When is an Audi not an Audi? When it’s the AUDI E5 Sportback, after all.
The brand new AUDI E5 Sportback is the primary automobile from the corporate’s latest China-only brand — or is that sub-brand? — that may exclusively market “latest energy vehicles”, or cars with electric and plug-in hybrid drivetrains.
A whole lot of latest automobile deals can be found through CarExpert at once. Get the experts in your side and rating an ideal deal. Browse now.
The E5 rides on the brand new Advanced Digitized Platform developed at the side of SAIC, one among the Volkswagen Group’s two production partners in China, and owner the MG and LDV brands. It’s unclear how much the brand new architecture borrows from other SAIC platforms, comparable to the one underpinning the IM Motor line.
In line with Fermín Soneira, head of the brand new Audi/SAIC joint project, AUDI offers “the perfect of each worlds” by combining “Audi’s DNA” and “China’s digital ecosystem and innovations, specifically tailored for our tech-savvy customers”.
Like parent Volkswagen, Audi has been left flat-footed by Chinese automakers who’ve launched and iterated latest electric vehicles at a rapid pace over the previous couple of years. To assist speed the event of EVs for the Chinese market, Volkswagen has teamed up with Xpeng, while Audi has partnered up with SAIC.
The AUDI E5 is 4881mm long, 1959mm wide, and 1478mm tall, making it 52mm longer than the most recent petrol- and diesel-powered Audi A5 liftback, but 27mm shorter than the A5L sedan sold in China.
At launch the E5 will probably be available with either rear- or all-wheel drive, and the selection of 4 all-electric drivetrains rated at 220kW, 300kW, 425kW and 579kW. The latter is able to propelling the E5 from 0-100km/h in 3.4 seconds.
Battery capability maxes out at 100kWh, allowing one model within the lineup to have a 770km range rating under the generous CLTC testing scheme. Equipped with a 800V electrical architecture, the E5 can gain as much as 370km of range in 10 minutes.
By way of design, the AUDI E5 shares little with the regular Audi family. Throughout the E5 the famous 4 interlocking ring logo is nowhere to be found, as a substitute there’s illuminated AUDI word script logos on the grille, tailgate and front seats.
On the skin, Audi’s single-frame grille has been replaced by the “AUDI Light Frame” grille with 1000 LEDs surrounding a floating element within the bumper. The corporate says minimalism is a key feature of the E5’s design, hence the graceful, but taut body surfaces.
On the contained in the minimalism extends to the variety of physical buttons. Across the highest of the dashboard is a 4K 27.0-inch display that stretches from pillar to pillar, and is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 8295 automotive processor.
The infotainment system features the brand new Audi OS with facial recognition, a built-in app store, and the AUDI Assistant, an AI-powered service that might be called up via the touchscreen or voice recognition.
To assist balance out the tech, there’s architecture-inspired lamella-shaped wood inlays, a fragrance diffuser, and a suede-like material for the armrests and dashboard top.
The E5 goes on sale in China in the course of the third quarter of 2025. AUDI will flesh out its range with a brand new model in each 2026 and 2027.
This Article First Appeared At www.carexpert.com.au