Markus Desumann, CEO of Audi, has left the door open to the possible development of a pick-up. A luxury model that would be called to rival the most exclusive versions of the Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux. The idea of seeing an Audi pick-up in the European market generates a lot of controversy after the commercial failure of the Mercedes X-Class.
The idea of marketing a premium pick up in the European market is not something new. In the recent past we have witnessed how Mercedes tried to gain a foothold in this competitive segment by marketing a vehicle that was characterized, among other things, by offering a plus of exclusivity and luxury on board. Unfortunately the Mercedes X-Class was a sales failure and ended up leaving through the back door.
The poor result obtained by the signing of the star does not seem to discourage one of its most direct competitors. Audi analyzes the possibility of developing a pick-up. A model that, if seen, would land in dealerships with a clear objective, to rival the most equipped versions of the Ford Ranger and the Toyota Hilux. This has been assured by the top leader of the German company.
Audi does not rule out the development of a luxury pick-up
Markus Duesmann, CEO of Audi, has openly stated that, although he cannot commit to the launch of this hypothetical vehicle, he does state that its development is being studied: «I can’t promise we’ll make one, but we’re looking into it».
The truth is that, despite the fact that Duesmann did not want to go into details, he made a very important comment, since it shows that Audi will soon present something related to this hypothetical pick-up: «Actually, we will present, not far from now maybe something. The top manager of Audi hints at the imminent presentation of a novelty on this subject. Perhaps a concept model that lays the foundations for the future pick-up? We will have to wait.
In the event that Audi finally decides to enter the pick-up market. One of the options available to the Ingolstadt firm is to benefit from the synergies that the Volkswagen Group maintains with Ford. The new generation of the Volkswagen Amarok, a model that we will meet soon, and that is closely related to the aforementioned Ford Ranger.
A 100% electric pick-up? Audi’s big surprise
At this point, we must also keep in mind another of the options that are on the table and that are being considered. It is neither more nor less than development of a fully electric pick-up. In this aspect, Audi would have at its disposal both the MEB platform and the PPE platform, the latter being developed in collaboration with Porsche.
Source: coach