For those who feared Audi was going to dilute their brand by making a rebadged Volkswagen up!, there is good news.
In an interview with CAR Magazine at the Beijing Auto Show, Audi CEO Rupert Stadler said there would be no Audi smaller than the plucky A1. He said they are selling plenty of them and it makes good money for a small car.
What he did hint at on the horizon was the introduction of a really, really big luxury SUV, presumably called the Q9. The current Q7 is already a big old barge with seven seats, so it would be interesting to see how much bigger a big Audi Q would be. But with Mercedes building the GL, Land Rover supersizing the Range Rover and the BMW X7 coming from Spartanburg soon, Audi doesn't want to be left out.
Oh, except Stadler said:
If we do [a Q9], it will not be because of what our rivals are doing.
Right, right, sure, sure.
Photo: Audi