Audi is expanding its strategic partnership with SAIC Motor, with plans to roll out four new models in China under their jointly developed brand in the coming years, Reuters reported.
The move underscores Audi’s push to strengthen its foothold in the world’s largest auto market, where intensifying competition from domestic electric vehicle (EV) players and declining sales have pressured foreign carmakers.
As part of the expanded collaboration, the two companies will also establish an innovation and technology centre in Shanghai to accelerate product development and localise offerings.
The co-developed EV brand, launched in 2024 and notably dropping Audi’s iconic four-ring logo, targets younger Chinese consumers with a more market-specific identity.
Its first model, the E5 Sportback, has sold around 10,000 units to date and accounted for the bulk of Audi’s electric vehicle sales in China during the first quarter.
The deeper alliance reflects a broader shift among German automakers to localise production and innovation in China, as they race to stay competitive against fast-moving domestic rivals in the rapidly evolving EV segment.
