Audi Says It's 'Evaluating' A Rugged Off-Road SUV

Audi CEO Gernot Döllner says the company wants to get in on the off-road game.

Photo by: Audi

Jeff Glucker

By: Jeff Glucker

May 27, at 3:00pm ET

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Audi CEO Gernot Döllner says the automaker is evaluating possibilities of a more rugged SUV model.
Last year, Audi displayed the Q6 E-Tron off-road concept.
Off-road vehicles are big business these days, at all levels of the automotive industry.

"The US is not one market," says Audi CEO Gernot Döllner. He's speaking to a group of us seated at a roundtable discussion. Döllner is saying that certain models that work well in California might not work in Nebraska. One that might, however, is a more rugged SUV—something that Audi is actively "evaluating," Döllner notes.

Off-road capable machines are big business right now. From Honda's Trailsport family to Subaru's Wilderness lineup, dealers and customers are eager for adventure-ready vehicles.

Audi itself has explored this idea. Last year, the company introduced its Q6 E-Tron Off-Road Concept with 6.3 extra inches of additional ride height and a track that was 9.8 inches wider than on a stock Q6. That monstrous machine pushes the envelope, clearly, but there are ways to easily scale back those upgrades for a consumer product.

Audi Q6 E-Tron Offroad Concept

Photo by: Audi

Inspiration From Bentley?

Audi only has to look towards its own platform-sharing sibling for more inspiration. Bentley recently showed off an off-road-ready Bentayga concept, leaving customers and dealers itching to see it brought to production.

For Audi, creating a new off-road trim for its SUVs could be a simple way to start making a bit more money.

What do you think?

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Motor1's Take: The formula here is simple: alter the suspension a bit and add chunky tires. This works so well for Subaru and Honda, there's no reason to think it also wouldn't do wonders for Audi. Buyers like to have an off-road-ready-looking vehicle, even if it never actually gets dirty.

Applying this formula to all SUV models in the Audi lineup could be an easy way to add to the automaker's bottom line.