Audi is going to ditch the two numbers which denote the displacement of the engine. Pretty much the same when BMW did as well, ditching the numbers which represent engine displacement for a code instead. Volkswagen decided to use numbers that represent the torque car has. So like every other company, Audi wants to make it as equally confusing for all.
The new model designations are the power output of the individual model in kilowatts (kW). Yes, not horsepower but rather kW. And no, it isn’t as direct. For example, the combination “30” will appear for models with a power output of 81 (109hp) and 96 kW (129hp). “45” stands for power output between 169 (227 hp) and 185 kW (248hp) and Audi cars with more than 400 kW, they are identified by the number “70”.
Each of these number codes will be accompanied by the traditional engine technology code such as TFSI, TDI, g-tron or e-tron. As an example, the models will range from the Audi Q2 30 TFSI with 85 kW (114hp) to the Audi Q7 50 TDI with 200 kW (268hp). To make things even more confusing, the top of the range S, RS and Audi R8 models will still maintain their classic names.
“As alternative drive technologies become increasingly relevant, engine displacement as a performance attribute is becoming less important to our customers. The clarity and logic of structuring the designations according to power output make it possible to distinguish between the various performance levels,” explains Dr. Dietmar Voggenreiter, Board of Management Member for Sales and Marketing at AUDI AG.
The changes will kick off with the new Audi A8 generation in the fall of 2017.
