Three years ago, Audi was already flirting with a rival for the G-Class and the Land Rover Defender, but now things have gotten serious.
It's been almost three years since former Audi design chief Marc Lichte hinted at a possible Mercedes G-Class competitor. While the angular SUV icon continues to sell well (with the exception of the electric G 580 with EQ technology), Audi has yet to launch a rival model.
But that could soon change. While nothing has happened since 2023, Audi boss Gernot Döllner recently told Autocar that he “hasn’t given up on the dream” of a rugged SUV for the brand. While Döllner has considered streamlining Audi’s lineup, that doesn’t necessarily mean the end of niche models.
He told the publication: “It works perfectly if we have a more focused product range in the core area and also a few niche models with which we build the brand and transfer new ideas from the niche segment to the core products. This works great and is part of our strategy.” Such a model would serve as a showpiece and allow Audi to showcase new technologies while competing in a popular and profitable segment.
Marc Lichte said in 2023 that there was “room” for such a model. At the same time, he said that this SUV (which was then conceived as an all-electric vehicle) should not look like a G-Class or a Land Rover Defender. It would be “something different.”
This “something different” could be an offering based on the Scout. Audi could benefit from the group’s new SUVs for the US market in several ways. The tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump are a significant problem for Audi, as the Ingolstadt-based company – unlike BMW and Mercedes – does not have any production facilities in the US.
Audi, based on the Scout, could allow the manufacturer to build a G-Class competitor in America and avoid tariffs. But nothing has been decided yet. According to Döllner, the question of whether Audi should have its own factory in the US or not is a decision that “depends on how we coordinate with the US government.” Regardless of the final outcome, Döllner also said they have to “stay vigilant.”
