By Brian Denton, August 21, 2025
It’s all capital letters and uppercase for Audi as the company seeks to rebrand itself as an EV-only marque in China, pivoting away from its traditional reliance on combustion engines and moving decisively toward electric vehicles. Audi now becomes AUDI, with a singular mission ahead. That mission, which they have chosen to accept, is now fully formed—and it’s called the AUDI E5 Sportback, with prices starting lower than an entry-level Skoda Superb Estate in the UK.
The AUDI E5 Sportback, unveiled at the Shanghai Motor Show, is China-specific and built on the Advanced Digitised Platform (ADP) with joint venture partner SAIC at a new Anting facility. The model offers three battery variants: a 76 kWh rear-wheel-drive Pioneer (618 km CLTC), an 83 kWh Pioneer Quattro AWD (623 km), and a 100 kWh Pioneer Plus/Flagship Quattro (647–773 km), with prices ranging from 235,900 to 319,900 yuan (€28,200–€38,200).
The E5 Sportback features a semi-autonomous driver assistance system with lidar, 26 additional sensors, Nvidia Orin X chips, and a 59-inch infotainment display powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8295.
Notably, AUDI chose a station wagon/Sportback format rather than an SUV, following a growing trend of popular estate models in China. Production begins in September with 700 employees, and two more models are planned within two years.
An AUDI E5 built and sold in Europe would most likely start at around £70,000. But this is China, where domestic carmakers have well and truly caught up in redefining what luxury should cost. In China, luxury has become attainable for the average consumer—making the AUDI E5 an opportunity for a great reset.
For the Chinese buyer, the truth is that AUDI is no longer the exotic status symbol it once was. Homegrown brands now offer better luxury and technology at lower prices. The AUDI E5 represents a chance for the company to re-establish its relevance in China.