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Earlier, there were media reports that SAIC Audi's first domestic model would go on sale in 2022, but it was not clear when. Today, Audi China confirmed at an Shihao that SAIC Audi will go on sale in the first quarter of 2022. Another Audi China insider said that SAIC Audi's first model, the A7L, will start pre-sale as early as the fourth quarter of this year.

FAW Audi, as a luxury brand, has achieved good market performance in China, while the SAIC Audi joint venture did not surface until 2016. In November 2016, SAIC and Audi signed a non-binding agreement to jointly produce and sell Audi-branded cars. However, after the news came out, it was soon met with full opposition from FAW Audi dealers.

After many games and negotiations, Audi reached an agreement with FAW Audi dealers on differences in the first half of 2017 to determine "one sales company and one network" in the future. In June 2018, Audi spent 150 million yuan to buy 1% of SAIC-Volkswagen, and SAIC-Volkswagen was officially qualified to produce Audi-branded products. In December 2020, China FAW, Germany Audi and SAIC reached a consensus that SAIC Audi products will be sold and after-sales services by FAW-Volkswagen Audi investor network in the future.

In other words, SAIC Audi's production and sales have been established, and the first domestic model will soon be seen with consumers. According to previous reports, SAIC Audi's first domestic model is the Audi A7L, which is based on the extended product of the imported Audi A7 and will become an exclusive model for the Chinese market in the future. Judging from the previously exposed white body and road test spy photos, SAIC Audi A7L cancelled the imported A7's slippery-back coupe body and adopted a more traditional hatchback styling, which brought more spatial performance.

In terms of power, SAIC Audi A7L is expected to be equipped with EA888 2.0T turbocharged engine, providing high and low power versions for consumers to choose from, and is also expected to use a light hybrid system composed of 3.0T turbocharged engine + 48V. In terms of transmission system, SAIC Audi A7L will be equipped with a 7-speed wet double clutch gearbox.

In addition to SAIC Audi A7L, Ningbo Branch of SAIC Volkswagen Co., Ltd. applied for Audi C-level SUV technical renovation project. At present, Audi's medium and large SUV has two models, Q7 and Q8, but which model will be put into production in the future remains to be confirmed.

FAW-Volkswagen owns three major brands: Volkswagen, Jetta and Audi, covering the middle and low end, mainstream and luxury markets. Audi, as a luxury brand, has achieved good market performance in China. On the other hand, SAIC Volkswagen has only two brands, Volkswagen and Skoda, and the luxury market is still vacant. However, with the launch of SAIC Audi, SAIC-Volkswagen will also usher in a more complete brand camp, including Skoda with mid-and low-end brands, Volkswagen brands in the mainstream market, and Audi brands in the luxury market.

At present, Audi has three joint ventures in China. In addition to FAW-Volkswagen Audi and SAIC Audi, Audi signed a MOU with FAW in January 2020, announcing the establishment of a new energy joint venture to introduce PPE platform, a high-end electric vehicle platform jointly developed by Audi and Porsche for large electric vehicles. The first domestic model is scheduled to be put into production in 2024. Audi has more shares and dominance in the new joint venture, which is Audi's first holding joint venture in China.

According to the data, Audi brand sold 726288 vehicles in China in 2020, which is the first time that Audi brand's annual sales in China have exceeded 700000 vehicles. However, there is still a gap between the BMW brand and the Mercedes-Benz brand, which sell 777379 and 774382 vehicles respectively in China. However, with the launch of the SAIC Audi joint venture and the imminent launch of the first model, Audi may be able to usher in new developments.

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