AUDI

EXCLUSIVE: According to rumors the brand wants to develop a premium pick-up

The idea of ​​putting a premium pickup truck on the market is nothing new. In the recent past, we witnessed how Mercedes-Benz tried to find a place in this competitive segment by selling a vehicle that was characterized, among other things, for offering an extra level of exclusivity and luxury on board. Unfortunately, the Mercedes-Benz X Class was a sales failure and ended up walking out the back door.

The bad result obtained by the star's brand does not seem to discourage one of its most direct competitors. Audi is analyzing the possibility of developing a pick-up. A model that, if given the green light, will land in dealerships with a clear objective, to rival the more equipped versions of the Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux. So assured the top manager of the Ingolstadt company.

Markus Duesmann, CEO of Audi, openly highlighted that, although he cannot commit to the launch of this hypothetical vehicle, he says that its development is being studied: “I cannot promise that we will make one, but we are researching”.

The truth is that, although Duesmann did not want to go into details, he made a very important comment, as it shows that Audi will soon present something related to this hypothetical pick-up: “In reality, we may present something in not too long” . Audi's CEO hints at the imminent presentation of a novelty on this topic. Perhaps a conceptual model that lays the foundations for the future pick-up. We'll have to wait.

In the event that Audi finally decides to enter the pick-up market, one of the options that the Ingolstadt brand has within its reach is to benefit from the synergies that the Volkswagen Group maintains with Ford. The new generation of Volkswagen Amarok, a model that we will get to know soon, has a close relationship with the aforementioned Ford Ranger.

At this point, we should also keep in mind another of the options on the table that are being considered. It is neither more nor less than the development of an all-electric pick-up. In this regard, Audi will have both the MEB platform and the PPE platform at its disposal, the latter being developed in collaboration with Porsche.

Autonews