Audi models

Audi traces its founding to 1909, when August Horch started a new company after leaving the carmaker that already bore his name. He called it Audi, the Latin translation of 'horch' (listen). The four rings on the badge come later, from the 1932 merger of four manufacturers into Auto Union, and that history of engineering firms joining forces still suits a brand that sells technology above all.

Audi's modern rise came from one idea executed well: quattro all-wheel drive, introduced on rally cars around 1980, which it turned into a defining feature across the range. Pair that with interiors widely regarded as the best in the premium class and a restrained, precise design language, and Audi carved out a clear identity next to BMW and Mercedes.

Now part of the Volkswagen Group and based in Ingolstadt, Audi spans everything from the compact A3 to large SUVs and the e-tron electric line. Its pitch to buyers is understatement: the cleverest engineering and the nicest cabin, without shouting about it. For people who want premium German quality without the flash, it is often the quiet favourite.