Audi in China with a facelift

Audi will be rebranding in the Chinese market with a new logo that does away with the car's famous four-ring badge. The company unveiled a new concept car in Shanghai with a new badge, which is basically just AUDI in large block letters.

Audi CEO Gernot Döllner wrote in a press release that he wants to win over "more technologically aware" Chinese buyers who "expect leading connectivity and automated driving." Reuters already reported in August that Audi will take a different tactic in China, even though it sold less than 10,000 vehicles in the Chinese market in the first half of this year.

The concept car they unveiled is basically a preview for three future cars of different sizes. They should be presented in the middle of 2025. Audi has also approached the Chinese state-owned company SAIC Motors, with which it will cooperate in the future. Fermin Soneira, former head of the electric car division, will be at the helm. As part of the partnership, they have already developed a new advanced platform with 800-volt architecture, on which the new car concept is based.

Soneira has been an important member of Audi for 25 years and is optimistic about the new partnership. Like all other European manufacturers, Audi is also looking for ways to beat domestic competition in the Chinese market, which has flooded the domestic market with cheap and advanced cars.