- A more rugged Audi was first reported in 2023
- The automaker’s CEO has once again teased it as a possibility
- Audi parent VW’s new Scout brand could provide a suitable platform
The Next Evolution Of Quattro?
Audi is no stranger to off-pavement adventures, but traditionally in the form of rally cars, not rock-crawling off-roaders. But a couple of years ago, reports circulated that Audi was considering wading into the same mud bog as the Land Rover Defender and Mercedes-Benz G-Class. And there now some positive signs that this is still the plan.
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“Don’t give up on that dream,” Audi CEO Gernot Döllner said in a recent interview with Autocar, regarding the possibility of a rugged off-roader to take on the Defender and G-Wagen. Döllner didn’t outright confirm the project, but added that fans should “stay tuned” regarding its future prospects.
A New Niche For Audi
Audi first teased the idea of such a vehicle in 2023 with the Activesphere concept, a high-riding, wagon-like EV based on the Premium Platform Electric (PPE) used by the Audi A6 e-tron and Q6 e-tron. Around the same time, then-Audi design boss Marc Lichte said in an interview with Autocar that a high-end off-roader would make sense for the brand, adding that were was room for a third competitor alongside the Defender and G-Wagen.
Lichte left Audi shortly after, but he was replaced by Massimo Frascella, an ex-JLR designer who previously worked on the Defender. That, along with Döllner’s positive comments, hint that the project could still be alive. Döllner has tried to slim down the Audi lineup, but believes there is still room for niche models like an electric sports car previewed by the Concept C shown at last month’s Munich auto show and, it seems, an off-roader.
“It works perfectly to have a more focused lineup in the core, and in addition to that have some niche models to build the brand and also to transfer new ideas from a niche segment into the core products,” Döllner said in the Autocar interview.
Scouting A New Platform?
Scout Motors
A G-Wagen/Defender rival would be unlike any previous production Audi, meaning finding a suitable architecture could be a challenge. It’s unclear if suitable levels of off-road capability can be baked into PPE or its companion Premium Platform Combustion (PPC), but elsewhere in the Volkswagen Group, an ideal architecture is under development.
Scout Motors will use a new body-on-frame platform for its Traveler SUV and Terra pickup truck, which will be offered with all-electric or range-extended powertrains. They’re scheduled to enter production in 2027 at a new South Carolina factory which, assuming there’s capacity to spare, could also give Audi a way around Trump tariffs. Audi has been considering local production in light of the tariff situation, but given the popularity of rugged SUVs and trucks in the U.S., that could be an even bigger deal for this model.
“At a group level, we are right now discussing and investigating whether or not we should have a factory for Audi in the U.S.,” Döllner told Autocar. “But that’s dependent on a stable tariff situation,” as well as other regulatory conditions, he added.
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