At an annual shareholder meeting last week, Audi circled some fresh dates on the calendar for three upcoming crossovers: the compact Q1, the electric Q6, and the Q7-based Q8. All told, as part of its $18.5-billion R&D investment through 2019, Audi will add eight new models and trims by 2020 (including a Spyder version of the new R8, as well as S and RS models of the Q8 and possibly Q1).
-The compact Q1 arrives in 2016 (we knew that), the Q6 in 2018, and the swoopy Q8 in 2019. Plus, the next A4 comes in the second half this year. So, Quattroheads, all you have to do is stay gainfully employed and Audi Financial Services will take care of the rest.
-Despite Audi running out of single-digit Roman numerals to pair with “A” and “Q”, Ingolstadt is pumping out the iron. Audi’s total of 1.74 million vehicle sales last year netted $5.7 billion in operating profit. That was only 10 percent of its total revenue, even after adding more than 5700 jobs and making sure Hugh Jackman, Tom Brady, and other “Audi Ambassador” celebrities are continually fed the latest models.
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- Audi Confirms Q1, Re-Confirms “Sporty” Q8, Teases Tesla-Fighting Q6
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- Audi’s Upcoming Q8 Crossover: Sleek and Possibly Electrifying
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- Audi Q7 Full Coverage: Reviews, Specs, Photos, and Pricing
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Audi plans to hire 6000 more employees by the end of this year, too. Still, ever-conservative Audi said its revenue would “rise moderately, depending on the economic conditions.” Recession, currency disasters, or whatever—Audi is part of the Volkswagen Group, whose eight, highly diverse brands make it practically immune to huge losses.
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