Major car brand announces huge changes to future vehicle models following 'intensive discussions'

The German brand announced that going forward, its vehicle model names will consist of one or more letters and a number, and will represent the size and positioning of the vehicle.

The previous distinction between electric vehicles and internal combustion engine models according to their number will no longer apply.

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Many popular Audi models have a name with A and Q, and these will continue to signify the distinction between "low-floor" and "high-floor" vehicles.

Numbers also play a crucial part in Audi's naming standards, with one to eight being used. Any previous distinctions between different drivetrain technologies with even and odd numbers will no longer apply.

From February, electric Audi models can share the same combination of letters and numbers with vehicles that contain internal combustion engines.

For example, the new Audi A6 e-tron EV will be joined by a new Audi A6 combustion engine model. Under original plans, the combustion engine model would have been called the A7.

Marco Schubert, Member of the Board of Management for Sales and Marketing at AUDI AG, said: "This decision is the result of intensive discussions and also follows the wishes of our customers as well as feedback from our international dealers.

"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."

Audi said it was making a "necessary" differentiation between models through the body style (Avant, Sedan or Sportback) and the powertrain code (e-tron, TFSI e or TDI).

According to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), Audi sold 122,431 new cars across the UK in 2024.

This was enough for 6.27 per cent of the total market share, third only to Volkswagen (166,304) with 8.52 per cent and BMW (125,265) with 6.41 per cent.

Across 2024, Audi delivered an impressive 1.7 million vehicles, including over 164,000 fully electric vehicles. Audi UK accounts for 15 per cent of total EV sales.

Despite this, 2024 saw a 12 per cent drop in total sales and an eight per cent fall in electric models compared to the previous year.

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Audi blamed this on "challenging economic conditions, an intensely competitive market, and limited availability of parts".

Gernot Döllner, CEO of Audi, maintained that the brand had a clear vision of how they can redefine Vorsprung durch Technik (progress through technology).