Best AUDI car in years says review... only sold in China
Discussion
https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/audi/368735/new-audi...
Half the price of comparable EU Audi as well.
I wonder whether some clever clogs will try to arrange grey imports.
Half the price of comparable EU Audi as well.
I wonder whether some clever clogs will try to arrange grey imports.
Pistonheadsdicoverer said:
https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/audi/368735/new-audi...
Half the price of comparable EU Audi as well.
I wonder whether some clever clogs will try to arrange grey imports.
AHH.. so it's a Chinese designed and made 'Audi', so... It's a badge Half the price of comparable EU Audi as well.
I wonder whether some clever clogs will try to arrange grey imports.

It may well be the best 'Audi' for years, arguably there are many Chinese designed cars that, taking all things into account (especially value and tech), are overall better than what Audi have been putting out there.
So it’s an SAIC in an AUDI frock. Looks decent, I’ll give them that. Although oddly proportioned.
However in such a lax regulatory market, the time to market is not all that much of an achievement. It’ll not be anywhere near compliant with any EU or US regs, so I don’t think we’re really missing out on anything.
A production concept car, at best.
However in such a lax regulatory market, the time to market is not all that much of an achievement. It’ll not be anywhere near compliant with any EU or US regs, so I don’t think we’re really missing out on anything.
A production concept car, at best.
Edited by Cristio Nasser on Sunday 18th January 02:26
Cristio Nasser said:
So it s an SAIC in an AUDI frock. Looks decent, I ll give them that. Although oddly proportioned.
However in such a lax regulatory market, the time to market is not all that much of an achievement. It ll not be anywhere near compliant with any EU or US regs, so I don t think we re really missing out on anything.
A production concept car, at best.
It's already in production and even if it were designed or adapted to meet EU/UK regs, they'd get it done fast - if they wanted to, they obviously don't though as Audi will only be lending their brand on the basis this car never sells 'at home'.However in such a lax regulatory market, the time to market is not all that much of an achievement. It ll not be anywhere near compliant with any EU or US regs, so I don t think we re really missing out on anything.
A production concept car, at best.
Edited by Cristio Nasser on Sunday 18th January 02:26
Cristio Nasser said:
However in such a lax regulatory market, the time to market is not all that much of an achievement. It ll not be anywhere near compliant with any EU or US regs, so I don t think we re really missing out on anything.
A production concept car, at best.
Chinese regulations are very often a copy and paste of European/ECE ones. What areas do you think it would struggle with for Europe?A production concept car, at best.
blank said:
Cristio Nasser said:
However in such a lax regulatory market, the time to market is not all that much of an achievement. It ll not be anywhere near compliant with any EU or US regs, so I don t think we re really missing out on anything.
A production concept car, at best.
Chinese regulations are very often a copy and paste of European/ECE ones. What areas do you think it would struggle with for Europe?A production concept car, at best.
1) It is very difficult to get enough illumination (luminous flux) out of the tiny slit headlights, something Aston struggled with on the DB10 type concept direction.
2) Rear lighting regulations are very restrictive on height, placement, spacing of each function, again very difficult to merge them into one continuous lightbar.
Also lighting design does very much define the exact shape of all the body panels, e.g. if you made the headlights bigger there'd be at least 3 or 4 body panels that would have to be retooled.
This is not to say that the Chinese / SAIG or whatever haven't got their own ECE "accredited" testing lab which will pass any old nonsense, if you pay enough money into the system (Brussels) you can make it happen.
Peterpetrole said:
blank said:
Cristio Nasser said:
However in such a lax regulatory market, the time to market is not all that much of an achievement. It ll not be anywhere near compliant with any EU or US regs, so I don t think we re really missing out on anything.
A production concept car, at best.
Chinese regulations are very often a copy and paste of European/ECE ones. What areas do you think it would struggle with for Europe?A production concept car, at best.
1) It is very difficult to get enough illumination (luminous flux) out of the tiny slit headlights, something Aston struggled with on the DB10 type concept direction.
2) Rear lighting regulations are very restrictive on height, placement, spacing of each function, again very difficult to merge them into one continuous lightbar.
Also lighting design does very much define the exact shape of all the body panels, e.g. if you made the headlights bigger there'd be at least 3 or 4 body panels that would have to be retooled.
This is not to say that the Chinese / SAIG or whatever haven't got their own ECE "accredited" testing lab which will pass any old nonsense, if you pay enough money into the system (Brussels) you can make it happen.
Although as my previous post, there's no reason to think Audi have any interest in this car existing outside the Chinese market anyway.
TheDeuce said:
Peterpetrole said:
blank said:
Cristio Nasser said:
However in such a lax regulatory market, the time to market is not all that much of an achievement. It ll not be anywhere near compliant with any EU or US regs, so I don t think we re really missing out on anything.
A production concept car, at best.
Chinese regulations are very often a copy and paste of European/ECE ones. What areas do you think it would struggle with for Europe?A production concept car, at best.
1) It is very difficult to get enough illumination (luminous flux) out of the tiny slit headlights, something Aston struggled with on the DB10 type concept direction.
2) Rear lighting regulations are very restrictive on height, placement, spacing of each function, again very difficult to merge them into one continuous lightbar.
Also lighting design does very much define the exact shape of all the body panels, e.g. if you made the headlights bigger there'd be at least 3 or 4 body panels that would have to be retooled.
This is not to say that the Chinese / SAIG or whatever haven't got their own ECE "accredited" testing lab which will pass any old nonsense, if you pay enough money into the system (Brussels) you can make it happen.
Although as my previous post, there's no reason to think Audi have any interest in this car existing outside the Chinese market anyway.
https://www.hella.com/hella-si/assets/media_global...
Agreed I think this is for Asia only anyway.
blank said:
Chinese regulations are very often a copy and paste of European/ECE ones. What areas do you think it would struggle with for Europe?
As mentioned, lighting for one. What about pedestrian safety, crash safety, interior crash compliance, etc etc. Tons of regs around this which is why modern cars end up looking so similar. And that’s before you get into the legitimacy of Chinese regulatory bodies, and what they say it complies with vs reality.Cristio Nasser said:
As mentioned, lighting for one. What about pedestrian safety, crash safety, interior crash compliance, etc etc. Tons of regs around this which is why modern cars end up looking so similar. And that s before you get into the legitimacy of Chinese regulatory bodies, and what they say it complies with vs reality.
It's basically a reformated MG IM5 (sold as the IM L6 in China), a car sold in the EU/UK with a 5 star ncap rating. The AUDI E5 doesn't require the same rating to be sold only in China... But is it likely Audi are putting their name on a car to be sold in China that is less safe than the car it's based on, which is already sold in China? I think that's quite unlikely.TheDeuce said:
It's basically a reformated MG IM5 (sold as the IM L6 in China), a car sold in the EU/UK with a 5 star ncap rating. The AUDI E5 doesn't require the same rating to be sold only in China... But is it likely Audi are putting their name on a car to be sold in China that is less safe than the car it's based on, which is already sold in China? I think that's quite unlikely.
We don’t know what’s likely. Just that it’s not being sold outside of China, despite apparently being based on a vehicle that is. If it were, it would probably end up looking quite different.hidetheelephants said:
Bloody hell, the badges front and rear are a load of rubbish;
"Shall we use the universally recognised intertwined rings symbol we're known for?"
"No; let's use the name in a s
t font that no one associates with Audi."
I know, imagine if Rover or Reliant ever made a new car for a different market and changed the logo and font - would never happen of course..."Shall we use the universally recognised intertwined rings symbol we're known for?"
"No; let's use the name in a s
t font that no one associates with Audi."doc261 said:
No idea how good the car is but that is one ugly car. The front is bad but the rear is an abomination. The proportions are all wrong on a side view.
It's been stretched into an 'estate' to differentiate it from the car it's based upon I think, and as such I'd agree the proportions are a little off.The relatively stubby bonnet too, although that's a sensible design for an EV, many are going that route so I guess it'll become the 'new normal' and eventually look just fine.
My big question is, will the Chinese punters look at it and actually consider it better/more premium than the car it's based on? Sure, it has an Audi badge but it's not the full fat Audi badge - i'd have thought the kudos in China came from having a car that wasn't made at home and was subsequently much more expensive. That's why they buy Range Rovers despite making their own equivalents now.
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