15:38 16-05-2026

Audi Restructures Chinese Operations: FAW Audi Handles Classics, SAIC Audi Focuses on Electric AUDI Brand

Audi is planning a major restructuring of its Chinese operations. According to local media, the company may assign distinct roles to its two joint ventures. FAW Audi will stick with classic models under the four-ring logo, while SAIC Audi will focus on the new AUDI brand for the electric era.

The idea is to eliminate internal competition. All gasoline cars and EVs wearing the familiar Audi badge will be consolidated under FAW Audi in Changchun. That joint venture will continue to handle the brand's traditional premium business in China, including models built on the PPC and PPE platforms.

SAIC Audi, on the other hand, could completely stop selling internal-combustion models. It is already clearing out its gasoline inventory, and eventually its dealer network will only offer products from AUDI—a separate brand created by SAIC and Audi specifically for China. Instead of the four rings, it uses the word AUDI in capital letters.

The new brand's first model, the E5 Sportback, was shown after the AUDI launch in November 2024 and hit the market in September 2025. The second production model is the AUDI E7X: preorders opened on May 8, with a starting price of 289,800 yuan—about $42,590 at current exchange rates.

The big bet is on Chinese technology and development speed. AUDI uses CATL batteries, Momenta smart driving systems, and ByteDance's large AI models. Beyond pure EVs, SAIC Audi is also considering PHEVs and EREVs—plug-in hybrids and range-extended vehicles.

FAW Audi isn't staying in the past either: it will bolster its gasoline models and PPE-based EVs with Huawei technology. Audi is thus trying to hold on to the profitable traditional premium market while not falling behind Chinese EV brands, which iterate faster and more aggressively.

For buyers, this could make the lineup clearer. Want a 'true' Audi with four rings? Go to FAW Audi. Need a local electric AUDI with Chinese digital features? That's SAIC territory. Even German brands in China have to admit: an old logo alone no longer does the job.