The Audi e-tron family is set to expand with the Audi Q7 next to utilise electric motor technology.
Speaking at the launch of the brandâs first local advertising campaign tagged âland of quattroâ, Audi Australia managing director Andrew Doyle confirmed that a Q7 e-tron model will be shown before the six-year-old current generation is replaced in late 2015.
Audi has previously shown the A1 e-tron concept â" which utilised a rotary-powered engine in tandem with an electric motor â" and more recently the production A3 e-tron, which will be the first e-tron model to arrive in Australia sometime next year.
While the A3 e-tron, shown at the 2013 Geneva motor show, combines a 110kW 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine with a 75kW electric motor to claim just 1.5L/100km, Doyle wouldnât confirm what powertrain combination the Q7 e-tron would use.
âWe have a plan going forward for e-tron,â told Doyle. âIt will be rolled out across all the models nowâ¦â
This is despite Audiâs recent decision to ditch the R8 e-tron flagship, something the local MD says is âa question of having the right product available at the right time when the marketâs ready for it,â implicitly hinting that the supercar market may not be ready for an all-electric supercar.
âI donât see it [R8 e-tron] as a major thing for us. Weâll launch [locally] with A3, followed by Q7â¦â
Asked whether Audi will wait until the next-generation Q7 to introduce an e-tron petrol-electric version, Doyle replied âI think itâs this generation.â
Although Doyle confirmed that the next Q7 will continue to share its platform with the Volkswagen Touareg and Porsche Cayenne, he âcouldnât answerâ why the Audi version would not be released until 2015 when its near-twin siblings switched to their respective new-generation models last year.
âThe mid-life improvement was quite substantial, but otherwise thereâs no real reason [for the delay],â added the local MD.
âIt [Q7] is still doing quite well actually, worldwide and in Australia.â
Where the Audi Q5 outsells its BMW X3 arch rival in the medium SUV segment, the Q7 lags behind its BMW X5 and Mercedes-Benz ML-Class competitors in the large SUV class.
This is something Doyle hopes will change with the 2015 new-generation model.
âThe new one will give that [title] a good chance,â he said.
âIt was our first foray into SUV with Q7 so ⦠I think the second model lifecycle will give it a good shake I reckon.
âWeâre looking forward to getting itâ.
Comments
Post a Comment