Audi to invest £19 billion to top BMW & Mercedes

In its quest to be the premier premium German car maker, Audi is planning to spend a whopping £19 billion in the next five years, 5% more than previously planned.

[nggallery id=1991 template=customlinks]

Audi has ambitions to be the biggest premium car maker on the planet – usurping BMW and Mercedes in the process – and is prepared to dig deep to reach its goal.

Audi’s five year plan for growth already had €22 billion earmarked to push Audi ever onwards and upwards, but Audi has now revealed that pot has grown to €24 billion as they plan a growth in the number of models on offer

By 2020, Audi will have grown its range by 20 per cent from the current 50 models to 60 as it chases BMW to grab the title of top dog in global luxury car sales.

More than half Audi’s investment will be spent on new models and new technology, with the focus on cars in the C and D segments and on Audi’s Q family of SUVs, with a new design focus previewed by the recent Audi Prologue Concept (above).

Audi are also planning an electric crossover for 2017 and is building a new factory in Mexico to build the Q5 for North America, creating 850 jobs in the process.

It’s a bold plan, part of the VW Group’s €85 billion plan to dominate the car industry, which will also see a focus on innovative areas of electric mobility, connectivity and lightweight construction.