Photo: lars_o_saeltzer / Instagram
The Ingolstadt-based automaker is preparing a tidal wave of novelties – both across the passenger car and crossover SUV sectors. As far as the latter is concerned, things are more straightforward, but for the former, we need to work our heads around yet another nomenclature switch.
For example, Audi is almost ready to bring out an all-new Q3 subcompact luxury crossover SUV because the second generation has slowly yet steadily grown long in the tooth. We also know from the myriad of spied prototypes that BMW's quirky X7 and the elegant Mercedes-Benz GLS will face off with an Audi rival to match, as the Ingolstadt-based automaker is finally bringing out something more significant than the refreshed Q7 – the long-awaited Q9 flagship.
According to the rumor mill and the imaginative realm of digital car content creators, these two have something in common – Audi is also switching to the novel split-headlight design in a bid to show BMW's designer how to do it without (much) controversy. Alas, the same cannot be said about the upcoming Q5 compact luxury crossover SUV because this one keeps the traditional headlight style, again as per the development vehicles spied by our spy photographer partners.
Just recently, the virtual artist behind Larson Design (aka lars_o_saeltzer on social media) has started a series of Audi design projects, seemingly trying to envision the unofficial looks of the upcoming Q3 and Q5 crossover SUVs. Now, though, he's switching to the passenger car side of the equation, where Audi is implementing a massive nameplate switch. From now on, the even numbers are for zero-emission e-trons, while the odd ones are for traditional ICE-powered vehicles. However, most of them will also have some sort of electrification aids in the form of mild hybrid and PHEV powertrains.
For example, the A4 will morph into A5, the A6 will become A7, and so on. It's a bit disconcerting, mostly because there are A5 and A7 models – fastback sedans that act as the sportier counterparts to the A4 and A6 sedans and Avant station wagons. Now, though, they will represent the embodiment of everything – both practicality and sportiness. As such, the pixel master imagined the upcoming next-generation Audi A7 Avant as a new kind of 'Avantissimo' – a big station wagon packing both mild hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains while looking even more spectacular than the current Audi A6 Avant.
So, do you like the changes Audi is implementing – things like adding a new flagship crossover SUV (Q9) to fight the big CUVs with split-headlight design, and the fact they are implementing yet another name change setup so rapidly after not long ago they reshuffled the engine designations into something that even today no one really understands or cares about?
According to the rumor mill and the imaginative realm of digital car content creators, these two have something in common – Audi is also switching to the novel split-headlight design in a bid to show BMW's designer how to do it without (much) controversy. Alas, the same cannot be said about the upcoming Q5 compact luxury crossover SUV because this one keeps the traditional headlight style, again as per the development vehicles spied by our spy photographer partners.
Just recently, the virtual artist behind Larson Design (aka lars_o_saeltzer on social media) has started a series of Audi design projects, seemingly trying to envision the unofficial looks of the upcoming Q3 and Q5 crossover SUVs. Now, though, he's switching to the passenger car side of the equation, where Audi is implementing a massive nameplate switch. From now on, the even numbers are for zero-emission e-trons, while the odd ones are for traditional ICE-powered vehicles. However, most of them will also have some sort of electrification aids in the form of mild hybrid and PHEV powertrains.
For example, the A4 will morph into A5, the A6 will become A7, and so on. It's a bit disconcerting, mostly because there are A5 and A7 models – fastback sedans that act as the sportier counterparts to the A4 and A6 sedans and Avant station wagons. Now, though, they will represent the embodiment of everything – both practicality and sportiness. As such, the pixel master imagined the upcoming next-generation Audi A7 Avant as a new kind of 'Avantissimo' – a big station wagon packing both mild hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains while looking even more spectacular than the current Audi A6 Avant.
So, do you like the changes Audi is implementing – things like adding a new flagship crossover SUV (Q9) to fight the big CUVs with split-headlight design, and the fact they are implementing yet another name change setup so rapidly after not long ago they reshuffled the engine designations into something that even today no one really understands or cares about?
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