German Car Zone

Audi Readies Two World Launches for Geneva, Expected to Be A5 plus... ?

Audi has shared a short brief announcing their press conference at the Geneva Motor Show at the beginning of March. Ingolstadt has already confirmed that the A5 would be one of the introductions, stated by Audi AG boss Rupert Stadler at a roundtable discussion in Detroit in January. Just what the second launch will be has not been officially confirmed, though two hypotheses on the subject have suggested either and S version of the A5 dubbed S5, or a small SUV to position under the Q7 and going by the name Q5.

The official Audi text reads:

Two world premieres await visitors to the Audi Press Conference at the Geneva Motor Show.

Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management at AUDI AG, will unveil the new Audi models during the

Audi Press Conference,
Tuesday, 6 March 2007,
8.00 am, Audi Stand, Hall 1,
Palais des Expositions, Geneva.

Sources close to Fourtitude have mentioned that the S5 would be "launching immediately", though we now believe immediately does not mean Geneva. New York perhaps? Not the largest show on the docket, it is the only major show between now and Frankfurt in September and it's a strong market for Audi of America. Either way, solid and more recent information says no S5 at Geneva.

The second theory comes from several online blogs claim that the official Geneva Auto Show website listed the Audi Q5 as an introduction earlier today, along with a known computer-generated rendition that was originally published by WorldCarFans.com. There is no way to verify the presence of the Q5 on the Geneva site, as those same websites also report that the news was removed from teh site earlier today as well. While possible, the likelihood of the Q5 bowing in Geneva is unlikely based on what we've heard.

What will the second model be? Ingolstadt and Auburn Hills are staying mum. A new engine in an existing model is the only other information we can glean. RS 6? R8 V10? Unlikely on both counts, but who knows. Consider us eating our hat. We thought we had this one figured out. Apparently not.

The image above, a computer-generated impression of what the A5 will look like, is not the actual car that is expected to be shown. Instead, it is our best attempt to depict the car based on test mules spied in various parts of the world and known Audi design cues.

This website will be posting news from Geneva and thus will be covering the debut in its entirety.

Source: Fourtitude

I know what it might be........ but can't say

Something to do with A3 is all I can say....

If it has to do with A3 then it's the A3 Allroad or A3 cabrio. It also might be RS6 although George Achorn heard that RS6 won't debut in Geneva after all.

For sure it won't be Q5 which will debut in Frankfurt.

Ooh... Sounds interesting!

Corridor chads revealed a possible Audi Q5 debut on the 77th international motor show Geneva.
It's not clear if it will be a Concept or the production version of the car.

Hans.

Concept perhaps.

I don't think Audi is capable to launch a production version of a completely new model without any real-world prototype testings. We have seen spy pics of mules (with A4 avant body) only, and no Q5 prototypes (with Q5 body) yet.

Q5 Concept seems very possible though.

What else beside A5? S5, TT S, production version of Q7 V12 TDI, RS6, R8 V10, A3 cabrio?

Mind that serious car companies tend to premiere only one new model per event (eg. per auto show) - new models only (eg. new body variant, new Mk, or completly new line) not incl. new engine variants (eg. TT S, RS6, V12 TDI).


So scenario A5 + Q5, or A5 + A3 cabrio, or A5 + Q5, or A4 + Q5 seem very unlikely.

Debut of A5 + new engine variant of existing model (eg. S5, TT S, RS6, Q7 TDI V12, R8 V10) seems most likely.

I'm also quite sure A4, Q5 & A3 cabrio won't be premiered at the same time.
But eg. A4 in Frankfurt, A3 cabrio in LA / Detroit, Q5 in Geneva is the most credible scenario. Plus additional engine variants of existing models as co-debuts.

The production version of a car we have never seen being tested would be quite something.....

But Audi have stated that they will show two world debuts on Geneva.
A5/S5 is one in my eyes.
Q5 or RS6 can be two.

Hans.

It could be a concept version. Or A3 cabrio or something.

Production version of Q5 seems impossible, but we'll see