A new set of badges will be added to all Audi cars. The new badging is already in effect in West Asia and the Chinese markets. There isn’t any official word yet from the company, but we expect this change to be made in most of the markets Audi cars are sold in.
The current sets of badges indicate the size of the engine as, a A6 2.0 TDI indicates that a 2.0-litre engine lies under the hood. There are no flaws in the way Audi uses the badges, but it doesn’t reflect the amount of power on offer, as the same engines have different power ratings. The new system aims at differentiating the models based on the amount of power on offer.
In the new badging system, the Chinese models of the A4L get additional 35 and 40 nomenclatures. The A4L 35 TFSI uses a turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol engine producing 177bhp of power. The A4L 40 on the other hand uses the same engine, but has 208bhp on offer. There wouldn’t have been any difference badge wise according to the old system.
The new badge system is a computation of the amount of G-forces created under acceleration. Bigger and more powerful engines accelerate harder creating more downforce and gets a badge with higher numbers. In simple terms, a greater number means the car is more powerful.
This system might come into effect from 2015 and except the sporty S and RS versions all cars will get the new badges. In India, we expect these changes to be implemented by 2015, if not earlier.
Source: Overdrive