It appears that Audi->ke14 is planning to ramp the number of models it offers to 60 by the end of this decade. Though 60 models sounds like a tremendous number, Audi already produces 50. Adding an extra 10 vehicles in the next five years will be no easy task, however. The news comes by way of an interview Audi exec Chairman Rupert Stadler had with Car Magazine.

Stadler wouldn’t discuss the exact makeup of the 10 upcoming vehicles, but he did reveal the details about one, the Q1->ke2718 crossover. The Q1 will share many of its components with the small Audi A1->ke1729 and act in relation to it like the Q3->ke2666 does with the A3->ke1086. “You’ll see the Q1 at the end of 2015 or possibly early 2016,” Stadler told Car. “The Audi Q1 is part of our broad-based SUV strategy. It is designed on the basis of the MQB modular transverse engine concept and will round off our Q series at the bottom end.”

While the Q1 will be an all-new product, it’s unlikely Audi’s other nine vehicles will be so unique. Remember that Audi counts each sub model as its own, so the S- and RS-badged vehicles are counted separately in the overall number, despite them sharing a large majority of parts with the their less-powerful versions.

Stadler mentioned possible open slots for cars in the C- and D-segments for vehicles priced over €70,000 to 80,000 price bracket. That possibly means new spin-offs of the A6->ke934, A7->ke4070, and A8->ke1089 sedans. He says the A4->ke1087 and A5->ke1188 vehicles are an existing example, as it’s complete with Avants, coupes->ke141, and Sportbacks.

Click past the jump to read more about Audi's future plans.

More Diesels, Too

Stadler continued talking about the prevalence of high-performance diesels making their way into vehicles across the Audi lineup. The SQ5 will be the first performance oil-burner and will have at least one other S-badged vehicle accompanying it. The RS5->ke2628 diesel is yet another model that could make production with relatively little resources, as the RS5 concept was nearly a complete model.

Why It Matters

Well, anytime an automaker spills the beans about upcoming project, it‘s always a big deal. With these details leaked, we can look forward to these upcoming models with a general understanding as to what Audi has up its German sleeve. So next time we see something strange circling the Nürburgring->ke999, we’ll already be on the up-and-up.

Besides knowing the details, Audi’s seemingly endless expansion of vehicles will help fill small niche markets to compete with BMW->ke178’s vehicle expansion.

Audi Q1