Audi shies away from fake exhausts for its ICE cars

Audi has promised it will install proper hot exhaust pipes for all future combustion cars, following overwhelmingly negative customer feedback on fake items.

For some time Audi has been using tailpipe trims, often incorporated into the rear bumper, that are not connected to the actual exhaust system. It has decided to abandon this practice after negative customer feedback. 

The news came during the recent reveal of the Audi A5 and S5. 

An Audi spokesperson commented that all of its Premium Platform Combustion cars will henceforth have ‘hot’ tailpipes, i.e.,  functional tailpipes. 

Recently, some car makers have been concealing the exhaust tips below the bumper because of safety issues. They fear the consequences of having hot metal tubes in close contact with plastic trim. However, there are other reasons for doing this too; it’s cheaper to end the exhaust earlier and it looks cleaner.  

However, the trend of having the exhaust end early beneath the car and fitting exhaust-like trim to the bumpers has not gone down well. Almost all customers have spoken in the negative. Audi, on the other hand, spins it differently: “It’s for the design”.

Whether or not Audi intends to continue with the fake exhaust outlets on the smaller, MQB-based models, is unclear. But from now on, starting with the new A5, all the more expensive Audis will get functional exhaust tips. Expect to see them also on the upcoming Q5, A7 and Q7 models, and the A8 successor, the A9.

Audi’s EVs will also feature a cleaner rear end, free from ICE-mimicking fake exhaust tip trickery. The Q4, Q6 and Q8 e-tron models already have no such design features, and presumably the A6 e-tron due soon will be the same.