Latest news with #Döllner
Miami Herald
10 hours ago
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
No End In Sight For Audi ICE Cars After CEO's U-Turn
A few years ago, Audi said it would stop selling gas-powered cars in 2033. At that point, many major automakers had set plans in motion for their own discontinuation of gas models, but many have realized this move was a bit premature. Audi's CEO has now confirmed that the German brand is backtracking on the 2033 decision. Instead, it will keep developing new ICE models for the foreseeable future, with no definite date at which ICE models will cease development. Gernot Döllner, Audi CEO since 2023, told Autocar that he "had not been the one to communicate the end date" of the brand developing new ICE models; rather, this was a decision taken by previous management. Explaining why he changed the brand's strategy, Dollner said he "believes in flexibility" when it comes to powertrains. "Audi is launching from 2024-2026 a completely new line-up of internal combustion engine and plug-in hybrid vehicles, and that gives us complete flexibility for at least another seven, eight, maybe 10 years, and then we will see how our markets develop. We have already decided to extend the production beyond the communicated end dates of the past." This will be music to the ears of Audi enthusiasts, especially fans of the brand's high-performance RS division. While models like the RS e-tron are exceptionally quick, they can't match the emotional qualities of an RS6 or RS7 with their V8 power plants. Döllner made some interesting statements about Audi's Formula 1 team, saying this team would "inspire us to think about road cars of the future." Asked specifically about the return of the TT sports car and R8 supercar, he said the company was "thinking about everything… we are car guys, let yourself be surprised. There is room for Audi in such fields. We are evaluating different options but it's a little too early to talk about that." This is not the first time Döllner seemed keen for a TT revival. And, while rumors of a new, all-electric R8 were swirling a few years ago, that came before Dollner's statement that Audi will continue developing gas engines. In light of this, a new gas-powered R8 isn't entirely off the table, but it will likely feature some level of hybridization. While some enthusiast brands like Jaguar are going all-in on an electric future, we're pleased to see that Audi has been willing to change course. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Audi A1 and Q2 retire next year to make way for new entry EV
Polo-based A1 is Audi's smallest model Audi will retire the A1 and Q2 next year and launch a new entry-level electric car as an indirect replacement for its two cheapest models. Described as a model that sits underneath the Audi Q4 E-tron, the German firm's upcoming cheapest electric car is set to effectively serve as an EV alternative to the Audi A3 hatchback and Audi Q3 crossover - and is the smallest electric car in Audi's product plan. Audi CEO Gernot Döllner told Autocar that the firm "will end production of the A1 and Q2" in 2026, as had previously been announced, "and there definitely will be no successor for the A1." However, "we will have models in the lower A-segment", he added, referring to the designation Audi uses for cars of the A3's size and positioning, "and we will also see the car that will enter production next year in Ingolstadt, which will be our entry BEV in the A-segment". Döllner said it was too early to give any details of the new car's technical make-up, but given the Volkswagen Group's new SSP platform for electric cars is not due to make production until 2028, it is likely to share the MEB architecture with the Q4 and all EVs from Volkswagen, Skoda and Cupra. "A really positive part of our strategy is that in the A-segment, we rely on Volkswagen Group synergies. We use platforms shared with other brands and [integrate] Audi differentiation in terms of Quattro and power and technology. "That strategy is very healthy and we will move on with that. That will also be our strategy in the battery-electric age." Based on the details that have emerged, a starting price in the mid- to high-£30,000s is expected for the new Audi and the model is likely to straddle the boundary between hatchback and crossover, not unlike the new Skoda Elroq to which it is set to be closely matched in size and shape. Döllner has previously referred to the new car as a "wondeful, unique, independent concept". Because the new model will not serve as a direct replacement for the outgoing cars, it could wear a new badge – and a resurrection of the long-dormant A2 moniker is one possibility. Döllner would not be drawn on naming plans for future additions to the line-up but said it was "thinkable" that the brand could redeploy historic names. Like the Q4 E-tron, Audi's new small EV will be a more overtly premium proposition than its platform-mates from the VW Group's 'Core' portfolio, with interior technology, materials and design cues that link it to the larger, more expensive Audi models. Döllner said: "I believe that Audi is the right brand to show premium from the A- to the D-segment. There are not many brands in the world, but I think Audi can have a true premium offer in the A-segment. We will come up with highly emotional and attractive models also in the lower segments." ]]>
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Original TT could inspire new Audi sports coupé
Audi is tipped to return to the sports coupé segment with a TT successor Audi is considering a new halo model that rekindles the spirit of some of its most iconic sports cars - and the original TT is cited as a key potential source of inspiration. Having retired the TT and R8 supercar in the past 18 months, Audi is currently without a dedicated two-door sports car in its line up for the first time in decades. But CEO Gernot Döllner has suggested that a re-entry into this segment could form part of an extensive overhaul of the company's product line-up and positioning. Asked at the company's 2024 financial results presentation whether he would consider re-adding a sports car to the brand's portfolio, Döllner said: 'For sure. That's part of the brand's DNA, and we have to find the right way, timing wise, to integrate it into our portfolio.' He suggested it wouldn't be appropriate to hint at a portfolio expansion while the company is in the midst of a wide-reaching restructuring programme that includes 7500 job cuts but said he has a "broad view on where Audi should be and where Audi is heading - and thinking in that direction, sports cars are an integral part of such a set-up". He emphasised the important role that sports cars have played in Audi's past, citing 1980's four-wheel-drive Quattro as a car that "really started a new era of automotive". He also highlighted the continued relevance of cars like the aluminium-based second-generation A8 and efficiency-focused A2 supermini on Audi's current line-up. But he also mentioned the original TT as a car of particular importance and said Audi's new design boss, Massimo Frascella (who arrived in Ingolstadt last year following a long career at JLR), is a particular fan of the late-1990s coupé. "I've discussed that car so much with Massimo. That was an inspirational car for his whole career. When he was a young designer at Giugiaro, he took a day off when the TT was launched in Italy, went to the Audi dealer in Milan and sat in the showroom for a day just looking at the car. "The absolutely fantastic aspect is that it seems that he somehow had Audi in his mind for his whole career. Now is the time to let Audi out of the mind of Massimo Frascella." Notably, Frascella was heavily involved in the rebirth of the Land Rover Defender in his previous role, which nods to the legacy of its long-running 4x4 namesake while embracing a modern, minimalist new design ethos. Döllner believes this approach to styling makes him a logical fit at Audi. "I would say he tries to optimise as much as possible, to take everything away that you don't need for the expression, and I think that's a unique talent." Notably, minimalism and functional design are defining tenets of the Bauhaus art movement that so heavily influenced the original TT, suggesting that some of that car's defining characteristics could be reinterpreted for a new age. However, Döllner was emphatic that "you can't copy your past" as a car manufacturer, saying: "You really have to analyse what the essence of Audi is and use the essence to come up with something absolutely new." "These copies of successful cars of the past are definitely the wrong way," he added, although he did say it was "thinkable" that Audi could bring back some historic model names. The TT was launched in 1998 and sold more than 650,000 units across three generations over a 25-year production run, which came to a close in November 2023 with no successor in the frame. The V10-engined R8 supercar retired soon after, leaving Audi with no two-door coupés in its line-up for the first time since the Quattro was launched in 1980. Even if Audi is planning a return to the sports car segment, however, it isn't expected to be for some time. The firm's immediate priorities – following a turbulent 2024 in which its volumes reduced and its profit margin was squashed – are to bring a "future-proof" software architecture to market, benefitting from the Volkswagen Group's new joint venture with Rivian, and to successfully ramp up production of crucial new models (including the A5, A6, Q3 and Q5) in 2025. After that, said Döllner, "then is the time to talk about the right portfolio in these niche areas". "The transition takes all our energy right now, and that definitely starts in the core segments," he added. "That's where we have to make Audi robust as the first step." He wouldn't be drawn on a potential launch date for a new sports car and when asked if Audi planned to preview its plans in this segment said only: "Not yet." Asked whether Audi could offer a dedicated sports car with a plug-in hybrid powertrain, rather than as a pure EV, Döllner said he is "open-minded" but suggested that electric power makes more sense in an "everyday use" context. "There's so much uncertainty that all this discussion delivers to the market that I would say in the long-term, in the sports car segment, there will be a place for fully electric sports cars," he said. "Not for the track but for crossing the Alps and having fun on a country road, there's nothing to say against an electric car. You have a coffee break, the cars recharge and everything is perfect." Döllner spoke about the need for Audi to lean on "synergies" within the Volkswagen Group in certain segments – particularly at the lower end of its EV line-up, where it shares platforms with Volkswagen, Skoda and Cupra – and said there's scope for technical collaboration with Audi's premium siblings in more niche segments too. "I was head of group strategy when the set-up was defined: for Volkswagen to lead the A0- and A-segment, Porsche and Lamborghini to lead some areas for D-segment platforms and Audi to cover B-, C and D-minus platforms. We have that set-up and we will use it intelligently in the future." Döllner stopped short of giving any technical plans, but any compact Audi sports car would be a logical candidate to share components with Porsche's upcoming electric 718 Boxster/Cayman. As recently reported by Autocar, Audi also has plans for a third-generation R8 supercar, which would be based on the new Lamborghini Temerario plug-in hybrid. ]]>
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Audi may no longer launch final ICE car in 2026
The new Audi A5 will gain a plug-in hybrid powertrain next week Audi may no longer launch its final ICE car in 2026 as originally planned and will use this year to decide a new timeline for phasing out ICE cars. Audi previously announced that it would launch its final ICE car in 2026 – expected to be the next-generation Q7 – and remove it from sale in 2032, but different speeds of EV adoption in key global markets mean the company could keep petrol and diesel powertrains in its range for longer than planned. Speaking at the company's annual results presentation, CEO Gernot Döllner outlined the ongoing importance of ICEs and emphasised Audi's substantial investment in new-generation hybrid technology. 'For all global regions, we are going to take a look at the life of combustion engines," he said. "2032 was the date we had communicated, but we have to reassess those dates and deadlines." Explaining that the transition to EV powertrains is "going to be longer than we had originally planned for", Döllner said that ICEs will continue to have an important role to play in the medium term - particularly as the basis for hybrid powertrains. The new Audi A5 plug-in hybrid will be revealed next week as one of 10 new PHEV models due in 2025, with the A3, A6, Q5 and forthcoming next-generation Q3 also due to receive PHEV variants over the coming months. The new Q7 and a larger, mainly US-focused model known as the Q9 are also set to be offered with PHEV power when they're launched in the coming years. Audi's latest ICE cars are scheduled to remain on sale last well beyond the end of the decade, Döllner said, and the company is prepared to extend their lifecycles yet further if the demand is there and legislation allows. "On balance, an extension of combustion engines will have a positive impact on our business model," he said. In 2024, EVs accounted for less than 10% of Audi sales globally, and the firm remains committed to maintaining a "flexible offering of drivetrains" to avoid ceding market share to rivals. Döllner said that diesel engines remain an important offering in that context but the firm "will not invest heavily in new diesel generations". The firm's current TDI units are compliant with the EU's Euro 7 emissions regulations and will remain available to order "as long as we are able to produce and bring these engines to market". "We won't extend our diesel line-up – if you look at the numbers, it's declining – but it's important to us, so we are flexible in that field," said Döllner. ]]>
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Audi CEO Hints That a New Sports Car Could Be in the Cards
All of Audi's sports cars have been extinct for a few years now, but they might be resurrected in the not-too-distant future, if CEO Gernot Döllner's recent statements about the matter hold true. The latest spark of hope for future fast two-door Audis kicked off when Döllner made mention of a re-entry into the sports car segment at the carmaker's 2024 financial results presentation, according to Autocar. When asked about the possibility of a new sports car, Döllner said, 'For sure. That's part of the brand's DNA, and we have to find the right way, timing wise, to integrate it into our portfolio.' He added that he has a 'broad view on where Audi should be and where Audi is heading, and thinking in that direction, sports cars are an integral part of such a set-up,' according to the report The two most recent sports cars from Audi were the R8 and TT, with both models enjoying long production runs spanning multiple generations. Would Audi go back to the same well for its next sports car (or cars)? It's already been reported that Audi is working on a next-gen R8 based on the Lamborghini Temerario, so that's a distinct possibility. What sort of powertrain might be used for Audi's return to sports cars is largely conjecture at this point, though Döllner said he remained 'open-minded' to the idea of a hybrid, even as he suggested a purely electric sports car made sense. "I would say in the long-term, in the sports car segment, there will be a place for fully electric sports cars," Döllner said, according to the report. "Not for the track, but for crossing the Alps and having fun on a country road, there's nothing to say against an electric car. You have a coffee break, the cars recharge and everything is perfect." But while Audi going with electric power for a sports car might've been a sure thing just a short while ago when the carmaker was planning to go all-EV in short order, but Döllner's latest statements about the company's electric transition leaves the door open for more ICE cars. 'For all global regions, we are going to take a look at the life of combustion engines," he said. "2032 was the date we had communicated, but we have to reassess those dates and deadlines." In short, if Audi really wanted to give us another sports car with an internal combustion engine, it's perfectly within the realm of possibility. We're still years away from anything moving out of the ideation to production stage, presumably — so we'd say sit tight if you're hoping for another sports car with the four rings on its nose. You Might Also Like You Need a Torque Wrench in Your Toolbox Tested: Best Car Interior Cleaners The Man Who Signs Every Car
