Audi: Mysterious Erlkönig - VW subsidiary wants to put the crown on the four rings

Created: 01/13/2022Updated: 01/13/2022, 1:54 pm

By: Patrick Freiwah

Audi is reportedly in the middle of planning a new voluminous SUV above the Q7.

© Sepp Spiegl / Imago

Audi apparently wants to expand its product range upwards.

According to reports, the Volkswagen subsidiary is planning a new model that should also put the flagships of the competition in the shade.

Ingolstadt / Munich - Rumors of a possible Audi Q9 * have been circulating for a long time.

So far, the model, the name of which the VW subsidiary secured under trademark law a few years ago, is missing in the portfolio.

But that could change soon: pictures of a mysterious Erlkönig are making the rounds, in which expert experts are sure that it is that large-sized SUV that challenges rivals such as the BMW X7 and Mercedes GLS as the Q9.

Although Audi * already has a model with similar dimensions (over five meters long) on ​​offer with the Q7, the rumors about a new top SUV enthroned above it persist.

The second generation of the SUV giant has been on the market since 2015 and, after a facelift in 2019, the successor is likely to roll out soon.

Audi Q9 on the march?

However, it seems doubtful that the new Erlkönig images are the next Q7 generation: According to reports, the SUV prototype is not based on the modular longitudinal construction kit of the VW group, on which group models such as the Q7 or Q8 have already been created. Instead, the MQB platform forms the technical construct * - and with one exception, this is intended for smaller models.

The resolution could become apparent if you take a look at the largest VW SUV - which is hardly known in this country: VW Atlas.

The SUV sedan is larger than the VW Touareg and is produced exclusively in the USA and China, but not in Germany.

The Volkswagen, which is more than five meters long, is predestined for large countries and long distances, not so much for the city.

In China and Mexico, the crossover is called the VW Teramont.

VW Atlas: The giant SUV is not sold in Germany - and may have an Audi counterpart.

© Volkswagen AG

Audi: New model could share platform with VW Atlas

It can therefore be concluded that a premium offshoot is being developed by Audi. Because despite its ample size, the atlas is created at VW on the MQB platform - a sister model from Ingolstadt fits in well with the picture. Unofficial renderings show how elegant the new Audi product could look: The Russian website www.kolesa.ru is using the Erlkönig images to present an SUV with the latest Audi design language.

Should there even be an Audi Q9 based on the VW Atlas?

When asked, Audi did not comment on the subject.

One thing is certain, however: the home market plays a subordinate role for large SUVs.

So it is quite possible that the Audi Erlkönig caught is primarily targeting China, the Arabian Peninsula or the USA.

There, voluminous SUVs are very popular.