Audi to ditch powertrain-based nomenclature, moving to a simpler system

Audi will simplify the naming system for its cars by ditching the numbers associated with the vehicles' powertrain output, British magazine Auto Express has reported. The German luxury car giant has started adopting this strategy with the Q8 E-Tron and the latest with this system is the newly introduced Audi Q6 E-Tron. Florian Hauser, Audi’s head of sales and product marketing for EVs, reportedly said that the Q6 E-Tron made the beginning of the brand's move away from drivetrain output's number-linked naming system. Audi has revealed that the numeric designations are gradually disappearing from its vehicle lineup, largely due to the increasing presence of electric vehicles in its portfolio.

The Volkswagen AG-owned luxury automaker rolled out the system of powertrain output-linked naming system back in 2017. Under this system, the automaker adds a dual-digit number between the core nameplate and the engine type. Some examples of this nomenclature strategy are 40 TFSI, 45 TFSI etc, which denote different power output variants.

Hauser said that the new naming strategy comes in line with the automaker's plan to streamline the number of powertrains in its lineup as it is gradually shifting toward pure electric vehicles. The Audi official also stated that this will bring a more linear and streamlined naming culture for the brand. “When we talk about simplicity, we don't just talk about the options and the configuration process. We are really thinking of getting the leanest engine program for the Q6," Hauser further said.

Under the new naming regime, it can be assumed that Audi will continue to use the RS prefix for the performance cars in the foreseeable future. However, the automaker has not specifically mentioned anything regarding this. Also, the carmaker has not stated anything when the powertrain-baed numbers will completely disappear from the Audi range of cars.