Audi is making good on recent promises to adopt “China speed” in its product development processes, with chief executive officer Gernot Döllner today confirming the brand will launch two new models later in 2026 to bookend its range.
These two new models — the Q9 upper-large SUV, and the A2 electric small car — will see Audi respectively enter and re-enter market segments that it currently does not play in.
Pictured: a render of the Audi Q9 by Kolesa.ru
“With the new A2 and Q9, we are deliberately defining the boundaries of our portfolio. This allows us to present our customers with a clear range of options,” said Döllner.
The pair are targeted at different parts of the Audi universe, with the rapidly developed A2 project aimed at giving the four-ringed brand an entry into Europe’s burgeoning premium small EV class.
New Audi A2 rapidly developed on MEB platform as most affordable EV model yet
“With the A2 e-tron, we are bringing a highly efficient entry point into electric mobility to market in fall 2026 [spring 2026 in Australia] — a clear statement on efficiency,” Döllner told media during Audi’s annual conference.
Australia never received the first Audi A2 (1999-2005). Designed by Luc Donckerwolke — now of the Hyundai group — the A2 was highly advanced for its time. It weighed just 895kg in most basic form thanks to its aluminium space frame construction.
Pictured: a teaser of the new Audi A2 e-tron
That was good enough to make the A2 the first car ever sold in Europe with a diesel engine delivering official fuel economy of less than 3L/100km.
While the new A2 is based on a less exotic platform — the Volkswagen Group’s rear-drive MEB architecture familiar from cars like the Skoda Enyaq and VW ID4 — Audi boss Döllner says the focus is once again on surprising energy efficiency.
“We’ve listened — our customers want electric mobility that impresses…the A2 e-tron is our promise to deliver exactly that: efficient, compact, and confident,” he told media.
Specifics like dimensions and pricing were not released today, but Audi executives confirmed the A2 will undercut the cost of the brand’s current cheapest EV, the Q4 midsize SUV, that starts from 46,000 euros in Germany ($74,000).
The A2 will be a more refined vehicle than the Volkswagen Group’s true ‘starter pack’ EVs like the VW ID Polo and Cupra Raval, which are front-wheel drive and use a more basic platform.
There is a chance the A2 will make its way to Australia, but no official word has been received yet.
X7-rivalling Audi Q9 SUV to be brand’s new flagship model, replacing A8 sedan
Meanwhile, the new Audi Q9 will be the brand’s flagship, finally giving Audi the truly upper-size large SUV that it has long needed to take on the BMW X7 and Mercedes-Benz GLS in markets that demand huge crossovers.
That primarily means the United States, where the Q9 will also give Audi dealers a much-demanded rival to the local heroes like the Cadillac Escalade and Lincoln Navigator.
The Q9 effectively replaces the A8 large luxury sedan, which has been discontinued.
In Australia, demand for the largest luxury SUVs is not as strong as the segment below. In 2025, rival BMW sold 3673 examples of the X5 but only 1125 X7s, while Mercedes-Benz shifted 2530 GLE large SUVs and just 685 units of the bigger GLS.
Still, expect to see the combustion-powered Q9 make an appearance in Australia, with the biggest Audi crossover tipped to be available—in some markets—with a V8 engine.
Given Australia’s strict New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) laws, though, expect a plug-in hybrid version of the Q9 to be part of the landscape.
