Audi's China-exclusive sister brand, named AUDI and written without the four rings, will unveil its second production vehicle at Auto China 2026 on April 24. The AUDI E7X is a premium electric SUV built on the Advanced Digitized Platform co-developed with SAIC, and at the top trim it delivers 671 horsepower, a 109 kWh battery, and up to 751 kilometers of CLTC range. It is also one of the most unconventional product decisions Audi has made in decades: a car designed, badged, and engineered specifically for the Chinese market, with no plans for export.
The AUDI brand exists because Audi's traditional four-ring products have been losing share in the Chinese market for several product cycles. Local buyers increasingly view German premium sedans as dated against Nio, Xpeng, and Huawei-powered alternatives. Audi's response was to create a parallel brand that could move faster on software, pricing, and Chinese-market specific features, while leaving the four-ring Audi lineup to address traditional buyers. The E7X is the second product from that effort, following the E5 Sportback sedan launched earlier in 2026.
🚗 Dimensions and Exterior Design
The E7X measures 5,049 mm long, 2,002 mm wide, and 1,708 mm tall, with a wheelbase of 3,060 mm. The footprint is roughly equivalent to a BMW X5, but the design language distinguishes AUDI brand products from the traditional Audi aesthetic. The front fascia uses vertical digital Matrix LED headlights inside a black wraparound frame, paired with clean surfaces and sharply sculpted wheel arches.
The roofline is a conventional SUV silhouette rather than a coupe-SUV fastback, aimed at maximizing interior volume for Chinese family buyers rather than styling. Short front and rear overhangs combined with the long wheelbase mean the E7X carries a planted, proportional presence that clearly differentiates it from anything in the standard Audi lineup.
⚡ Two Output Levels: 402 hp and 671 hp
The E7X is offered in rear-wheel-drive and dual-motor all-wheel-drive configurations. The single-motor RWD variant produces 300 kilowatts (402 horsepower), while the high-performance dual-motor AWD version reaches 500 kilowatts (671 horsepower). The AWD variant sprints from zero to 100 km/h in 3.97 seconds, which places it within striking distance of Tesla's Model X Plaid.
Peak torque on the AWD variant reaches approximately 800 Newton-meters, with front and rear motors tuned for distinct roles. The front motor handles efficient cruising and sudden acceleration while the rear handles high-speed stability and torque vectoring. Both motors are permanent-magnet synchronous designs sourced through SAIC's motor manufacturing operations.
🔋 100 and 109.3 kWh Batteries, CATL Supplied
CATL supplies two battery pack options. The 100 kWh pack is standard on entry RWD configurations, delivering approximately 615 km of CLTC range. The 109.3 kWh pack is reserved for the top AWD trim and delivers up to 751 km. Both packs use 800-volt electrical architecture with DC fast charging peak rates that AUDI has not yet publicly disclosed but which are expected to exceed 300 kW based on CATL's current commercial offerings.
Charging times from 10 to 80 percent state of charge are expected in the 18 to 22 minute range depending on ambient conditions and battery temperature management. AUDI has emphasized battery thermal performance as a key engineering priority, reflecting Chinese customer concern about range loss in cold climates and urban fast-charging stations.
🤖 Roof LiDAR and Momenta Flywheel ADAS
The E7X integrates a roof-mounted LiDAR sensor and runs Momenta's latest generation Flywheel large-model ADAS software. Momenta is one of the four or five Chinese ADAS suppliers competing at the top end of the autonomous driving stack market, and its Flywheel platform is designed to continuously learn from fleet data without requiring centralized labeling.
The ADAS package supports high-speed and urban navigation-guided pilot functions, automated parking scenarios, and object-based collision avoidance tuned to Chinese traffic patterns including electric scooters, food delivery motorcycles, and city bus routes. Integration with the car's infotainment system runs on the SAIC-co-developed Advanced Digitized Platform, which handles compute for ADAS, cabin intelligence, and connectivity through a unified architecture.
🏁 Position in the China Market
The E7X targets buyers who would otherwise shop the Nio ES8, the BYD Yangwang U8, and the Xpeng G9 Performance trim. Pricing has not been finalized, but AUDI's earlier E5 Sportback entered the market with aggressive pricing relative to the four-ring Audi equivalent, and similar positioning is expected for the E7X.
Audi has also confirmed that a third AUDI-branded electric model is planned for 2027, suggesting the China-only strategy is treated as a multi-year structural investment rather than a stopgap response to market conditions. For Auto China 2026, the E7X serves as both a product launch and a statement of intent. Audi will continue to operate with two Chinese brand identities for the foreseeable future, with AUDI targeting the software-first buyer and Audi targeting the buyer who still wants four rings on the grille.
Full pricing and trim details are expected during the Volkswagen Group Media Night on April 21, with the E7X on public display starting April 24.
