Audi to abandon ‘Russian doll’ car styling

Audi plans to abandon its current “Russian doll” vehicle design in a bid to give its new models a “more defined look”, according to Autocar.

Over the past decade, the majority of the German car giant’s models have shared an almost identical design, the magazine says. The strategy is similar to that of Audi’s rivals Mercedes and BMW.

Audi’s chief executive Rupert Stadler told Autocar that the firm pursued a cookie-cutter design process in order to establish itself in emerging markets.

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But all this is changing. “Now we are well known in major markets like China, we can begin to change this philosophy and give each car its own look,” he says.

Evidence of Audi’s shift towards new vehicle designs can be seen in its new Q2 compact SUV, which has a more aggressive appearance than the company’s other off-roaders, as well as different tail light styling.

The new A8 is also very different to other cars in Audi’s range, although the firm’s forthcoming Q8 SUV is expected to share some of its design cues with the luxury saloon.

Speaking to Autocar, the company’s design chief, Marc Lichte, said the rise of the electric car would lead to “very different” dimensions in the future. Engineers will not need to build the vehicle around a combustion engine.

“[Designers] will have more material space to play with,” he told the magazine, “so we’ll be able to produce [vehicles with] shorter overhangs and lower bonnets.”

As a result, the car’s appearance will be greatly improved, he says. “It makes for a more attractive design overall.”