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Audi E5 Sportback, the first electric vehicle developed in collaboration with SAIC.

25 April 2025| Number Of Visitors 2,171

The Audi E5 Sportback is built on a new platform called the Advanced Digitized Platform, which has been co-developed with SAIC Motor, one of the Volkswagen Group’s key production partners in China. However, it remains unclear whether this new platform incorporates elements from other SAIC Motor architectures, such as the one used for vehicles under the IM Motor brand. Audi has faced growing challenges from Chinese automakers, who have rapidly launched and iterated electric vehicles over the past few years. To accelerate EV development for the Chinese market, Volkswagen has partnered with Xpeng, while Audi has teamed up with SAIC Motor to compete in this highly competitive space.

In terms of design, the Audi E5 Sportback shares very little with other Audi models. The brand’s iconic four-ring logo is completely absent. Instead, illuminated “AUDI” lettering replaces it on the front grille, tailgate, and front seats. The new grille design, called the “AUDI Light Frame”, features over 1,000 tiny LED lights integrated into its structure.

The Audi E5 Sportback will be available with both rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive options, and customers can choose from four all-electric powertrains with the following outputs:

220 kW

300 kW

425 kW

579 kW (range-topping version)

The most powerful variant can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.4 seconds.

Dimensions

Length: 4,881 mm

Width: 1,959 mm

Height: 1,478 mm

The interior of the E5 Sportback is designed with a minimalist philosophy. Physical buttons are almost entirely eliminated. The highlight is a 27.0-inch 4K display stretching from the driver’s A-pillar to the passenger side. It’s powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8295 automotive chip.

The infotainment system runs the latest version of Audi OS, and comes equipped with advanced features such as:

Facial recognition
A built-in app store
And the AI-powered AUDI Assistant, which can be activated via the touchscreen or voice commands

The Audi E5 Sportback is set to go on sale in China in Q3 2025. Audi also plans to expand this new lineup further, with one new model debuting in 2026, and another in 2027, aiming to strengthen its presence in the Chinese EV market.