Audi took the wraps off the Q5 e-tron electric SUV at the Guangzhou motor show in China this week, welcoming the latest member of the MEB family—and one that could stay confined to the Middle Kingdom. It's slated to be produced by the SAIC Volkswagen joint venture in Anting, China, which has also been tasked with building the Volkswagen ID.6, to which it will be closely related.

Intended to offer seating for six or seven, the Q5 e-tron will be offered with a choice of rear-wheel drive, badged somewhat opaquely as 40, or quattro all-wheel drive with a 50 badge on the back, both powered by the same 83.4-kWh (gross) battery. The single-motor version will serve up the now-familiar figure of 201 hp, while the dual-motor Q5 e-tron will dial that up to 302 hp. A third version with a smaller battery is also expected to land sometime later, likely with a 55-kWh battery underneath and a single motor out back.


​​​​​​​The Q5 e-tron will go on sale solely in China, at least at first. AUDIPerhaps the most notable aspect of the Q5, as far as the drivetrain is concerned, is the 83.4-kWh (gross) battery pack that will give it a quoted range of 348 miles in the NEDC cycle. We haven't seen this battery pack in any VW Group EVs stateside, having made an appearance in the Chinese-market ID.4 X. In dual-motor flavor the Q5 50 e-tron quattro will still boast a range of 323 miles, once again in the optimistic NEDC cycle, but still quite a bit north of what we've seen here in our US-market ID.4 models.

Ultimately, the Q5 e-tron was designed as a more luxurious version of the ID.6 for the Chinese domestic market, intended to be produced solely there, so it's not even expected to receive a European version that could be produced in Wolfsburg or elsewhere on the continent for the European market or for export.

We wouldn't hold our breath in hopes of seeing the Q5 e-tron stateside, as Ingolstadt's menu is already filling up quite quickly with electric SUVs, with the latest two additions being the Q4 e-tron and its Sportback sibling. Likewise, the underlying ID.6 could stay overseas as well, with Volkswagen planning a grander ID.8 model for the states.

Even with the absence of the Q5 e-tron, buyers in the States should have no shortage of choices from Audi in the near future when it comes to EVs.

Autocar says it spoke to "sources inside Audi" who divulged that the Audi E-Tron is getting ready for the second half of its life with a facelift and technology upgrade slated to appear next year. The most welcome change will be a new-generation battery, more efficient motors with greater energy recuperation, and new electronics that work together to increase range by nearly 50%, going from 259 miles on the European WLTP cycle to 373 miles. If the same transformation applies to our EPA ratings, the E-Tron would go from 222 miles to 329 miles, the E-Tron Sportback would go from an EPA-rated 218 miles to 323 miles. The battery is expected to hold steady on capacity at 95 kWh.

Prototypes of the E-Tron twins haven't revealed much. It looks like we can expect slimmer headlights and tweaked taillights, resculpted bumpers, and a grille with new hexagonal graphics instead of the current grid-like pattern.

Autocar outlet reports that an Audi exec said the changes are to "further increase [the] competitiveness" of the brand's first mainstream electric vehicles. The E-Tron has been a success for the automaker, but it's doesn't represent the best the brand can do in the EV space, having been launched with compromises like the adapted MLB platform originally designed for internal combustion engine vehicles. It will be on the market for another five years or so, and needs to compete with the growing tide of dedicated electric crossovers appearing in that time.

Sometime around 2026, Audi will debut a new flagship electric crossover built on the dedicated Performance Platform Electric (PPE) architecture developed with Porsche. During a visit to Audi's Belgian factory that builds the E-Tron and E-Tron Sportback, Brand CEO Markus Duesman told RTL the factory will begin building the Q8 E-Tron to replace the E-Tron. It's not clear what will happen to the current Q8 crossover, which will be seven years old in 2026. It would be prime for a new generation, but who knows if Audi will want to invest the necessary resources in a carryover engine for five years. The company said it won't work on brand new ICE units after 2025, and that it will be an all-electric car company by 2033.

Aside from the Q8 E-Tron launch, Audi just debuted the China-only Q5 E-Tron last week, a Q6 E-Tron will hit the market as the brand's first PPE-based around the same time as its VW Group sibling, the battery-electric version of the Porsche Macan in 2023, that year will also see an A6 E-Tron sedan, and in 2025 there could be a flagship electric sedan called the A9 E-Tron.

This car is definitely a glimpse into the future of the automotive industry, and Audi made it to show what it is capable of and, of course, to brag about its ideas about how it considers a premium car should look. It's promising.
Sure, some people will tilt their heads and cry about the old powerful gasoline engines. I am a petrolhead as well, and, as a former Audi owner, I do look down on this grandsphere concept car. It is not something that we'll see in a year or two, but some of the ideas showcased here will probably see daylight.

Audi was saved by Volkswagen in the late '60s when it needed more production capacity for the Beetle. Then, it said, "OK, Audi, you may build the model 80." Fast forward a decade, and Audi was running on full steam, chasing BMW and Mercedes-Benz. In the late '70s, the carmaker became famous thanks to the quattro, which brought the all-wheel drive system into the spotlight by winning the World Rally Championship.

But the chase was on, and Audi stepped into the upper segment. It did that with the 1998 V8 model and, from 1994, with the A8, which became its flagship model and a direct competitor for the 7-Series and the S-Class. But that wasn't all. Audi followed its German rivals in the crossover segment with the Q7 and, later on, with the Q8. The keyword here is "followed." But then, Audi charged and unveiled more and more vehicles that didn't have any direct competitor in neither BMW's nor Merc's stable.


With the grandsphere, Audi takes another step forward. Maybe it's still behind the Mercedes-Benz EQS, but with its so-daring design and ideas, it might overtake it, provided Audi turns this concept car into production.

At the front, the grandsphere's grille sports a hexagonal pattern with a light above. Thus, the car shows a distinct front fascia, unseen on other cars. Its narrow headlights resemble a pair of focused eyes. Between them, the carmaker installs the illuminated four circles that form the brand's logo. The same idea repeats at the back, but with a red logo between the taillights. Particular detail is in the circles' intersections, which are mimicked on the headlights as well.

One of the biggest innovations brought by the grandsphere is on the sides, where the doors extend in an angular line towards the roof and feature a glass area. Thus, the interior receives more natural light from above. On the front doors, the design team placed a pair of cameras instead of rearview mirrors, similar to those from the e-tron range. Behind the greenhouse, the concept car features a roof spoiler with an unusual lower cut that allows the trunk's lid to open.

But, once the twin doors open, the car reveals a spectacular interior. Sure, the rear-hinged rear doors might not get into production, but they look impressive. The cabin looks more like a business lounge, with bucket seats at the front and a bench for two in the back, that looks like a love seat. Also, there is no steering wheel! If that's not shocking, then I don't know what it is. But still, Audi claims that the grandsphere is a Level 4 autonomous vehicle, not a Level 5.


Between the front seats, there is a center console that covers a storage area for two glasses and two water bottles. Also, there is an additional space for a plant. I mean, a real plant, not that kind of plastic flower offered as an option on a 2000's New Beetle. In front of the cabin, the car features a wood panel that serves as a screen for a laser projector. Here it can display a large infotainment screen where the occupants can see movies, the navigation system, the on-board computer data, and even support video calls.

To activate various menus, the driver just has to look at a specific area, and a sensor placed in the upper middle section of the wooden panel will notice the eyes' movement. On the driver's door, there is a physical turning knob that serves as a controller for seat positions, a climate controller, and, next to it, a few buttons to open the menus selected by eye movement.

Suppose the driver wants to drive the vehicle. In a blink of an eye, the wooden dash panel opens and brings a steering wheel to the driver. Only now they can drive the vehicle the old fashion way, with feet on pedals and hands on the wheel. But it is quite uncomfortable, since the driving position is very low, and the lower edge of the windshield is very high.

As for the drivetrain, the grandsphere features a 120 kWh battery inside the floor, between the axles. Audi is well-known for its all-wheel-drive vehicles, and the concept car is no exception. Albeit, it uses two motors, instead of one on each corner, with a total output power of 530 kW (710 hp) and 960 Nm (708 lb-ft) of torque. Since the car is built on an 800-volt technology, it can be charged with on fast-charging stations.


The car can charge from 5 to 80% in 25 minutes. With a full pack of batteries, it can travel up to 750 km (466 miles), but in 10 minutes can fill for 300 km (186 miles). Its 0 to 100 kph (0-62 mph) sprint is made in just over four seconds, while the top speed is capped, but the carmaker didn't say to which value. It might not be as quick as the Mercedes-AMG EQS, but still, it makes up a good impression for an electric car.

Sure, some people will say that Audi will never build a production vehicle such as the grandsphere. But just remember, folks, more than three decades ago, there were a lot of nay-sayers who didn't believe Audi when it showed the ASF concept car, which eventually turned into the first A8 generation. Moreover, the Q7 was just a design idea, and it too turned into a production vehicle.

Last year, the Audi A6 E-Tron got its first outing when the automaker unveiled the concept. Audi introduced an attractive Sportback model that our spy photographers have now captured out testing. The new shots show the model at a supplier, with camouflage hiding the design, which looks tweaked from what Audi debuted on the concept.

The car retains the concept’s overall shape, with a sleek roofline cascading down to the rear. One apparent change is at the front, where the car now sports a more prominent split-headlight design. The concept featured thin lighting units above fake-looking intakes; however, the car in the spy shots appears to have a thoroughly tweaked front-end design. It’s too hard to tell if there are any other significant styling changes, but we doubt there will be many judging by what we see in the photos.


Audi will use the Premium Platform Electric architecture jointly developed with Porsche to underpin the A6 E-Tron. The two companies will use the platform to underpin a variety of upcoming vehicles, including the upcoming Audi Q6 E-Tron and the next-generation all-electric Porsche Macan.

Specific powertrain details remain a mystery, but the concept debuted with a dual-motor configuration making 470 horsepower (350 kilowatts) and 590 pound-feet (800 Newton-meters) of torque. The concept car could hit 62 miles per hour (100 kilometers per hour) in less than four seconds. The PPE will give the A6 E-Tron fast-charging capabilities, recharging the EV from five to 80 percent in less than 25 minutes. It should also provide the model with superb range.

While the Audi A6 E-Tron will ride on the PPE platform, it won’t be the first PPE model to arrive. We expect the Q6 E-Tron and all-electric Macan to break cover later this year, with the A6 E-Tron possibly joining the two, though an early 2023 reveal wouldn’t surprise us. The A6 E-Tron should arrive in the US as a 2024 model, but a lot can happen between now and then to disrupt that timeline. We also have the A6 Avant E-Tron concept debuting soon, which shows off a long-roofed version of the EV.

What seemed like a joke question from a reporter about a potential Audi pickup has led to a surprising revelation straight from the CEO's mouth. Audi head honcho Markus Duesmann didn't say they were definitely doing it, but dropped enough hints to make it seem like they were just crazy enough to do it.

As Autocar reports, Duesmann was speaking jointly with the bosses of various VW Group brands — Lamborghini, Bentley and Ducati — to journalists ahead of an annual earnings report. One of the reporters asked whether an Audi pickup would ever happen. It seemed like a lark, but Duesmann's response was unexpected: "I can't promise that we will do one, but we are looking into it."

While not an admission of an imminent ute wearing the four-ring logo, it's not a flat-out rejection like the one immediately issued by Bentley CEO Adrian Hallmark, who quipped, "I would not love to have one in the Bentley portfolio."

The report goes on to say that Duesmann added, "Actually, we will present – not too far from now – maybe something."

Audi used the earnings report meeting to unveil the A6 Avant E-Tron, already on its way to production, proving that the brand's not shy about pursuing body styles most automakers have given up on.

For years, German automakers have played an on-again, off-again game with pickups. Mercedes strung us along about a pickup way back in 2015, only to reveal a Nissan Navarra-based X-Class that was unceremoniously yanked from the market after just two model years. Volkswagen has been more successful with its Amarok, though the soon-to-debut second generation will be built atop a Ford Ranger platform.

While Audi could leverage parent company Volkswagen for its own version of the Amarok, it would have to take a different tack than the X-Class in order to avoid its failures. Curiosity piqued, though.

The company that gave us the R8 V12 TDI concept and the torquetastic Q7 V12 TDI has announced it will terminate sales of new cars with diesel engines in The Netherlands. Citing declining demand for the VW Group's heavily criticized oil-burner, the Four Rings will effectively wipe out all diesel offerings from its local lineup on April 1, 2022.

Going forward, combustion-engined Dutch Audis will be sold only with gasoline engines, some of which will work together with an electric motor for the plug-in hybrids. The TFSI and TFSIe cars will be sold alongside a growing list of electric vehicles, including the upcoming Q6 E-Tron. In the coming years, an A6 E-Tron will join the lineup, complete with a recently previewed wagon.

Although diesel Audis will be no more in Holland and the engineers have abandoned the development of fossil-fueled powertrains, a new and final family of ICE is coming. The A4 (B10) due in 2023 could have them first in both gasoline and diesel flavors. With the risk of stating the obvious, these will be more electrified than ever, through mild-hybrid and PHEV setups.

Euro 7 regulations are looming and the Ingolstadt-based marque has taken precautionary measures to make its ICEs more efficient to avoid paying hefty fees for exceeding fleet emissions. 2025 will go down in history as the year Audi launched its last combustion-engined new car. Come 2033, the German luxury brand will end sales of conventionally powered vehicles. A possible exception is China where the gasoline mill could continue depending on local demand.

Some of the gasoline engines are also on their way out as it's highly unlikely the R8's naturally aspirated 5.2-liter V10 will live to see another generation. It could soldier on in the Lamborghini Huracan's replacement, but Audi has already confirmed its next supercar will be entirely electric.

The glorious 2.5-liter inline-five engine found in the RS3, RS Q3, and the TT RS is living on borrowed time as well. That said, the 400-hp hot hatch was unveiled less than a year ago, so it should stick around for a while.

Audi is pulling no punches when it comes to the future of motoring. While fellow German brands BMW and Porsche work with hydrogen technology and synthetic fuels respectfully, Ingolstadt has nailed its flag to the mast - by 2026, all new Audis will be electric, and the brand's combustion-engined vehicles will die in 2033.

Even the RS performance models will head down this route, with Audi not willing to consider downsizing as an alternative. Speaking at the track launch of the hardcore RS5 Competition at the Ascari circuit in Spain, Audi Sport's Constantin Dressler told CarBuzz that it will electrify its performance cars, but "won't ever do a four-pot." This is a blatant dig at Mercedes-AMG, which recently revealed the four-cylinder C63 S E Performance.

Even though the RS5 and RS4 Avant (the latter of which is not sold in the USA) are powered by a glorious-sounding 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6, both are outclassed by the AMG in terms of performance and power. Where Ingolstadt's RS twins produce a maximum of 444 horsepower and 442 lb-ft of torque, the four-pot Benz has a hearty combined total of 671 hp and 752 lb-ft. But Audi is not obsessed with winning a power war right now. Instead, Dressler said that it is aiming to provide more "character" and "greater emotion" from the driving experience, as requested by customers.

Of course, the Merc's muscle comes courtesy of electrification - a rear-mounted electric motor provides as much as 201 hp/236-lb-ft to the equation. Audi, BMW, and Mercedes have been engaged in a horsepower war for nearly 30 years, so we can expect the next iteration of RS cars to produce even more power from the electrically assisted V6s and V8s.

Audi has already shown us the future of electrified performance with the gorgeous RS e-tron GT. It may not have the bark of the TT RS's five-cylinder or the gravelly grumble of the RS7's V8, but the electric performer is astonishingly fast and worthy of the RS badge affixed to its rear.

A boost mode increases power to 637 hp, allowing the Model S rival to hit 60 mph in a mere 3.1 seconds. To put that into perspective, that's quicker than the hallowed R8 V10 Performance. Speaking of Audi's halo car, Ingolstadt even has plans to replace its supercar with an all-electric successor.

In a previous interview, Audi Sport's Sebastian Grams said the new model will retain its mid-engined feel (by using Porsche architecture). It won't, however, keep the R8 name.

Interestingly, Ugur Yeter, who was in charge of improving the RS5 Competition's sound and character, told us that he believes there's a "90/10" chance that the combustion engine will live on for more than a decade because the V6 twin-turbo mill in the RS5 is so good and so efficient that, with electrification, the same basic engine could well beat emissions requirements beyond 2030.

However, avoiding full-scale electrification depends on a number of factors, from synthetic fuel technology to the brand's focus in the future. Oliver Hoffman, the brand's head of technical development, has expressed interest in creating an all-electric RS6 Avant, commenting that "the PPE platform has a wide range in terms of power output. For me, it's very clear that when we present an electric A6, it has to also include some performance versions of it."

Interestingly, Yeter also told us that the next B10 Audi A4 (and therefore subsequent RS4 and RS5) will be based on the new C9 A6, which means the brand can keep its options open for future powertrains. Expect the B10 in 2025.

Electric vehicles are considered locally greener in terms of CO2 and other emissions compared to combustion-powered cars, which means they are cleaner during operation. The electric energy for EVs doesn’t always come from greener sources, though, but that's a topic for a different conversation. Regardless of the engine type, however, all vehicles generate fine dust from their brakes and tires and from road abrasion. Is there a solution to reduce the amount of particulate pollution? Not yet but Audi is working on it.

The German automaker has a new pilot project developed with parts supplier Mann + Hummel and the two companies are designing a new particulate filter for electric cars that collects particulate matter from the environment. The filter works similarly to stationary air filtration systems for houses, though being installed in the front end of a car means it can collect the particulates generated by that same car.

Launched in 2020, the pilot project will run through 2024 when the results will be evaluated. The filter is mounted to the vehicle’s existing frame in the front fascia in front of the radiator, which means only minimal modifications to the design are needed. The filter is controlled by a switchable cooling air inlet, which keeps the fine dust particles stuck in the filter. Audi has been testing the new technology on E-Tron test vehicles.
The system functions in two modes. While the vehicle is in motion, it passively filters when the air flows through the filter system and the smallest particles are captured. During stationary charging, the fan that is already mounted at the front end of the vehicle conveys ambient air through the filter. Audi explains the second mode is ideal for use in urban areas while charging at public stations.

Initial tests so far have shown that the filter has no negative effect on the way the electric E-Tron test vehicles are operating after about 31,068 miles (50,000 kilometers) of endurance tests. Evaluations in the city of Stuttgart in Germany have also shown the E-Tron trial vehicle has been able to completely filter out its own particles. The German automaker is now working with its partner Mann + Hummel to connect the filtration system with existing sensors such as weather stations to make the technology more efficient.