Luxury Off-Roader Is A Possibility

• The project hinges on the availability of a body-on-frame platform.
• Audi’s boss wants a true off-roader, ‘otherwise it does not make sense.’
• The Volkswagen Group’s new Scout brand could provide the hardware.

Hard to believe it’s been 16 years since Volkswagen launched the Amarok, and there still hasn’t been an SUV equivalent. The body-on-frame truck remains on sale in Latin America, but VW has no intention of turning it into a Mercedes G-Class rival. It also seems highly unlikely that the second-gen model will morph into a Land Rover Defender competitor, given how the newer Amarok is essentially a reskinned Ford Ranger.

Nevertheless, the VW Group isn’t dismissing the idea of an off-roader. Audi CEO Gernot Döllner told Australian magazine Carsales the company is open to a true 4×4, but only under certain conditions. The top executive in Ingolstadt explained it must make financial sense, effectively ruling out the costly development of a new architecture:

‘If we do something like that… it is only thinkable to do it on a platform that is already there. No decision has been taken yet… but it is definitely in the framework that we are thinking about. You need a platform that is authentic in this segment, otherwise it does not make sense.’

Photo by: Audi

Although largely forgotten already, last year’s Q6 E-Tron Offroad showed Audi is interested in entering a segment it hasn’t tackled before. But while the concept with portal axles was based on the Premium Platform Electric (PPE), Döllner wants a ladder-frame setup if it were to take on the G-Class and Defender. BMW might get in on the action as well, with a rugged SUV allegedly launching near the end of the decade.

It would be logical for Audi to dig deep into the VW Group parts bin by using Scout Motors’ new body-on-frame architecture. The Terra pickup truck and Traveler SUV are entering production next year as EVs, with the option of a range-extending gasoline engine. With Döllner making it clear that a production Audi model hasn’t been green-lighted, we shouldn’t expect to see it anytime soon. Even if approved, it’s unlikely to debut before around 2030.

Photo by: Audi

While purists may scoff at the idea of an off-roader, the company’s boss sees things differently: “The positive about the Audi brand is that almost every segment is thinkable.” With Quattro playing such an important role in the company’s heritage, a high-riding model capable of tackling rough terrain doesn’t seem so outlandish. If it does arrive one day, it will almost certainly cost more than the sub-$60,000 Scout will charge for the Traveler.

In the meantime, Audi is about to expand its SUV lineup in a different direction. It’s finally going after the BMW X7 and Mercedes-Benz GLS with a true three-row SUV we’ll see this year when the Q9 goes official. A next-generation Q7 is also locked in for 2026, so there are other priorities for now.

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Source: Audi

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Motor1’s Take: The VW Group desperately needs a proper off-roader, and the revival of Scout Motors can’t come soon enough. A more luxurious option wearing the Audi badge to pick up where the first-generation Porsche Cayenne left off makes perfect sense, given how the rugged SUV niche has exploded in recent years.

Still, the project appears to be in its infancy and may not happen at all. If Scout’s rebirth proves successful, the VW Group could be encouraged to elevate the formula with a luxury offering from Audi.

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