It’s no secret that Audi wants to build as many SUV models as possible, having already launched the Q3, Q5 and Q7 and preparing to bring a Q1 to market in the near future as well.
But it appears that the Germans are running out of naming options, as the rights for the Q2 and Q4 nameplates belong to Fiat. You probably remember that Alfa Romeo used the Q2 and Q4 badges to designate its two- and four-wheel drive models such as the 159 Q4.
And although they’re not using the nameplates at the moment, the Italians are reportedly refusing to allow Audi to do it. The Germans have approached Fiat Chrysler Automobiles about this issue, but the response was not the one they hoped for. Fiat says Alfa Romeo got the Q2 and Q4 names first, and it’s hard to argue with that.
“In an ideal world, Q1 would be reserved for an even smaller crossover derived from the next A1. The Q4 suffix would come handy to fill the void between Q3 and Q5,” a source from Ingolstadt told CAR Magazine.
But we’re not living in an ideal world, are we? Apparently, FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne hasn’t forgotten VW Group’s attempts to buy Alfa Romeo and wants to pay the Germans back. Or maybe he simply wants to use this issue as leverage for whatever he might want from the VW Group.
Meanwhile, Audi is in a dilemma, as the upcoming Q1 baby SUV should be called Q2 under the brand’s logical nomenclature. Since that car is less than two years away from launch, Audi bosses need all the help they can get to convince Marchionne to let go off the Q2 badge without a fight.
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