When one member of the Teutonic Trio moves into a new segment, the others generally follow suit. So, with Mercedes-Benz set to offer a premium bakkie in the near future, there has been plenty of speculation around a BMW- or Audi-badged pickup.
The latest report involves the latter, with CarAdvice quoting Audi Australia managing director Andrew Doyle on the possibility of a four-ringed bakkie hitting the market.
“It depends if there is really a market there for a premium utility model like that,” Doyle said.
“What I can say is that the brand has proven that as much as we stretch into different areas and different segments, we can have success,” he added.
If Audi does indeed go the pickup route, it would make sense for the vehicle to be based on the Volkswagen Amarok (with the facelifted Amarok due to hit SA in 2017), in much the same way as the Mercedes bakkie (which is expected to be badged the GLT) is set to borrow its underpinnings from the Nissan Navara.
Doyle admitted that an Audi bakkie would be an “interesting addition” to the range.
“If the formula is there to ensure its premium quality and premium performance, we’d have to do a global case study to see if that would be the case. It certainly would be an interesting addition to the Australian fleet,” he told CarAdvice.
