SAIC-Audi formally launched its all-new mid-size car, the Audi E5 Sportback, on September 16, 2025. The mannequin is available in 4 configurations with official pricing starting from 235,900 to 319,900 yuan (32,500-44,000 USD). The E5 Sportback is constructed on an clever digital platform collectively developed by SAIC and Audi, and is manufactured on the SAIC Audi Good Manufacturing Base.
The outside design attracts inspiration from Audi’s E idea model whereas sustaining the model’s core design parts. In keeping with official sources, the car incorporates the basic rounded wheel arches of the first-generation Audi TT, the clear surfaces of the RSQ idea automobile, and the dynamic stance of the RS6.
The E5 Sportback includes a ring-shaped headlight cluster paired with an built-in closed entrance grille that homes lighting operate modules and an illuminated Audi emblem on the decrease fringe of the hood. Each entrance and rear emblem lighting assemblies use darkish chrome materials with 3D floating illuminated designs.
The car comes geared up with a roof-mounted LiDAR system, offering Momenta EBM end-to-end massive mannequin assisted driving capabilities. The {hardware} suite contains 27 notion gadgets: LiDAR for long-distance detection, three long-range millimetre-wave radars, 12 ultrasonic radars, and 11 cameras, all powered by Nvidia’s Orin-X chip to deal with numerous situations, together with metropolis roads, highways, and computerized parking.
From the facet profile, the marginally raised entrance and rear wheel arches are mixed with clear physique traces. The car additionally options hidden door handles and digital facet mirrors (integrating BSD, DOW, and RCTA capabilities) for enhanced tech enchantment. The sloping roofline with the Sportback hatchback design ensures inside headroom whereas providing the practicality of a wagon.
The rear showcases a through-type taillight meeting with vertical parts at each ends, echoing the entrance lighting design. In keeping with official data, the automobile options 942 LED gentle beads within the entrance and rear, utilising infrared micro-hole laser engraving know-how to venture almost 2,000 triangular parts.
Dimensionally, the brand new automobile measures 4,881mm in size, 1,960mm in width, and 1,479mm in peak, with a wheelbase of two,950mm, positioning it as a mid-size sedan.
The inside includes a easy but premium design with a through-type “ultrawide” display screen composed of a totally digital instrument cluster, central management display screen, and passenger leisure display screen. The “ear flaps” on either side of the display screen function shows for the digital facet mirrors. The car is supplied with the brand new Audi OS working system, powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 8295 cabin chip. The in-car Audi assistant is deeply customised primarily based on Volcano Engine’s massive language mannequin “Douban,” providing semantic understanding, multi-round dialogue, and car management interplay.
Energy choices range by configuration, with single-motor fashions providing both 220 kW (299 hp) or 300 kW (408 hp). Twin-motor variations ship both 525 hp (386 kW, with 155 kW entrance and 231 kW rear) or 787 hp (579 kW, with 200 kW entrance and 379 kW rear).
For battery configurations, the entry-level mannequin includes a 76kWh LFP battery from SAIC/CALB with a pure electrical vary of 618km. The remaining configurations use CATL’s NCM lithium batteries with capacities of 83kWh and 100kWh, providing ranges of 623km, 773km, and 647km, respectively. A ten-minute cost offers over 370km of further vary.
The E5 Sportback is supplied with Audi’s quattro clever all-wheel-drive system, enabling 0-100km/h acceleration in 3.4 seconds. Further options embrace energetic air suspension (adjustable by 45mm up and down) and CDC repeatedly variable damping.
As SAIC and Audi’s collaborative enterprise into the Chinese language market, the E5 Sportback enters a distinct segment however rising phase, competing with fashions just like the Zeekr 007GT and Nio ET5T.
