WHILE battery electrical automobiles (BEV) proceed to storm the Australian market, with gross sales up 344 per cent year-on-year, Audi is on a mission to offer the standard plug-in hybrid (PHEV) a wholesome dollop of Ingolstadt intercourse attraction.
Audi first introduced it will set its sight on high-performance hybrids again in 2017, however after the short-lived A3 and Q7 E-Tron fashions have been axed, the four-ringed marque went quiet on the PHEV entrance.
The lately launched Q5 55 TFSI e and upcoming Q8 PHEV fashions spell the return of hybrid energy for Audi, each highly-specified and reassuringly potent.
Aimed toward patrons who need petrol efficiency with eco-friendly credentials, Audi says its newfound dedication to PHEVs is much less about bridging the battery-electric hole and extra about providing prospects the “better of each worlds”.
Incoming Audi PHEV fashions are targeted on providing efficiency on par with S fashions whereas co-existing with the model’s petrol, diesel and BEV line-up.
“The PHEVs have been at all times meant to enhance what was already there, providing our prospects alternative,” Audi Australia product supervisor Matthew Dale advised GoAuto.
“So PHEV just isn’t, for us, a pure stepping stone to BEV – it was at all times meant to supply the very best of each worlds however we actually needed to concentrate on efficiency due to our buyer base at that degree.
“Actually it’s simply having a product providing out there that strengthens the breadth of our mannequin vary.”
In accordance with Audi Australia director Jeff Mannering, this hybrid providing just isn’t aimed toward changing petrol or diesel patrons into an electrified car, as a substitute concentrating on a special purchaser fully.
“Lots of people have an electrical automotive and, you already know, the SUV within the storage. It is a phase of the market that I feel is essential as a result of they wish to have their enjoyable and so they wish to be sustainable,” he stated.
“That’s why we went for the sports activities ICE mannequin, fairly than the entry degree, as a result of Audi RS and S is considered one of our strengths.
“From a sustainability perspective individuals can, in the event that they’re driving about 40 kilometres to and from work, truly drive emissions free.”
On the all-electric entrance, Audi offered 199 E-Tron fashions in GT ($180,200 earlier than on-road prices) and RS GT ($248,200 + ORC) trim within the first half of this yr, after launching within the first quarter – practically two years after the mannequin line’s world launch.
Audi Australia predicted annual gross sales potential of 400-500 automobiles for the E-Tron GT upon arrival, which this yr it’s on monitor to realize, aiming to nicely and really outdo its first stab on the BEV market with the E-Tron SUV.
“The shift within the quantity of EVs out there, if we had been sitting right here two years in the past you in all probability would by no means have predicted that this yr was going to be on the quantity that it’s,” Audi Australia director Mannering stated.
With the facelifted and renamed Q8 E-Tron mannequin coming, in each wagon and Sportback trim – amongst different electrical potentials not but confirmed for Australia just like the A5 (spied), A6, This autumn and Q6 – Audi is taking electrification significantly throughout its lineup of physique types.
The German model’s PHEV providing, nonetheless, is unlikely to develop on the fee of its BEV vary, with Mr Dale hinting that SUVs are higher suited to hybrid powertrains.
“We’re evaluating throughout all segments, however the motive we introduced out Q5 is it’s considered one of our core segments,” Mr Dale stated.
“The final suggestions from prospects and sellers was that there are quite a lot of questions round fashionable segments like that.
“I will not title the massive quantity one, however full battery electrics in that phase are rising power and power.
“When prospects come into sellers, they’re at all times asking, you already know, ‘what electrified vehicles do you may have?’”
When Volkswagen Group Australia and Audi Australia merged again in 2021, the luxurious model was cited because the technological spearhead and, primarily based on its rising vary of BEV and now PHEV automobiles, it seems to have maintained that place.
“What we take a look at is that we’re within the premium phase and the remaining are extra mass market,” Mr Mannering stated.
“We’re in several segments, in all probability completely different positions within the markets, completely different choices within the vehicles, completely different – not a lot driving dynamics – however it’s driving dynamics a bit bit too.
“It is actually essential as a result of if you purchase an Audi, you are shopping for an Audi. Once you purchase a VW, you are shopping for a VW.”
When requested about whether or not we might count on to see one other range-wide worth improve, of which the model imposed three since 2021, Audi Australia didn’t affirm one other hike however did reveal plans to make its full suite of security know-how normal throughout each mannequin.
“Over the following couple of months you will notice a full suite throughout the Audi vary of security help applied sciences, and that is been an enormous push from us,” Mr Dale stated.
“That is including extraordinarily good buyer worth throughout the vary from A1 proper by means of to A8.”
When GoAuto probed additional about whether or not the inclusion of security know-how as normal might improve mannequin pricing, Mr Dale was fast to say “not essentially” however didn’t affirm costs would stay static.
