Premium automakers are pushing for new clientele. Mercedes-Maybach models are a way to elevate yourself above the standard S-Class buyers, and on the BMW front, the brand has recently relaunched the Alpina brand following a buyout of the IP. But there’s one German luxury marque missing from the discussion, and that’s Audi.
According to company CEO, Gernot Döllner, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have ambitions to go toe-to-toe with Alpina or Maybach. But unlike BMW or Mercedes, Audi has no intention of leveraging historical names from its back-catalog should it pursue the ultra-luxury market. Don’t just take it from us, here’s what Döllner had to say.
Döllner Not Scared Of Stepping On Porsche/Bentley’s Toes
Audi A8 L HorchAudi
Ahead of the reveal of the flagship Audi Q9, CarBuzz was among media to get an early preview in Munich this month. Döllner was in attendance for a roundtable interview session with American media, where he answered questions on Audi’s ambitions.
We asked if Audi wanted to use the Q9 SUV to elevate its luxury status or if having Porsche and Bentley under the same umbrella put a damper on any ambitions. Would the Bentayga or the upcoming Bentley urban EV put the brakes on, say, a Q9 with airplane-style reclining second-row seats?
“It is my goal to raise the perception of the Audi brand,” Döllner said. “But we have to do that step-by-step and within the Volkswagen Group.”
“We have to see where our position in that brand cosmos is. But I would say there’s so much space [that] we are not limited at all. Maybe only by the investment opportunities we have.”
– Gernot Döllner, Audi CEO
So if Bentley and Porsche aren’t standing in Audi’s way, what’s stopping Döllner from pulling a Maybach and using the Horch nameplate?
Audi Has Horch Brand At The Ready
Audi A8 L HorchAudi
Automakers often use other prestigious names to elevate their most luxurious offerings. Maybach and Alpina are prime examples, and Audi has names it can draw on from its fellow members of the original Auto Union amalgamation of German automakers.
“We did that. We did that in China with a very specific model,” Döllner said, referring to the Audi A8 L Horch that was introduced in China as a Maybach competitor.
Horch was originally started in 1899 by August Horch, an engineer who had worked briefly with Karl Benz. Horch created Audi in 1910 after a trademark dispute left him kicked out of his own company and unable to use his own name.
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The brand launched several automotive firsts in the early days of cars, including the first six-cylinder engine and the first mass-produced eight-cylinder. Both Horch and Audi later merged into Auto Union with DKW and Wanderer. It has a lot of history, though that history isn’t exactly fresh in the minds of average luxury car consumers.
Will another Horch trim happen again to leverage the history? “There are definitely no plans,” Döllner said.
“I would say we have the strong Audi brand, and we have, for the sporty models, RS and S. So we are happy, really happy with that lineup.”
Audi Has The Perfect Model To Elevate To Maybach Levels
2028 Audi Q9 interior preview.Audi
How much room does Audi have to play if it wants to move upmarket? The sky isn’t quite the limit, but it is close. The most comparable current model is the Audi Q8. A basic Q8 in the US starts from $76,000 for a 340 horsepower V6 and climbs to the $139,000, 627-hp RS Q8.
The Porsche Cayenne is the most similar model, and shares the same chassis. It starts from $102,000 for a version of that same V6 and goes to well over $256,000 before options for the 650-hp Cayenne Coupe Turbo GT. That’s plenty of room for Audi to move upmarket, especially if Döllner isn’t worried about stepping on Porsche’s performance toes.
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But the Q9 is something else entirely. It’s Audi’s first full-size SUV, and one the brand is touting as a true flagship. We’ve spent time inside a near-production prototype, and the interior lives up to that billing. But we can still see a market for a two-row variant prioritizing second-row occupant luxury. Think Volvo XC90 Excellence-spec or Bentley Bentayga EWB with the airline specification rear seats.
Audi representatives at the event were quick to tell us there are no plans at this moment to do anything other than three rows in the Q9, but something in Döllner’s responses tells us Audi might be investigating it after all.
2028 Audi Q9 interior preview.Audi
