Audi's model range currently abounds with SUVs that are so difficult to sell that the brand is closing a factory. The fun cars no longer exist.
Audi currently has a wide selection of SUVs on the market. But the Germans lack a fun car model program. The Audi TT and R8 are things of the past, and there are no plans to replace them.
The range of sports cars is generally declining, while SUVs remain popular. And to such an extent that the brand itself can see it.
– I think Audi always looks at global segment trends. So that's why SUVs have been on the rise for the past several years. At the moment they are still increasing, says Peter Strudwieke, who is a product planner at Audi Australia, to the site Carsales .
Some would think that Audi has moved the sporty expression over to the Sportback editions of the Q models. But again, it's mostly about visual changes to already-existing cars.
The SUVs can hardly replace the Audi TT, and certainly not the center-engined R8. Audi also has no coupés or cabriolets in their range anymore, as the A5 will not come in a two-door version in the future, and the A3 cabriolet was discontinued several years ago.
READ ALSO: Spent fortune on car logo – no explanation to wife
Audi is instead focusing on new SUVs. The next generation of Q5 Sportback will probably premiere already this month. But several other SUVs have an uncertain future in fashion.
The Q2 is discontinued after only one generation, and Audi has already decided to close the factory in Belgium that builds the big Q8 e-tron.
In China, Audi has entered into a collaboration with the SAIC group to launch a new car brand. It will be called AUDI. Three models are expected to be launched from 2025, and at least one of them is expected to be an SUV.
If one day Audi decides to revive the Audi TT, it's possible that, according to Carsales, it's most likely to return as a crossover. The Germans already aired the idea 10 years ago with the TT offroad concept car, which represented an SUV version of the Audi TT.
In the same year, a concept for a TT Sportback, a four-door sedan, was also presented. But none of these concepts came to fruition.
The high demand for SUVs is not the only reason why Audi is deprioritizing sports cars. This is explained by Jeff Mannering, director of the importer in Australia.
He specifically points out that right now the company must be extremely careful with how it spends money. And seen in that light, a sports car is very far down the list of priorities.
Audi's sales are down 10.9% in the year to September, and profits fell 91% in the third quarter. At the same time, parent company Volkswagen Group is struggling with declining sales across the board. That is, except for one place that reports that everything is sold out. Read more about it here .
Read more exciting news from and about the world of cars right here!
