JAKARTA - The boss of global Audi openly admitted that the decision to change the name of one of their legendary models, the A4, to A5 was a mistake. The German manufacturer is now giving a strong signal that the A4 name will be resurrected.
The name A4, which has existed for 32 years, has the opportunity to come back to life through the next model update. Audi in 2023 had announced a new naming strategy.
Where, all gasoline and diesel engine models will use odd numbers. While electric cars use even numbers.
The goal is for consumers to more easily distinguish between electrified and non-electrified lines in the showroom. In the scheme, the A4 is the first non-electric model to be retired, as the A4 sedan and wagon are merged into the A5 name.
Where, the A5 was previously only used for the coupe, convertible, and five-door Sportback versions. Similar changes also occurred in the performance variant, where the S4 was changed to the S5, while the RS5 was rumored to replace the RS4.
However, the market response turned out to be disappointing because many customers and dealers said that the new naming was confusing, especially since the A4 name has been attached since 1994. Audi finally pulled the brakes, including canceling plans to replace the conventional engine A6 with the A7.
"Yes, as we said earlier this year, it was a mistake, and we have corrected it," said Audi CEO Gernot Döllner, quoted by Drive, Monday, February 2, 2025. "We will go back to our old nomenclature, A for flat-floored cars, Q for SUVs, and then the numbers describe the size of the car or the car segment, finished," he continued.
The statement reinforces Dollner's interview with Autocar in mid-2025. In which, when he said that the only mistake related to the A5 was the name change time which was too tight with the production period.
When asked if A5 could return to using the name A4 in the future, Döllner opened up the possibility. "Yes, it's possible, in general with A6 as a reference point, from there to the future we will consider it," he said.
Previously, based on the old naming structure designed by Döllner's predecessor, Markus Duesmann, the A4 name was projected to continue only as an electric sedan. However, that direction has now changed, following Audi's decision to cancel plans to fully sell electric cars in most markets starting in 2033.
Interestingly, this improvement is not just about the name, Audi also began to correct a number of details that had been criticized. The touch shifter on the steering wheel is now replaced with a conventional scroll wheel.
The S and RS badges are returned to the front grille so that the performance model is easier to recognize. Then, the naming of engines such as 35 TFSI and 40 TDI is revamped to be based on power output, for example, TFSI 110kW' and 'TDI 150kW.
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