Audi Has Already Ditched Its ICE Odd, EV Even Model Names

Many years ago, before Audi began making a huge range of cars, its model names were easy to decipher. Barring more specialist stuff like the TT, you had the letter A, then a number to let you know roughly how big the car was. The A2 was a little hatchback, and the A8 a hulking luxury saloon.

In the 21st century, though, a diversification into more crossovers and coupes meant a rethink, with the manufacturer bringing in the Q designation for SUVs and previously unused model names like A5 and A7.

The coming of electric cars only complicated things further, but in 2023, Audi thought it had landed on the perfect solution: give even numbers to EVs, and odd numbers to petrols, diesels and hybrids. Simple, right?

Erm, not really. Audi’s already backtracked on that plan, following “the wishes of our customers as well as feedback from our international dealers,” according to Audi sales and marketing board member Marco Schubert.

That means that going forward, both electric and combustion-powered versions of cars will get the same name, with only powertrain designations marking out the difference – TFSI for petrol, TDI for diesel, and E-Tron for EVs.

Given that the strategy had been in play for a little over a year before being scrapped, very few cars had actually been named under it. The electric Q6 E-Tron fits in the same size bracket as the combustion-powered Q5; and the A5 took over from the A4 as Audi’s mid-sized, combustion-powered saloon and estate.

The latter has likely caused a lot of that confusion. Since 2007, the A5 had been a coupe and convertible version of the A4, but for its third generation, it became a saloon and estate, doing effectively the same job the A4 had before. Audi says that no existing models will have this change applied retroactively, so the new A5 will remain the A5, while the A4 name will likely be applied to an eventual EV equivalent.

The names of upcoming models, though, won’t be split in this way. The latest A6, for instance, was unveiled last summer as an EV, and it’s long been thought the combustion equivalent would be badged A7. Audi has now confirmed, though, that it’ll also wear A6 badges when it’s revealed on 4 March.

It’s probably a sensible move, as the strategy fundamentally meant shifting away from names that had been established for several decades in some cases. Then again, Audi is the company that decided to launch an entirely new brand called… AUDI.