Audi to reveal first model from Its China-exclusive EV brand AUDI at Auto Shanghai

Audi is set to stage a flagship premiere at Auto Shanghai 2025 that will introduce the first vehicle of its all-new, China-exclusive electric sub-brand—AUDI. The debut of a vehicle is a gigantic shift for the German manufacturer’s efforts to keep pace with rapidly changing consumer expectations and intensifying competition in the Chinese EV space.

Its public premiere will occur on April 23, the first press day of the event, and is anticipated to be a production variant of the AUDI E concept that was seen last year.

A new name, a new identity

In contrast to the rest of the global Audi lineup, this new sub-brand relinquishes the traditional Four Rings badge for a striking "AUDI" script, indicating a stark break with convention. The sub-brand has been created exclusively for China and designed in close partnership with SAIC, the homegrown auto giant. The German luxury carmaker announced its partnership with SAIC last year in July. The idea was to co-develop an ‘intelligent’ and ‘connected’ car using the expertise of both the carmakers.

This new approach is part of a larger trend among legacy manufacturers—localizing product development in order to remain relevant in an increasingly dominated market by agile, tech-savvy domestic players.

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Fast-tracked innovation

The debutante AUDI model will sit on a special-purpose Advanced Digitized Platform developed in partnership with SAIC, enabling Audi to reduce its development time by 30 per cent. It has a long wheelbase supporting a more spacious interior than both the A5 or A6 Avant but with similar external dimensions.

It gets a 100-kWh battery with a dual-motor AWD setup and a maximum range of up to 700 km (CLTC). Owing to its 800-volt design, the vehicle can recover 370 km of range on a 10-minute charge.

With two additional models in the works, an SUV and a Sportback, the AUDI brand represents a new era that focuses on speed, innovation, and localization rather than heritage.

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