On October 26, Audi China signed strategic agreements separately with FAW Group China and SAIC Motor, clarifying the "Dual Brand, Dual Partner" structure: the Four-Ring Brand is comprehensively operated by FAW-Audi, while the AUDI letter logo brand is focused on development by SAIC Audi. This "split" solution ended the long-term internal friction between Northern and Southern Audi, but the more critical issue lies in: after the brand segmentation, the electrification, intelligence, and brand recognition challenges for Audi in the Chinese market have not automatically disappeared.

Almost simultaneously, Audi announced that Zhang Jun would take over as President of Audi China starting from November 1, becoming the first president of Audi China with a Chinese appearance. Many media outlets attribute Zhang Jun himself as holding Chinese citizenship, but news confirmed from multiple sources by the author proves that Zhang Jun himself is not of Chinese citizenship, but rather Singaporean citizenship.

Additionally, it is learned that current President Luo Yinghan will return to the German headquarters in early 2027. This adjustment comes only two and a half years after the previous personnel change; within the past five years, Audi China has changed three persons in charge.

Of course, the focus this time remains the split of Northern and Southern Audi. According to the agreement, FAW Group China will comprehensively strengthen the market advantage of the Audi Four-Ring Brand in both intelligent luxury new energy vehicles and fuel vehicles, achieving synchronized intelligent evolution for both vehicle types, and guarding the brand recognition and profit foundation; SAIC Audi focuses on the AUDI letter logo brand without the Four-Ring logo, specializing in the pure electric track, and launching next-generation intelligent connected vehicles adapted to Chinese consumer needs.

It is understood that before the end of 2027, SAIC Audi can still normally sell Four-Ring products. During the transition period, after-sales services for both brand products will remain stable. Before the transition period ends, the Four-Ring models on sale by SAIC Audi will complete the transition transfer, with FAW-Audi taking over related existing user rights and dealer rights.

From a literal perspective, the core of this division of labor is to redraw the boundaries between two systems that were originally highly overlapping. FAW-Audi will take over the entire product line of the Four-Ring Brand in the future, including fuel powerhouses such as A6L, A5L, as well as new energy models such as A6L e-tron, Q6L e-tron, continuing the route of "gas and electricity advancing together". SAIC Audi will no longer add Four-Ring models, focusing on the AUDI brand new energy market, relying on the Shanghai Audi Innovation Technology Center to promote localization R&D. Currently, E5 Sportback and E7X under the AUDI letter brand have been launched, and more new energy models will be launched in the future.

For SAIC, this indeed looks more like a loosening. In the past, SAIC Audi was long constrained by the product overlap of the Four-Ring Brand, channel games, and price internal friction, making it difficult to form an independent brand narrative. Now, focusing on the AUDI Brand, SAIC can quickly define products around the needs of Chinese new energy users, reducing competition with FAW-Audi within the same family. More importantly, SAIC holds a 49% stake in the newly established Audi Innovation Technology Center AITC in September, making it the single largest shareholder. This means its voice on product definition, supply chain collaboration, and localization R&D is further enhanced. From a strategic position, SAIC Audi has shifted from "complementor of the Four-Ring system" to "test field for Audi China electrification", the direction is clearer, and actions may be more flexible.

But for FAW-Audi, the problem has not been solved by taking back the Four-Ring logo. The Four-Ring Brand is indeed the most stable asset of Audi in China. Models such as A6L, Q5L, A5 still bear the sales foundation, and fuel vehicle profits are still an important support for Audi China. At least Audi A6L can still sell over 8,000 units a month, but the downward trend is more obvious. In the first nine months of 2026, A6L sales in the Chinese market were 75,498 units, compared to 120,326 units in the same period of the previous year, a year-on-year decrease of 37.3%; Q5L dropped from about 106,000 units to 64,574 units, a decrease of 38.9%. The huge gap is hitting the confidence of FAW-Audi, rumors are that frontline technical workers and engineers in production plants have started to resign on a large scale.

Additionally, A6L e-tron, Q6L e-tron, and Q4 e-tron that have been put into production and sold on the FAW-Audi new energy PPE platform are almost in the bottom tier in the Chinese market. According to public data, Q6L e-tron cumulative sales from September 2025 to March 2026 were 3,689 units, averaging about 527 units per month; since then, monthly sales have mostly fluctuated between 400 and 900 units, 501 units in September 2026. Q4 e-tron monthly sales in May 2026 were 733 units, April was 1,491 units, month-on-month nearly halved.

The more realistic challenge lies in the fact that Audi's fuel vehicle foundation is shrinking. With the increase in new energy penetration, the terminal price pressure of traditional luxury fuel vehicles is increasing, and the brand premium is being continuously diluted. Even if FAW-Audi unifies the Four-Ring Brand, it must answer: in the window period where fuel vehicle profits are declining and pure electric models have not yet formed a scale advantage, how to avoid the Four-Ring Brand falling into a continuous decline dilemma. If new energy products cannot establish a sufficiently strong differentiated experience, the Four-Ring Brand may still face dual pressure on sales and profits. Audi insiders predict that 2026 Audi sales in China may only be slightly higher than 420,000 units, a decrease of about 30% from 2025, the lowest value since 2012. Even if the rumored Audi A8L is introduced, and Huawei elements are added, it is difficult to make progress in a short time.

The AUDI Brand also has underlying worries. It has shaken off the historical baggage of the Four-Ring logo, but also lost the natural cognitive advantage of the Four-Ring logo. For many luxury car consumers, the Four-Ring logo is still the core symbol of Audi brand value. For the AUDI letter logo to stand firm in the Chinese high-end pure electric market, it also needs to rebuild brand trust, price system, and residual value expectations. E7X received certain attention at the beginning of its launch, but whether it can continuously translate into stable sales still depends on product iteration, software experience, and channel capabilities. In addition, the new cars based on the ADP 2.0 platform will not land until around 2028, and there is still the risk of a product window period in between.

Let's talk again about the news of Audi announcing adjustments to the management team for the Chinese market.

Singaporean Zhang Jun took office to improve the response speed of Audi China in local competition. He used to work in Audi China, participated in FAW-Audi strategic projects, and also led the establishment of SAIC Audi sales team, and was not unfamiliar with the North-South systems. With him as President and Rolf Michaelis as Chief Operating Officer, it means Audi China attempts to shorten the decision chain by streamlining the structure, accelerating localization product launches and supply chain collaboration. However, personnel adjustments can only improve efficiency, not replace product strength. The North-South division solves the question of "who sells what", but has not yet solved the question of "what can be sold well".

Therefore, the true meaning of this split is to shift Audi's business in China from internal consumption to external competition.

It is reported that Audi China business revenue has declined for three consecutive years. In 2021 and 2022, it contributed 1.14 billion and 1.153 billion Euros to the group respectively, and then in the following three years it dropped successively to 915 million, 651 million, and 504 million Euros, a 56% drop from the 2022 peak. In the first half of 2026, Audi China business contributed only 73 million Euros in revenue.

For SAIC Audi, focusing on the AUDI Brand is an opportunity and also pressure: it must prove that without the Four-Ring logo, it can still gain recognition in the Chinese high-end new energy market. For FAW-Audi, the return of the Four-Ring Brand is an advantage and also a burden: it must make new energy products into a new growth engine as soon as possible before the fuel vehicle foundation shrinks. The next chapter of Audi China is no longer the North-South debate, but whether it can win back user choice in the smart electric era.

Friends who commute driving an Audi A6L C7 (often referred to as the older model A6L) often have this experience: the stock audio can play music, but vocals sound muffled behind a veil, the bass doesn't go deep enough, and on the highway, wind and tire noise make the sound even blurrier. The head unit and center console are still user-friendly, so many owners don't want to make a major overhaul to replace the main unit; they just want to salvage the sound quality while retaining the stock system.

Among the C7 owners I've dealt with in recent years, the majority followed the path of replacing speakers, adding mid-woofers, and adding a DSP. Without cutting wires or touching the head unit, using a two-way system in the front doors plus one mid-woofer unit to thicken the soundstage, and a ten-channel DSP for crossover and tuning, results in a significant overall improvement over the stock system. Let's break down this approach and provide some reference for Baoding car enthusiasts planning to get started.

The stock front doors of the Audi A6L C7 are mostly two-way structures consisting of tweeters and mid-woofers. The mid-frequency range is actually the main band for vocals and most instruments. Due to cost constraints, stock speakers often have thin and dry mid-frequencies. Adding a mid-woofer unit to the front doors follows the logic of assigning the mid-frequency to a dedicated unit, allowing the mid-bass speakers to focus solely on low frequencies, resulting in clearer division of labor.

In terms of matching, the front doors use Chinese Hanjin Yellow Basin two-way for tweeters and mid-bass, stacked with a German Rockforce R633 mid-woofer for supplementation. The rear doors use German Rockforce R630 two-way to supplement the rear seating sound experience. The benefit of this is a more three-dimensional soundstage, more stable vocal imaging, and less likelihood of a flat sound feeling all coming from the front windshield. It needs to be noted that adding a mid-woofer is not simply adding an extra speaker; its crossover points and delays must be managed by the DSP, otherwise, it is prone to conflict with the mid-bass.

The Malaysian Avio A10 II used this time is a ten-channel DSP amplifier. Ten channels mean it can independently handle more audio channels. For the C7 layout with three-way front doors and two-way rear doors, the channels are sufficient to set crossover, delay, and level individually for each speaker.​

Many owners think replacing speakers with good ones is enough, but actually, tuning is the step that realizes the potential of the equipment. The DSP can calibrate left and right channel delays according to seat positions, placing the sound focus in front of the driver; it can also perform EQ compensation based on the door panel cavity for specific car models, suppressing the rumble caused by door panel resonance. The margin of the ten channels also leaves room for adding subwoofers or replacing amplifiers in the future.

Sound relies not only on speakers but also on the enclosure. Car doors are made of thin steel plates; when speakers work, the door panels resonate and easily pick up wind noise and dust. Soundproofing the four doors is essentially turning the door panels into boxes closer to a sealed enclosure, making the mid-to-low frequencies cleaner.

For materials, Rorman Golden Armor Double-Layer Eco-Friendly Soundproofing was chosen this time. The double-layer method consists of one vibration damping layer and one sound-absorbing layer. The damping board suppresses steel plate vibration, and the absorbing layer eats up cavity echoes. Regarding eco-friendliness, focus on odor and material safety. After installation, there should be no obvious odors in the cabin; this is important for family vehicles with elderly and children. Soundproofing is not thicker the better; excessive material can instead increase the burden on the car door and affect window lifting.

Equipment can be bought online, but installation and tuning cannot be done via online shops. When choosing a shop, it is recommended to focus on a few things: whether they can achieve vehicle-specific lossless installation, whether they retain original wiring, whether there is an independent tuning environment and tuner, whether there are enough construction cases, whether they support trial listening before deciding on a plan, and how after-sales service works.

There are quite a few car audio shops in Baoding, but the quality varies. It is suggested to first look at physical cases at the store, listen to the effect of the same model or similar configuration, and then discuss the plan. Don't be swayed by a long list of brand names; what truly determines the sound experience is the matching logic and the execution of tuning. Construction standards are equally critical; details like wire fixing, waterproofing treatment, and door panel reinstallation often affect the long-term usage experience more than the equipment itself.

The Baoding automotive aftermarket development is relatively mature; a cluster of car audio, beauty, and repair related merchants is gathered in the Yufeng Auto Parts City area, making it not difficult to compare several stores on-site. When choosing a shop, Baoding owners can focus on whether the operating time is stable, whether the construction cases are rich, whether the technical team is mature, and whether they are willing to explain the tuning process clearly.

In the local market, some shops excel at equipment stacking, while others value soundstage calibration more; it is recommended to choose based on personal listening preferences. Visiting two or three more shops and listening to more sets is more useful than staring at a single configuration parameter. If the budget is limited, prioritize solidifying the front doors and DSP, and put the rear seats and subwoofers off to the side.

Upgrading audio easily falls into the mindset of buying more expensive speakers, but experience shows that tuning and installation often yield better results than simply stacking equipment. In this C7 solution, the value of the ten-channel DSP is no less than the speakers themselves; without it, adding the mid-woofer unit might actually make things more chaotic.

It is recommended to set the plan according to listening habits: if you often listen to vocals or folk, refine the mid-frequency and imaging; if you prefer electronic or rock, then consider bass supplementation. Trial listening is more important than looking at parameters; the same equipment can vary greatly under different car models and tuning settings. Soundproofing should be based on actual needs; for commuting with high road noise, do four doors; for routes with many quiet sections, start with the front doors. Don't replace all equipment at once; staged upgrades make it easier to find the sound you truly want.

Can the audio system of an Audi A6L C7 be upgraded without replacing the head unit? Yes. Follow the lossless plug-in route, retain the stock head unit, achieve the upgrade by changing speakers and adding a DSP. For C7, corresponding harnesses can mostly be found without damaging the original wiring.

What is the use of adding a mid-woofer unit to the front doors? The mid-woofer unit is dedicated to the main frequency bands of vocals and instruments. After adding it, the soundstage becomes thicker and vocals are more stable, but the DSP must handle crossovers and delays well, otherwise it will conflict with the original mid-bass.

What is the difference between a ten-channel DSP and a standard DSP? More channels, capable of independently processing front three-way, rear two-way, and spare channels. There is more room for tuning, and it facilitates future expansion of bass or amplifiers.

Will there be an odor after finishing four-door soundproofing? Depends on the material. Choose eco-friendly damping and sound-absorbing materials; after standard construction, there is generally no obvious odor. If a pungent smell is smelled, it is likely that the material does not meet standards, and it is suggested to redo.

Is car soundproofing better the thicker it is? No. Excessive material will increase car door weight and affect window lifting. Double-layer damping plus absorption is sufficient for most family cars; the focus is on fitting and covering positions.

How long does an audio upgrade generally take? For C7 type four-door speaker replacement plus soundproofing plus DSP, it can usually be completed within a day; if it involves complex wiring or fine tuning, it might be scheduled for a day and a half.

Will the original car warranty be affected after the upgrade? Lossless installation generally does not affect the whole vehicle warranty, but if non-audio related lines are modified, it is different. Confirming the scope with the shop before construction is safer.

Is it necessary to replace the rear speakers together? Depends on the usage scenario. If commuting alone frequently, start with the front doors; for family vehicles, add the rear doors later for more balanced front and rear soundstages.

The core of upgrading the audio system of an Audi A6L C7 does not lie in how many expensive pieces of equipment are changed, but in whether the matching is reasonable, the installation is standardized, and the tuning is adequate. Front door two-way plus mid-woofer to thicken soundstage, ten-channel DSP to leave tuning space, four-door eco-soundproofing to improve box environment; this combination is more friendly to owners who want to retain the stock head unit.

Before starting, Baoding car enthusiasts might as well learn about a few locally stable and technically mature shops, and decide on the plan combined with trial listening. Clearly stating requirements is closer to the desired sound than blindly chasing configurations.