A Hybrid-less Lineup
Hybrids have become the norm in any automaker’s lineup, the luxury brands included. BMW has a couple of them, as does Mercedes-Benz, and we don’t have to ask Lexus if it has any electrified offerings. If anything, it’s easier to keep track of its non-hybrid models.
Strangely, however, it’s Audi that doesn’t have a single hybrid model in its core lineup. Sure, there’s the upcoming RS 5 and Nuvolari, but those aren’t exactly volume models. At the moment, it’s either you go pure combustion or all-electric, and there is no in-between.
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Electrified Audis Coming Soon
The lack of hybrids may be addressed soon, according to a recent report from Automotive News. Speaking to the publication, Audi of America President Vito Paladino has confirmed that hybrid models will soon join the U.S. lineup. At the time of writing, it wasn’t mentioned what type of hybrids will reach America, but the executive did say that it is checking which of its models could benefit from this kind of powertrain.
This may be the move Audi needs to turn things around in the face of declining sales in the U.S. As rivals have been offering hybrids for years, the company was watching from the sidelines, and every Lexus RX 350h or BMW X5 50e sold represents an opportunity cost for the folks from Ingolstadt. Oil prices remain volatile, and as the demand for hybrids rises, Audi needs to get in the game fast before it loses even more ground to the competition.
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Possible Models
If you take a look at its European lineup, Audi has plug-in hybrids for almost everything it makes. There, even the smallest of Audis, namely the A3 and Q3, are available with that powertrain arrangement. At the moment, the Q7 and the more recently-launched Q9 aren’t available with it, but those are bound to get plug-in hybrids soon, too.
But what’s the likeliest for North America? The Q5 e-Hybrid seems like a logical choice, especially given that the BMW X3 isn’t offered as a PHEV in the U.S. It has the potential to lure away punters from the BMW showroom and into Audi’s. The Q3 e-Hybrid is another likely candidate on the basis that it’s the brand’s second best-selling model in the country, and we can throw in the Q7 and Q9 once the PHEV models are made available.
Is there a chance that non-SUV models get plug-in hybrid versions? It appears slim, but the A6 is a good bet, and the same goes for the A6 Allroad. We have doubts about the A5 e-Hybrid coming stateside given that the BMW 330e wasn’t successful and the current Mercedes-Benz C-Class is combustion-only. That said, it opens up the possibility of Audi disrupting that market. As for an electrified A3, it should be a decent counterattack to the Mercedes CLA hybrid.
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When is it Coming?
Paladino said that the U.S. market doesn’t have to wait for facelifted versions to get hybrid models. “We’re looking at which segments, which models do we need to further extend the offering,” said the executive. It does indicate that Audi of America understands the urgency of the matter and is wasting little time to get it done.
There was no timeline given for Audi’s hybrid rollout in America. Either way, it’s better sooner than later in order for the brand to capitalize on the rising demand for electrified vehicles.
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