Dan Mihalascu is an accomplished automotive journalist with over two decades of automotive media work both internationally and in his home country of Romania.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, and he has reviewed (sometimes even raced) cars for most of his professional life.
Prior to joining HotCars.com in July 2025, Dan worked as a news writer and editor for InsideEVs.com, CarScoops.com and Autoevolution.com. He also has bylines at DriveMag.com and ConsumerAffairs.com, among other international media outlets.
In Romania, he wrote for car magazines, sports newspapers and even a TV news station.
Writing and cars aside, he loves reading, cycling, hiking and spending quality time with his family.
There’s Audi and then there’s AUDI, the automaker’s China-only brand. If you didn’t know about the separate AUDI brand – spelled in all-caps – we’ll give you the benefit of the doubt because this new marque is new, having been launched in November 2024.
Since then, AUDI launched a single production model, the all-electric E5 Sportback developed together with joint venture partner SAIC Motor in August 2025. Now it’s time to meet AUDI’s second production vehicle, the E7X.
Previewed recently by the AUDI E SUV concept car at Auto Guangzhou 2025, the E7X is a fully electric premium SUV tailored to the needs of Chinese customers. Parent company Audi AG describes the E7X as a next-generation intelligent connected vehicle designed to complement the global Audi brand’s portfolio in China.
The striking EV combines Audi’s trademark driving dynamics and premium quality with SAIC Motor’s digital ecosystem geared towards the needs of particularly tech-savvy Chinese customers. The AUDI E7X looks exactly like the E Concept, adopting a futuristic design with a monolithic appearance, sculpted wheel arches and short overhangs.
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The vehicle features characteristic light graphics at the front and rear, with the front end’s digital Matrix LED headlights vertically arranged in a black wraparound loop being echoed by a similar arrangement at the rear. You won’t see Audi’s traditional four-ring logo on the E7X and on any of the AUDI brand’s products. To differentiate it from the parent company’s logo, the China-exclusive marque features a separate brand image consisting of ‘AUDI’ lettering in capital letters.
The E7X is a massive SUV that measures 198.8 inches in length, 78.8 inches in width and 67.2 inches in height. That makes it both longer, wider and taller than the Audi Q8 e-tron sold in North America. The generous wheelbase of 120.5 inches enables a spacious and comfortable interior, AUDI says. However, we’ll have to wait a while for the first interior photos of the E7X to be released.
Built on the same Advanced Digitized Platform (ADP) as the E5 Sportback, the AUDI E7X will offer two dual-motor powertrain variants with system outputs of 402 hp and 670 hp, respectively.
When the E Concept was unveiled last month, AUDI said the 670-hp dual-motor powertrain would feature a 109-kWh battery pack, enabling a driving range of approximately 435 miles CLTC (China Light-Duty Vehicle Test Cycle). The range-topping powertrain is also expected to enable a 0–62 mph sprint of about 5 seconds.
“The AUDI E7X is an SUV without compromises. Its confident stance, sporty proportions and progressive design come together to create a perfect balance of emotion and everyday usability, shaping an SUV that feels instantly right for our customers.”
Fermín Soneira, CEO of the Audi and SAIC Cooperation Project
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As with the E5 Sportback, the E7X SUV has benefited from a significantly reduced development time, thanks to the close collaboration between the development teams in Germany and China.
The AUDI E7X will make its public global debut in April 2026 at Auto China in Beijing. The China market launch will follow in the first half of 2026. Rumor has it Audi will later offer the E7X in Europe as well, but that hasn’t been confirmed yet.
Source: Audi
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