Well, that didn’t last long.
In March 2023 Audi announced plans for a new naming scheme to better differentiate gas cars from electric vehicles. EVs were supposed to use even numbers, while models with combustion engines were set to use odd numbers. The nomenclature was still very much alive last November when the next A7 was announced as the A6’s replacement. Now, the German luxury brand is reverting to the old vehicle naming strategy.
Going forward, the numbers will once again refer strictly to the size of the vehicle rather than the type of powertrain. To distinguish combustion-engined cars from fully electric models, one of the following suffixes will be included: TFSI for gasoline, TFSIe for plug-in hybrids, TDI for diesels, and e-Tron for EVs. For better differentiation, Audi will stick to the suffixes denoting the type of body style: Sedan, Avant, or Sportback.
We can all agree that Audi shouldn’t have changed its naming strategy in the first place. It also shouldn’t have implemented that confusing naming scheme based on the powertrain’s output. How are people supposed to immediately identify a “55 TFSI” or a “40 TDI”? Thankfully, that weird double-digit naming scheme is gone, too. Cadillac had a similar idea, but used torque numbers to distinguish between models. Despite being an American brand, it decided to go with Newton meters instead of pound-feet.
Next-generation Audi A6 Avant rendering by Motor1
The next-generation A6 will be the first model to use Audi’s new/old naming scheme. It was supposed to be rebranded as the A7, but not anymore. The revamped model with combustion engines will premiere on March 4 and will sit alongside the purely electric A6 E-Tron. A new RS6 Avant is in the works, but there are worrying reports it will drop the V-8 in favor of a plug-in hybrid V-6.
Audi will continue to use “A” for cars and “Q” for crossovers. However, the smallest models in each category will be removed from the lineup, as the A1 and Q2 will be discontinued at the end of their life cycles. The strategy will only to models that are set to appear in the future, which means existing vehicles are not going to be renamed. So the new A5 won’t go back to the A4 name.
The company with the Four Rings had intended to go purely electric by 2033, but it’s now staying “flexible” after realizing people aren’t willing to give up on cars with combustion engines so soon.