A Cheaper Audi EV's on the Way: Report
Customers won’t get a chance to buy an Audi E-tron SUV until next year, but, if money’s tight, they might want to hold off for a while. The German brand’s first electric utility vehicle (seen above) arrives in the second quarter of 2019, carrying a base price of $74,800 — at least once the launch editions clear out. More E-trons will follow, including a Sportback version of the SUV and a top-flight GT sports sedan.
Green, but still requiring plenty of green to plunk one in your driveway. Audi apparently has a solution for budget-minded premium EV shoppers, and it plans to make it happen with help from Volkswagen.
The MEB platform found beneath VW’s upcoming line of I.D.-badged electrics will set up shop beneath a new Audi SUV, Autocar reports.
The unnamed SUV will, naturally, be smaller in size than the E-tron, positioned between the overseas-only Q2 and familiar Q3 in terms of footprint. The model’s bound for a reveal in late 2019, the publication states, with a launch occuring the following year. Audi’s newest electric will likely bow as a 2021 model.
As one would expect, the little ute borrows design elements found on the larger E-tron. The model will appear with a similar shoulder line, grille and air intakes, according to Audi design boss Marc Lichte.
By borrowing VW’s architecture, Audi’s smallest EV could boast a pre-credit price as low as the high $30k range, which might not sound like a bargain for some. Audi’s two larger SUVs keep it in-house, using the brand’s modular longitudinal platform, while the upcoming GT is said to ride atop the bones used by the hard-to-pronounce Porsche Taycan.
Once here, the model will face competition from the Jaguar E-Pace in the fledgling (but poised to balloon) premium electric utility vehicle segment.
[Image: Audi]
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- ToolGuy First picture: I realize that opinions vary on the height of modern trucks, but that entry door on the building is 80 inches tall and hits just below the headlights. Does anyone really believe this is reasonable?Second picture: I do not believe that is a good parking spot to be able to access the bed storage. More specifically, how do you plan to unload topsoil with the truck parked like that? Maybe you kids are taller than me.
- ToolGuy The other day I attempted to check the engine oil in one of my old embarrassing vehicles and I guess the red shop towel I used wasn't genuine Snap-on (lots of counterfeits floating around) plus my driveway isn't completely level and long story short, the engine seized 3 minutes later.No more used cars for me, and nothing but dealer service from here on in (the journalists were right).
- Doughboy Wow, Merc knocks it out of the park with their naming convention… again. /s
- Doughboy I’ve seen car bras before, but never car beards. ZZ Top would be proud.
- Bkojote Allright, actual person who knows trucks here, the article gets it a bit wrong.First off, the Maverick is not at all comparable to a Tacoma just because they're both Hybrids. Or lemme be blunt, the butch-est non-hybrid Maverick Tremor is suitable for 2/10 difficulty trails, a Trailhunter is for about 5/10 or maybe 6/10, just about the upper end of any stock vehicle you're buying from the factory. Aside from a Sasquatch Bronco or Rubicon Jeep Wrangler you're looking at something you're towing back if you want more capability (or perhaps something you /wish/ you were towing back.)Now, where the real world difference should play out is on the trail, where a lot of low speed crawling usually saps efficiency, especially when loaded to the gills. Real world MPG from a 4Runner is about 12-13mpg, So if this loaded-with-overlander-catalog Trailhunter is still pulling in the 20's - or even 18-19, that's a massive improvement.
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Weird choice. I imagine this shape will appeal to urbanites. But they don't have anywhere to charge. Model 3 is a sedan and is selling like milk/egg/breads. IMO Audi or VW should bring the e-tron GT's beauty to the masses. A Jetta sized fastback with ~250HP and ~250 miles of range for ~$40-50K would be a killer.
Seriously, a guy who smokes joints on podcasts and can't control himself on Twitter started an EV car company from scratch, and is now challenging companies who literally had a HUNDRED YEAR head start. GM, Ford, VW, Toyota, etc. have NO EXCUSE. Imagine VW, with basically unlimited resources compared to Tesla, had started their EV initiative 15 years ago instead of being bogged down by their idiotic clean diesel shit storm.