Speaking with CAR at the recent 2014 Beijing Auto Show, Audi CEO Rupert Stadler confirmed that there were no plans to launch a car below the A1, as there was no need for such a model. Instead, we’re likely to see more crossovers and SUVs added to the lineup.
“We want to expand the SUV side of the business,” Stadler is reported to have said. “By 2020, our Q-models will account for over 45 percent of sales.”
One of these new Q-models will be a subcompact Q1 crossover. Another is expected to be a Q6 model based on the Q5 platform but differentiated with coupe-like styling. Other possibilities include a production version of the recent TT Offroad concept, which some are already calling a Q4, and a new range-topping SUV.
The range-topping SUV is likely to be called a Q8 if it features coupe-like styling or a Q9 if a conventional SUV design is utilized. Stadler confirmed that such a vehicle was in the planning but admitted it had yet to be approved for production. He went on to reveal that if the green light was given, then the range-topping SUV would offer a plug-in hybrid option.
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