When you take a look at the latest releases of the quintessential German premium trio: Mercedes, BMW and Audi, one cannot help but ignore that those with the four rings are somewhat behind in range renewal and, above all, electrification. There are the refreshed BMW X3 and Mercedes GLC, while the Audi Q5 for sale is an update to the second generation (dating back to 2017).
If we talk about electric, Mercedes and BMW already have representative sedans, the EQS and BMW i7… and with smaller sedans, in the case of the BMW i4 and i5 or the Mercedes EQE. At Audi, they’re limited to the Q8 e-tron and Q4 e-tron (okay, let’s even support the e-tron GT). It is something that anyone can observe and that the CEO of the Volkswagen Group, Oliver Blume, has recognized when admitting that the brand’s lineup is “lagging behind the competition”, particularly when it comes to electric vehicles.
These words were spoken to investors in the Capital Markets Day from VW Group. There Blume also indicated that the Audi Group, which includes brands such as Bentley, Lamborghini and Ducati, as well as Audi itself, is going to be reorganized. Everything to revive his “enormous potential”, according to his own words.
What happened to Audi?
Audi led the European and global premium market and failed to defend it against key competitors. “We also faced serious software issues that delayed the launch schedule for exciting electrical products,” Blume noted.
That’s really worrying, that the model line lags behind what they themselves can do. And of course, it is already noticeable. Its main market is China (Audi Group sold 16% less in the first quarter) and there its electric models are not competitive against competitors.
How will you reverse this situation?
Audi wants to be “reborn” by focusing on developing electric cars faster. And there the RS range has a lot to say. Especially since it is the most interesting from a financial point of view. They are considering a line of high-performance electrics and it is logical, since they intend to have a profit margin of 13% in 2030, when now it is “only” 11% -data from the first quarter of 2023-.
As for the product, which is what the public is interested in, the first model to arrive will be the Audi Q6 e-tron, in 2024. It is the brand’s first vehicle developed on the PPE (Premium Platform Electric) architecture, shared with the Porsche e-Macan. Supports faster charging times (10-80% battery capacity in 21 minutes) and more semi-autonomous driving. And one but, it will have version 1.2 of the VW Group software, which is behind that of other competitors. About the Artemis project (with the SSP platform), which had been announced by the previous CEO of the group, Herbert Diess, not a word.
“Audi wants to focus on what makes it different, staying true to its design language and high quality standards, while delivering the best-in-class individualized customer experience,” Blume said.
Source: Automotive News
