Audi reportedly charged with developing SUVs in the Volkswagen group

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Filed under: SUV, Audi, Porsche, Volkswagen, Luxury

2011 Audi Q7 - Click above for high-res image gallery

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, but Earth knows no competition greater than sibling rivalry. With nine marques under the Volkswagen Group umbrella, things can get pretty competitive between the brands, especially as platforms and technologies are integrated and subsidiaries chosen to develop them. But then Porsche entered the fray as the 10th brand and things got that much more heated.

Reports recently emerged that Porsche was chosen over Audi to develop the platforms that would underpin sportscars for the entire group as well as luxury sedans, leaving Ingolstadt undoubtedly reeling from the defeat. But now follow-up reports indicate that Audi will, in turn, be charged with developing the next generation of sport-utility vehicles for the entire group, the next Porsche Cayenne included.

The program will reportedly center around a common modular platform that will underpin the next-generation Touareg, Q7 and Cayenne, but also extends to the development of the Q5-based Porsche Cajun. While the latter is currently in the works, both the Touareg and Cayenne were recently replaced, so their subsequent replacements would still be years off.

The move may seem a little odd considering that Volkswagen and Porsche have both been making SUVs for longer than Audi has its Q7, but Audi has been in the all-wheel drive game for longer than either. The decision was reportedly unanimous among the different divisions, though Porsche was quick to point out that final development of its SUVs will be carried out by Porsche to ensure its vehicles drive as their customers would expect.


Gallery: First Drive: 2011 Audi Q7



Photos by Damon Lavrinc / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.
[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]Audi reportedly charged with developing SUVs in the Volkswagen group originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 13 Dec 2010 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.



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