Final week, Audi confused nearly everybody when it rolled out a sub-brand. Whereas new automakers are often launched in China’s vastly aggressive market, this launch was completely different and complicated for 2 causes. Audi and its native associate SAIC determined to easily name their joint firm “AUDI” and use an unexpectedly simplified emblem that didn’t embody the treasured 4 Rings.
As an alternative, the well-known badge was swapped out in favor of 4 capital letters, “signaling each the connection to and differentiation from the sister model.” However why did Audi resolve to use this disorienting technique? An official rationalization comes from Ralf Brandstätter, Chairman and CEO of Volkswagen Group China and Chairman of the China Board. In a LinkedIn put up, commenters rightfully requested him why the AUDI E idea doesn’t have the fabled 4 rings:
“After all, there’ll nonetheless be automobiles with the 4 rings in China. The brand new model with the AUDI lettering has a extra progressive design, however is 100% Audi DNA. It would deal with different new buyer teams in China that now we have not beforehand coated with the 4 rings. addition to our portfolio in China. We now have a daring plan. Don‘t fear. “
Replying to a special remark, Brandstätter mentioned:
“The Chinese language market may be very completely different from the remainder of the world. Buyer calls for are completely different. And that’s the reason an extra vary with the AUDI emblem and a progressive design is sensible. This enables us to faucet into new buyer teams for the model in a quickly rising market.”
AUDI is seemingly focusing on “younger, tech-savvy Chinese language premium prospects,” separate from Audi’s clientele. The luxurious model and SAIC determined towards bringing again a historic firm title though there have been a number of choices out there: Auto Union, DKW, Horch, NSU, and Wanderer. Horch did return a number of years in the past for a elaborate A8 long-wheelbase model unique to China. Nevertheless, the younger prospects that AUDI and SAIC are focusing on are unlikely to be drawn by these outdated names.
Beginning recent with a totally completely different title and emblem would’ve made much less of a splash in China the place you’ll discover extra automotive corporations than in another nation all over the world. Holding the Audi reference to the brand new namesake sub-brand ought to assist the electrical automobiles stand out greater than the same old automobiles offered by Chinese language automakers.
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Past the different-but-still-the-same firm title, the AUDI fashions will look considerably completely different than these offered by the standard luxurious model. Brandstätter touts “a extra progressive design” whereas retaining “100% Audi DNA.” Advertising and marketing buzzwords apart, the E idea is not like another electrical Audi on sale in the present day. It’s labeled as a Sportback, however completely different than the globally out there swoopy five-door liftbacks and SUVs that use this terminology. It adopts a extra wagon-esque silhouette and has a screen-heavy inside with minimal typical controls.
Frequent sense tells us Audi will cannibalize gross sales of AUDI and vice versa however Brandstätter is assured the 2 can peacefully coexist. Completely different strokes for various people, I suppose. Primarily based on the Superior Digitized Platform co-developed with SAIC, three manufacturing fashions can be launched in China from the center of 2025. There aren’t any plans to promote these EVs elsewhere, so the Audi/AUDI confusion can be restricted to the world’s second-most populous nation.
