Last year, Audi scrapped the long-running A4 in favor of the A5 Sportback as part of a plan to use odd-number nomenclature for petrol cars, and even numbers for electric cars. Audi has now renounced this bizarre plan, but the A4 was still a casualty. Now, however, the A4 is coming back… as an EV.
Audi CEO Gernot Döllner told Coach that the company is developing a new A4 EV as part of “the biggest change in the company’s history.” Döllner has been quite open about the fact that Audi has lost its way in recent years, and he is trying to right the ship. The Concept C is Audi’s statement of intent and not only previews a future electric sports car, but also a new direction for the brand.
However, we will have to wait a few more years for the A4’s comeback. Döllner said the A4 would run on Volkswagen Group’s upcoming Scalable Systems Platform (SSP), which won’t arrive until 2028 at the earliest. The SSP platform will also form the basis for an electric VW Golf, among other models within the Group. Currently, Audi uses the Premium Platform Electric (PPE) architecture developed together with Porsche for the A6 and Q6 E-Tron, VW’s MEB platform for the Q4 E-Tron and Porsche’s J1 architecture for the E-Tron GT.
Audi will be late to the party with its compact EV sedan, as both the new BMW i3 and Mercedes C-Class EV are set to debut next year. It’s interesting that Audi has decided not to just use the PPE platform to create a new A4, but is instead waiting for the improved SSP architecture. This new platform will be the first to reflect VW’s partnership with Rivian to create a software-defined vehicle, so the A4 should be a better competitor to the i3 and C-Class EV.
Photo by: Audi
Döllner said the A4 will have a design inspired by the Concept C, which should make it look very different from Audi’s current EVs, which, apart from the E-Tron GT, are quite boring. The new A4 should also get a truly Audi-worthy interior, if the Concept C is any indication.
The A4 was one of Audi’s most recognizable nameplates, first appearing in 1994 as a 3 Series/C-Class rival. The A5, on the other hand, is newer, debuting in 2007 as a two-door coupe and eventually gaining a four-door Sportback model. Instead of having overlapping four-door models, Audi decided to go all-in on the A5 Sportback hatchback last year, killing off the slow-selling two-door models at the same time.
It can’t be fast enough to bring back a truly competitive A4.
#Audi #coming #electric