Compact executive EV confirmed as BMW i3 and Mercedes C-Class EQ rival due next year
Audi is preparing to battle the electric BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class with a radical new take on the A4 that is due to go on sale in three years with a game-changing new platform, next-level software and a striking new look inspired by the TT.
Set to be one of the first production cars designed according to the ‘Radical Next’ design philosophy, as previewed by Audi’s Concept C sports car, the A4 E-tron will play a crucial role in the firm’s shift to becoming a manufacturer of electric software-defi ned vehicles. The move is part of a completely new strategy aimed at sparking global growth and defending the brand’s market share from rivals old and new.
Development of the new electric A4 was confi rmed to Autocar by Audi CEO Gernot Döllner, who said the exec EV’s launch will form part of “the biggest change in the history of the company”, as Audi seeks to “completely rebuild” its product line-up, design language, corporate structure and strategic outlook.
Already, the firm has reversed its polarising model naming strategy, pledged to cull its least profitable model lines and axed thousands of jobs as part of a global costcutting drive in response to a dramatic decline in deliveries and rising costs – and in anticipation of stormier seas ahead.
Döllner said he is “always optimistic” about the company’s prospects but added that he “would not have expected 2025 to be as tough as it is”, with the new US import tariffs and slow global EV demand weighing heavily on the company’s performance – placing all the more importance on upcoming models like the A4.
“I’m quite positive looking [ahead] to the next years, with a completed model line-up by the end of 2026,” he said, pledging that “more interesting products” will come from then on, as the brand works to “introduce Radical Next design to the Audi line-up”.
Audi is thought to have been developing an electric A4 for some years, but bosses have never officially confirmed plans to launch an EV version of one of its most popular and best-known models – until now.
Asked whether the imminent arrival of radical new electric executive saloons from Audi’s biggest rivals makes an A4 E-tron a necessity, Döllner said: “We have the A6 E-tron that’s positioned in a ‘middle segment’ and addresses a lot of customers from the A4 segment – but you’re right that an electric A4 is definitely a focus field for Audi.”
