A New Audi EV Station Wagon Is Coming Next Year

Audi is changing the way it sells cars in Chinese market.

The German luxury automaker announced plans on Thursday at a press event in Shanghai to begin selling EVs in the country under the name AUDI. The use of all caps isn’t all that will differentiate the China-only brand from its parent company—it’s also ditching the marque’s signature four-ring logo.

Audi has been selling its cars and SUVs in China since the late 1980s, but the company has been thinking about rebranding in the region since at least the summer. In addition to the logo change—the cars will now just sport an emblem that reads “AUDI”—the EVs that will make up the new line are being developed in conjunction with Chinese automaker SAIC. Each vehicle will also be free of the “e-tron” branding that graces its parent company’s EVs in other parts of the world.

Thursday’s announcement was, thankfully, not just one about branding, though. Audi, or AUDI, also unveiled a new vehicle prototype that will help launch the brand. The vehicle, dubbed simply the E concept, is a stylish wagon designed specifically for the needs of Chinese drivers.

Audi and SAIC have used the new brand as a chance to shake things up. The German automaker’s vehicles all have a very strong design language, with everything from coupé to sedans to SUVs looking closely related (eventually it lets itself have some fun, like with the TT). But the E concept features minimalist looks with smooth lines running front to back. The most striking element is the all-new front-fascia that looks closer to that of the Lucid Air than anything that wears the four rigs, as well as the spoiler coming off the roof. The cabin looks spacious and has multiple displays spanning the length of the dashboard, along with accent lighting throughout.

The E concept is powered by two electric motors—one on each axle, giving the vehicle all-wheel drive—that combine to produce 764 hp and 590 ft lbs of torque. The automaker says the wagon will be able to accelerate from zero to 62 mph in just 3.6 seconds and travel 435 miles on a single charge, two figures that are both quite impressive.

There’s little to no chance that a production version of the E concept will ever be sold in the U.S.. Fortunately, the Audi unveiled the A6 e-tron earlier this year, which will be available with a wagon-style body. That version of the model isn’t set for an American release just yet, but since the company did finally bring the gas-powered A6 Avant over the Atlantic earlier this decade, it wouldn’t be a complete surprise if it eventually makes it stateside.