Audi has unveiled the visual identity for its new Chinese EV brand, which sees the carmaker’s distinctive four-ringed logo replaced with an all-caps AUDI wordmark.
The branding was unveiled at the Shanghai launch of the AUDI E concept car, showcasing the design direction that AUDI will apply across its future production models.
Audi CEO Gernot Döllner said the sister brand is targetting the country’s younger and “more tech-savvy” EV buyers with a design that “signals both the connection to and differentiation from the sister brand”.
The spinoff is a collaboration with Chinese state-owned manufacturer SAIC, which was brought on board to help the German carmaker expand its portfolio of battery electric vehicles in the world’s largest automotive market.
Planned to go into production in 2025, the AUDI E concept is the first of three future production models, with a saloon and SUV scheduled for release over the following two years.
The five-door hatchback features a “minimalist and calm but striking” exterior that was tailored to the tastes of Chinese customers.
AUDI’s wordmark, rendered in a futuristic Tron-style sans serif, replaces the four-ring logo on the vehicle’s bonnet, boot and steering wheel.
The car’s front and rear both feature black details reminiscent of grilles that incorporate functions such as the lamps, sensors and aerodynamic elements. Smooth wheel arches and an elongated silhouette enhance the car’s dynamic appearance.
According to Audi, customers in China expect “leading connectivity as well as automated driving”, which prompted the development of a platform focused on advanced digitalisation in EVs.
“The joint platform will be the basis for a new generation of state-of-the-art intelligent connected vehicles exclusive to China,” Döllner pointed out.
The interior embodies AUDI’s digitalised concept through its connected in-car experience, which uses smart technologies to offer “a stylish, comfortable and connected oasis fit for the urban lifestyle in China’s megacities”.
Information is presented on a curved pillar-to-pillar 4K touch display, while touch and voice controls connect to an AI avatar that conveys emotional feedback when interacting.
Audi has tasked its former head of electric models, Fermín Soneira, with overseeing the partnership between Audi and SAIC, which will collaboratively organise development, purchasing, production and sales.
In 2022, Audi unveiled a flattened version of its four-ringed logo, joining other automotive brands including Volvo, Nissan and Vauxhall that had also simplified their logos over recent years.
Another car brand that recently overhauled its branding to signify a pivot towards electric vehicles is Jaguar, which sparked controversy with its updated logo earlier this month.
