Audi looking to shake up its design language

Ever get the feeling most Audis look the same? You’re not alone. But the German automaker is looking to change that. Typically, most of its models wear the same basic design language and bear more than a passing resemblance to each other. It’s why sometimes it takes a keen eye to pinpoint the difference between an A4 or an A6, or a Q3 and a Q5. Now, according to AutoCar UK, Audi head Rupert Stadler says there’s no longer a need for this type of “repetition” across the lineup.

“This design process was used to make Audis more recognizable in newer and emerging markets,” he said. “Now we are well known in major markets like China, we can

begin to change this philosophy and give each car its own look.”

Audi head designer Marc Lichte is all for this new-found differentiation, and with the company’s push toward electrification, this should bring forward much more creative and attractive designs.

“Design will go in a very different way,” he said. “(Designers) will have more material space to play with, so we’ll be able to produce (vehicles with) shorter overhangs and lower bonnets. It makes for a more attractive design overall.”

The Q2 is Audi’s first step toward more design flexibility. However, Lichte promises Audi’s biggest leaps forward will be the EVs that will follow the production-spec Etron Quattro.