Audi Adding Two Numbers To Model Nomenclature

[Liquid]

Auto Express

Model names will remain the same but will receive an additional two numbers depending on the car's power output in kW.
The article gives us the example of the Audi A8 50 (diesel) and Audi A8 55 (petrol)



The only thing I haven't quite seen yet is why Audi is doing this; it seems to be to do with the e-tron production cars on the way.

 

[Dennisch]

It's done to make Zhe Germans even less indistinguishable.

 

[boiltheocean]

Clearly this is designed to exploit the small but lucrative market of sticking a better badge on your bog standard repmobile.

 

[Cale]

Been like this in the ME for years.

Because more better

 

[MSZ]

This is only new in certain markets. I know they have been doing this new numbering thingy in Asia for at least a couple of years now.

 

[MatskiMonk]

The only thing I haven't quite seen yet is why Audi is doing this; it seems to be to do with the e-tron production cars on the way.

I would say so people can easily differentiate between models that have the same displacement, but different outputs. At the same time, it allows them to fit other powertrains (e-tron, g-tron) into the same hierarchy without having to use a different nomenclature.

For example you currently have;

A4 2.0 TDI
A4 2.0 TDI
A4 2.0 TDI

That's not really very useful... so instead you will have;

A4 30 TDI
A4 35 TDI
A4 40 TDI

It could be argued that that's not really very useful either, but at least it differentiates between the models in a fashion that lets people know yours is better than theirs.

Same deal at BMW and Mercedes. Instead of having 320d, 320d, 320d, 320d, and 320d - you have 316d, 318d, 320d, 325d and 328d. Or instead of C200, C200, C200, and C200, you have C200, C250, C300, and C350.