It's hard to believe, but it's been 16 years since Volkswagen introduced the Amarok. The SUV equivalent of the pickup never existed.
The practical car is still sold in Latin America, but VW has not had and has no intention of turning it into a rival to the Mercedes G-Class. It's also unlikely that the second generation will develop into a serious competitor to the G or the Land Rover Defender - especially since the newer Amarok is essentially a rebadged Ford Ranger.
However, the VW Group is not ruling out the idea of a true off-road vehicle. Audi CEO Gernot Döllner told Australian magazine Carsales that they are open to a true 4×4 in principle – but only under certain conditions. The Ingolstadt-based CEO made it clear that it has to make economic sense, which effectively rules out the expensive development of a completely new architecture:
"If we're going to do something like this... it can only be done on a platform that already exists. The decision hasn't been made yet... but it's definitely part of our thinking. We need a platform that's authentic in this segment, otherwise it doesn't make sense."
Although it is almost forgotten: the Q6 E-Tron Offroad Concept from last year shows that Audi is showing interest in a segment that it has not covered so far. While the portal axle study was based on the Premium Platform Electric (PPE), Döllner prefers a ladder frame construction for the attack on the G-Class and Defender. BMW could also join the race: a robust SUV is expected to be launched towards the end of the decade.
It would be logical for Audi to tap deep into the VW Group's parts and platforms – for example, with the new ladder frame architecture of Scout Motors. The Terra pick-up and the Traveler SUV will go into production next year as electric vehicles, with the option of a gasoline engine as a range extender. Döllner emphasized that the production model has not yet been given the green light. So it cannot be expected in the short term. Even if it were approved, its debut before 2030 would hardly be realistic.
While purists may be critical of the idea of an Audi SUV, the CEO of the group sees it differently: “The positive thing about the Audi brand is that almost every segment is conceivable.” With quattro playing a central role in the brand’s history, a high-riding model with serious off-road capabilities doesn’t seem out of place. If it were ever built, it would likely cost considerably more than the Scout Traveler, which is expected to cost less than $60.000 in the US.
At the same time, Audi wants to continue expanding its SUV range. But first, in a very different direction. This year, it is expected to officially present the Q9, a real seven-seat SUV that will compete with the BMW X7 and Mercedes-Benz GLS. In addition, the next-generation Q7 is announced for 2026. So for now, there is no shortage of other priorities.
