Audi will make its Formula 1 debut 12 months from now, and when it does it will be perfectly positioned to take advantage in the showroom. The German brand will spend the next year rolling out its most comprehensive new model upgrade ever, with more than 20 all-new or refreshed cars arriving in Australia.
Every model from the compact A1 to the super-sized Q8 will be upgraded, but the key new models will be the A5/S5 duo and the all-new A6 e-tron, which were both on display at Audi’s 2025 Australian Grand Prix hospitality suite last weekend. Along with the new Q5 range and Q6 e-tron SUV, this combination of internal combustion engine models and all-electric options will form the basis of Audi’s range for the next decade.
“Whilst 2026 is a very exciting year for Audi, 2025 is a super exciting year for Audi in terms of the products… What that means for Audi is a complete refresh of our product portfolio,” explained Audi Australia’s head of product, Matthew Dale. “That gives us an amazing opportunity to have one of the freshest, premium, luxury product portfolios in the Australian market.
“So what does that look like in a nutshell? Twenty plus model launches, it’s going to keep my team and myself extremely busy… The big importance here, and what we’ve got to showcase tonight is the launch of two new architectures for the Audi brand. One being the PPE platform, so premium platform electric. And one being PPC, premium platform combustion. Both of these architectural masterpieces, as we call it Audi, are the next iteration of our model portfolio and our model life cycle for seven to 10 years to come. These cars feature the latest in technology, the latest in drivetrain technology, as well as the latest design language.”
The launch of the PPC platform represents a major u-turn for Audi, which had previously announced plans to cease internal combustion development by 2026 and focus on being all-electric by the end of the decade. However, with sales of electric vehicles not growing at the expected rate, Audi has joined several other notable brands in changing course and extending the life of the internal combustion engine.
Audi Australia is hopeful that by the time the brand makes its on-track F1 debut, preferably at Albert Park, it will be ready to take advantage of the extra attention joining the sport should bring to its showrooms. To celebrate its committment to petrol-powered performance, one of the limited edition A6 Avant GT models, inspired by the brand’s IMSA success in the 1980s, was on dsiplay at its AGP hospitality suite last weekend. In total Australia managed to sell 22 examples of this $400k super-wagon, underlining our love of performance cars – perfect for a brand heading to F1.
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