AUDI Australia is on the offensive, with greater than 20 new fashions, updates and facelifts on the best way because it plans to clean up its whole vary throughout 2025 – taking the battle to its German rivals BMW and Mercedes-Benz.
When it comes to the most important updates, Audi will roll out two all-new platforms in Australia with the all-electric Premium Platform Electrical (PPE), which was co-developed with Porsche and can underpin future E-Tron fashions, and Premium Platform Combustion (PPC), which the brand new A5, S5 and Q5 will utilise.
Talking with GoAuto at a media presentation in Sydney, Audi Australia executives outlined the corporate’s upcoming mannequin plans suggesting the following 12 months might be amongst its most vital.
“We’ve had an attention-grabbing 12 months…possibly we haven’t launched fairly as many as we’ve launched in some years – that’s all about to transform,” stated Audi Australia product planning supervisor Peter Strudwicke.
“We’re going to be launching over 20 new fashions in 2025 … and we’re launching two new architectures.
“So, in my opinion, it’s most likely probably the most important time in our historical past as a result of by no means have we actually launched two new architectures so shut collectively.”
The mannequin vary will cowl all bases, Mr Strudwick defined, with a selected give attention to a number of electrified choices for purchasers, starting from mild-hybrid to full EV, because the New Car Effectivity Requirements (NVES) strategy.
“We’ve received SUVs, we’ve received new forms of sedans, we’ve received smaller hatchbacks, however we’ve received totally different strategies of motivation as nicely,” added Mr Strudwick.
“So, we’ve received the whole lot from customary inner combustion engines and diesel engines, by to the totally different ranges of electrification. We’re actually catering for a interval of actually important change within the business.”
The agency additionally plans to utilise its Delicate Hybrid Plus system on a spread of fashions, which is someplace in between a typical 48-volt mild-hybrid setup and a closed-loop hybrid system.
It nonetheless contains a 48-volt starter generator however makes use of two electrical motors fed by a 1.76kWh battery, permitting electric-only take-offs and an influence increase when driving.
“It’s not like a sequence parallel hybrid, it’s really received two motors … that may present further torque,” defined Audi Australia product supervisor Matthew Dale.
“Delicate Hybrid will nonetheless stick round, but it surely’s an evolution of that that may come out in different fashions, and as that then additional evolves, you’ll see an increasing number of fashions with that know-how.”
For the primary time, the complete Audi lineup will characteristic superior security tech like adaptive cruise help, proper all the way down to the bottom A1 vary.
Mannequin onslaught
Beginning on the backside of its mannequin line-up, Audi Australia confirmed energy will soar from 147kW to 152kW for the A1 40 TFSI in 2025, whereas gasoline use will even drop to five.9 litres per 100 kilometres (down 0.4L/100km) probably because of the transfer from a six-speed transmission to extra environment friendly seven-speed unit.
An up to date Q2 mannequin vary can also be due within the first half of 2025, however updates are extra refined with adjustments largely consisting of infotainment system enhancements. It’s a comparable story for the Q3, which already acquired security updates and a Dynamic Black choice for 2024.
Shifting up the vary, a brand new A3, S3 and RS 3 are set to reach earlier than mid-2025, with up to date exterior styling, improved inside inclusions, and extra grunt.
Product planning govt at Audi Australia Esther Choi remained tight-lipped about specifics however did inform us the A3 vary might be higher appointed than ever earlier than, and the S3 and RS 3 efficiency fashions will each obtain main energy bumps.
The S3 energy output will soar to 245kW, up 17kW on the present mannequin, and it’ll achieve a rear torque splitter that was beforehand solely supplied in RS 3 fashions.
On the subject of the manic RS 3, it should additionally obtain enhanced dynamics, a steering wheel with satellite tv for pc management (R8 know-how, flowing down), and it not too long ago clocked a document 7:33.12 Nurburgring lap, making it the quickest compact automobile out – besting the BMW M2.
Audi confirmed the all-new This fall E-Tron continues to be on observe to reach earlier than the tip of the 12 months, however supplied no additional data following the preliminary announcement. The excellent news is, the This fall E-Tron will rating Audi’s newest battery know-how, boasting sooner cost instances and improved vary.
Main updates come additional up the vary tree, with the brand new A5 and S5 fashions utilising the brand new PPC structure, anticipated earlier than the center of subsequent 12 months with not a lot disclosed apart from the actual fact they are going to be out there in Sportback-style sedan and Avant physique shapes.
Ms Choi did disclose that the A5 and S5 could be supplied with the brand new Delicate Hybrid Plus system, providing a further 18kW of energy to each fashions. For the S5, this boosts whole outputs to 270kW/550Nm, good for a 4.5-second jaunt to 100km/h.
Primarily based on pictures proven, it contains a new grill and 2D logos on the entrance, a brand new inside design and panoramic sunroof with ‘transparency management’ – all advantages of the brand new PPC structure.
Audi Australia additionally plans to convey the brand new Q5 and SQ5, the primary SUVs constructed atop the PPC structure, Down Below by the tip of 2025 however within the meantime, it has additionally reintroduced the present technology petrol SQ5 – providing prospects the selection of petrol or diesel energy as soon as extra.
“SQ5 is one in every of our hottest Q5 variants and we discover some prospects have a desire for one or the opposite,” stated Mr Strudwick.
“It’s fairly a uncommon alternative as a result of we’re, I feel, the one market on this planet that provides each engine varieties as a selection for SQ5.”
Whether or not the incoming 2025 mannequin might be supplied in each diesel and petrol isn’t confirmed.
A brand new entry-level Q7 variant will even be launched in H1 2025, Audi Australia confirmed, for these wanting a combustion-powered seven-seater. The Q7 45 TFSI will begin from $108,815, which is sort of $10k lower than the diesel variant that sits above it.
On the electrical entrance, Audi is making severe strikes with the all new A6 E-Tron, Q6 E-Tron and SQ6 E-Tron fashions slated for H1 subsequent 12 months. The fashions are all constructed on the brand new PPE structure and are extremely specified.
Actually, the A6 Sportback E-Tron set a brand new aerodynamic document for Audi attaining an ultra-slippery 0.21Cd. For context, the Audi R8 has a coefficient of drag starting from 0.34 to 0.36Cd relying on the mannequin.
Coming into the hyper-EV house (alongside Porsche), Audi is updating its E-Tron GT vary with much more energy. Three variants might be out there: E-Tron GT S, E-Tron GT RS, and E-Tron GT RS Efficiency.
When it comes to outputs, the bottom E-Tron GT S produces 500kW, the E-Tron GT RS produces 630kW and the range-topping E-Tron GT RS Efficiency places out a staggering 680kW with a four-figure torque quantity besides.
Efficiency is, as one would count on, extremely fast. Claimed 0-100km/h acceleration is available in at 3.4 seconds for the S, 2.8 seconds for the RS and a pair of.5 seconds for the RS Efficiency.
The bottom-model E-Tron GT S may have 25kW extra energy than the present technology E-Tron GT RS, and all three new fashions will outpace the present RS mannequin’s 3.3-second 0-100km/h time – by a substantial margin.
“The factor with Audi Sport is it’s ceaselessly evolving by way of efficiency,” stated Mr Dale.
“Now we’ve proven what we will do with RS E-Tron GT, the following Efficiency has 1000Nm of torque and two and a half seconds to 100 – so it exhibits the place the Audi Sport model can go by way of electrification.
“What which means for the ICE portfolio, that’s but to be decided…however what we will say comfortably is that, you understand, these efficiency vehicles will nonetheless be emotional.”
