A common criticism we see on our comments section when we report on a new Audi reveal is that the design philosophy of the German manufacturer makes all of its cars look alike. This is a criticism that Audi has apparently taken to heart as Autocar reports that it will be doing away with its ‘Russian doll’ tactic.
This is something that it made somewhat apparent with the launch of the Q2 which does visually deviate itself from other models in the line-up. Audi’s head of design Marc Lichte says that its initial reasoning behind assimilating its line-up design was to make the brand more recognisable in emerging markets such as China. Now that the brand has more of a presence there, Lichte feels that his department can now experiment a bit more with regards to design.
Lichte also stated that Audi’s new electrified models after the E-tron SUV will big step forward with regards to design seeing that the compact dimensions of electric powertrains give the designers more room to play with. This means that future models will adopt shorter overhangs, lower bonnets and more cabin room while maintaining an attractive design.