Audi cars have been sold in China since 1988, but now the German manufacturer has decided to change its approach and has launched a joint venture with local auto giant SAIC. The cars created as part of the project will receive the AUDI inscription on the body instead of the traditional four-ring logo. The first was the Audi E concept car.
Image source: audi-mediacenter.com
While the whole world prefers SUVs, traditional passenger cars remain popular in China, so the Audi E concept has a low-slung station wagon format. The vehicle dimensions are 4870 × 1990 × 1460 mm with a wheelbase length of 2950 mm. The machine is equipped with two electric motors – one each on the front and rear axles; together they produce 570 kW (775 hp) and 800 Nm of torque. This allows the car to accelerate to 100 km/h in 3.6 seconds. A battery with a capacity of 100 kWh provides the Audi E with a range of 700 km according to Chinese CLTC standards, and an operating voltage of 800 V provides a range of 370 km in 10 minutes of charging. There is a driver assistance system that works on the highway, in urban conditions and offers autonomous parking.
The main decorative elements in the front and rear are closed LED lines; the front also houses sensors for the autopilot. The entire width of the dashboard is occupied by displays – the two outermost ones replace the side mirrors; Below the screens there is a touch panel for menu navigation. The software platform uses a facial recognition system and a voice assistant with artificial intelligence. Additional interior decorations include white fabric, light wood, silver trim and purple-hued lighting.
The Audi E concept was developed by specialists from Germany and China – the project is intended to form a general idea of the three production models that will be presented in China after mid-2025. The German automaker noted that the Chinese luxury car buyer is different – they are younger and more tech-savvy, with higher expectations of connectivity and autopilot technologies.
While participating in the joint project, Audi specialists shared the company’s historical experience in the design and development of cars, and SAIC showed their colleagues how to create new products quickly – the Chinese company has an established technological ecosystem and product line in its homeland. As a result of the cooperation, the Advanced Digitized Platform architecture was built, which will be used in three upcoming models – medium and full-size machines. All of them will be available only in China – in Europe and the USA, Audi is implementing a different program.
