Audi has announced a new model naming structure which will be linked to the car’s power output rather than engine size.
Traditional model series names -A1 to Q7- will remain unchanged; What’s changing is the designation within the model family, with the new structure using a two-numeral combo, referencing its power output in kilowatts.
For example, all models with a power output between 81 and 96kW (108hp to 128hp) will now bear the numeral “30” on their rear. The “35” designation will appear on models with between 110 and 120kW (145 and 159hp), “40” for the ones with between 125 and 150kW (165 and 198hp), all the way up to “70” for models with more than 400kW (529hp).
With the new structure, a model like the A3 1.6 TDI will become the A3 30 TDI, the A1 1.0 TFSI changes to A1 25 TFSI while the A8 3.0 TDI becomes the A8 50 TDI. The new designations will not apply to Audi’s high-end S and RS models, as well as the R8.
The new numerals will appear along with the engine technology of the model – TFSI, TDI, g-tron and e-tron. This new strategy will allow future Audi models to better showcase the added performance of their hybrid and all-electric powertrains.
“As alternative drive technologies become increasingly relevant, engine displacement as a performance attribute is becoming less important to our customers. The clarity and logic of structuring the designations according to power output makes it possible to distinguish between the various performance levels,” explains Dr. Dietmar Voggenreiter, Board of Management Member for Sales and Marketing at Audi.
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