Finance
Audi, Saic Will Jointly Develop Future Audi Models
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on April 17, 2026
2 min readLast updated: April 17, 2026
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Audi and SAIC are expanding their “In China, for China” strategy by jointly developing future-generation Audi models on a next‑gen Advanced Digitized Platform, launching four new all‑new models in China in upcoming years, and building an Innovation & Technology Center in Shanghai. This deepens their
Audi, SAIC will jointly develop future models under new China brand
Strategic Partnership and Expansion in China
Deepening Collaboration for Future Models
BEIJING, April 17 (Reuters) - Volkswagen's Audi will deepen its partnership with China's SAIC for future generations of models under their co-owned new brand, with four to be launched in China in the coming years, the German premium automaker said on Friday.
Innovation and Technology Initiatives
The automakers, which rolled out the EV brand that drops Audi's iconic four-ring logo and carries only the Audi name in 2024, will also cooperate to build an innovation and technology centre in Shanghai, Audi said in a statement.
Market Context and Competitive Landscape
The move comes as German carmakers seek to deepen their production and development footprint in China in response to falling sales and cut-throat competition with local brands.
Product Launches and Sales Performance
Introduction of the E5 Sportback
Audi and SAIC's first model was brought to the market last year, the E5 Sportback, which has so far generated sales of around 10,000 vehicles.
Targeting Younger Customers
The car, which made up the lion's share of Audi's first-quarter EV sales in China, is part of a push to woo younger customers in the world's largest car market.
(Reporting by Park Ju-min and Rachel More, Writing by Liz Lee; Editing by Himani Sarkar, Christian Schmollinger and Miranda Murray)
Key Takeaways
- •Audi and SAIC will co‑develop four all‑new future Audi models in China using the next‑generation Advanced Digitized Platform (audi-mediacenter.com)
- •They will together establish a dedicated Audi Innovation & Technology Center in Shanghai focused on intelligent connected vehicles for the Chinese market (audi-mediacenter.com)
- •The initiative builds on their ‘In China, for China’ approach, accelerating EV rollout with reduced time‑to‑market and tailored digital, AI‑powered features (audi-mediacenter.com)
References
Frequently Asked Questions about Audi, SAIC will jointly develop future Audi models
1What is the nature of the partnership between Audi and SAIC?
Audi and SAIC will jointly develop a new generation of Audi models and cooperate on innovation and technology initiatives.
2How many new Audi models will be launched in China through this partnership?
Four new Audi models will be launched in China as part of the Audi-SAIC partnership.
3Where will the new innovation and technology centre be located?
The new innovation and technology centre will be located in Shanghai.
4Who reported and contributed to the article about the Audi-SAIC partnership?
The article was reported by Park Ju-min, written by Liz Lee, and edited by Himani Sarkar.
