Audi? Yes, Audi.
Audi
Pickup trucks have moved more upmarket, becoming bonafide luxury cars. And now, at least one luxury brand, Audi, is considering building a pickup truck. Speaking to media today ahead of VW Group’s annual earnings report, Audi CEO Markus Duesmann hinted that the German brand might have a pickup truck in development.
“I can’t promise we will do one, but we are looking into it,” Duesmann said when asked about a pickup truck. He also intimated there might be a forthcoming Audi pickup concept. “We will present — not too far from now — maybe something,” Duesmann said.
What does a potential Audi pickup truck look like? There seem to be two plausible routes Audi could take.
One route would be a conventional combustion pickup. VW and Ford still have the alliance. One of VW’s benefits from that alliance is access to the Ford Ranger truck platform for a new Amarok pickup. So, conceivably, Audi could build a fancier version of the Amarok.
But the timeline for such a truck would be tight, with Audi phasing out combustion models. And the closest analog for a rebadged German luxury pickup, Mercedes’ X-Class, failed so badly they canceled it after two years.
Another option would be to build an electric pickup. Audi has access to dedicated EV platforms like the MEB and PPE. Those platforms have all-wheel drive and would reduce the costs of developing an all-new pickup truck body shape. The closest thing we’ve seen to an electric pickup from Audi is the super-cool AI Trail off-roader concept back in 2019.
We don’t know whether Audi is building a pickup truck yet — or whether such a vehicle would be sold in North America if it makes it to production. But we’re definitely intrigued by the possibility.
Keyword: Audi May Have a Fancy New Pickup Truck Coming