Audi China Brand Allocation Finalized: SAIC Audi to Operate AUDI Brand, Four-Ring Logo Assigned to FAW Audi

According to reports on September 7, Audi has largely finalized its plan to reallocate brand resources in the Chinese market. Going forward, SAIC Audi will exclusively operate the "AUDI" brand—a smart, connected electric vehicle lineup specifically developed by Audi for the Chinese market, which will not feature the iconic four-ring emblem. The four-ring brand, encompassing Audi’s globally unified portfolio of both internal combustion engine and electric vehicles, will be fully assigned to FAW Audi. On April 17, Audi and SAIC Motor signed a strategic cooperation agreement. On September 3, the two parties jointly established the Audi Innovation Technology Center (AITC) in Shanghai—an R&D entity dedicated exclusively to the AUDI brand, equipped with full vehicle development and end-to-end capabilities. The partners will co-develop four new AUDI models based on Audi’s ADP 2.0 intelligent digital platform, with the first model scheduled for launch in 2028.