhaps even termination.
 
Interesting Chinese advertising campaign:

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Looks pretty damn sturdy, pretty damn quick...and...quite eye pleasing as well (for an SUV, at least).
 
Interesting Chinese advertising campaign:

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Looks pretty damn sturdy, pretty damn quick...and...quite eye pleasing as well (for an SUV, at least).
Simply stunning, totally convincing, it makes you want to buy it. The way it conveys the feeling of safety is so well done; it reminds me of Volvo's advertising campaigns. And the platform—5 seconds faster than the Lotus Eletre, the YU7, the Macan, etc.—I think it puts into perspective whether the latest from Germany is up to par, and those prices!
 
Interesting Chinese advertising campaign:

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Looks pretty damn sturdy, pretty damn quick...and...quite eye pleasing as well (for an SUV, at least).
This car is better engineered and designed than any German Audi!! Amazing chassis strength during those crash scenes and the roof hardly buckles with that concrete pipe!!! The way this car drives over the mountain pass is better than some sports cars and even faster than a Porsche Macan and YU7, simply astounding. This car looks so futuristic and Audi Germany needs to take it seriously for bringing not just to China but the rest of the world. What a fantastic car!
 
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The interior is unfortunately not impressive at all. It looks very outdated for this class. In 2026, they're still using solutions that BMW and Mercedes adopted a long time ago. I only liked the seats.

Unfortunately, Audi is a hopeless case. There's nothing they do better than their rivals. I can't even remember the last time I liked an Audi and actually wanted to buy one. Among the German premium brands, Audi is clearly and by far the most behind.
 
It has normal door handles that you grab onto, what happened to the "fins" seen on the prototypes so far?
I was about to say the same thing about the interior, it's almost unbelievable to see something like this today, zero innovation, zero design.
This is no way to enter a segment like this, especially after losing the A8! Is this supposed to be your new flagship?
 
It has normal door handles that you grab onto, what happened to the "fins" seen on the prototypes so far?
I was about to say the same thing about the interior, it's almost unbelievable to see something like this today, zero innovation, zero design.
This is no way to enter a segment like this, especially after losing the A8! Is this supposed to be your new flagship?
Yes, I noticed now. The wing-shaped door handles, which will also be used in the X5 and X7, have been replaced by classic pull-out door handles. Frankly, another step backward.

Unfortunately, another disappointing new model for Audi. It has no area where it surpasses its competitors. The interior design language is from 5 years ago. On the exterior, they're following BMW's split headlight design.

Come on Audi. You could have done better. This doesn't look any better than an 8-year-old X7. Neither in interior nor exterior design.
 
I don’t like the e door release but I really like the Sunroof, LEDs, you can make it opaque and you can open it which is absolutely gorgeous.

I am really curious if there are emergency manual door handles inside the car, If yes and they put a proper engine in this thing, it might be worth a try.

But I don’t like the stupid air vents.
 

Audi

Audi AG is a German automotive manufacturer of luxury vehicles headquartered in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany. A subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group, the company’s origins date back to the early 20th century and the initial enterprises (Horch and the Audiwerke) founded by engineer August Horch (1868–1951). Two other manufacturers (DKW and Wanderer) also contributed to the foundation of Auto Union in 1932. The modern Audi era began in the 1960s, when Volkswagen acquired Auto Union from Daimler-Benz, and merged it with NSU Motorenwerke in 1969.
Official website: Audi (Global), Audi (USA)

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