E5 Sportback from AUDI (a new brand) debuts in China

In November 2024, Audi announced that it would introduce a new brand which would puzzle many since it is called… AUDI. But this is not actually unusual in the auto industry as companies like Ford and Toyota have brand names similar to the company’s name. There are various reasons why they do it and in Audi’s case, they want to ‘re-brand’ their image for the China market towards younger tech-savvy customers.

Only for China
To be used only in China, AUDI has been jointly created with Audi’s long-time partner, SAIC. It is differentiated from the Audi brand that was the first foreign premium brand in China in the 1980s. Rooted in its core brand ethos of ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’, the AUDI brand represents a new era with SAIC.

Co-development
This will see close collaboration in future products, with co-development of the Advanced Digitized Platform and a new generation of state-of-the-art connected vehicles. By leveraging both companies’ strengths, a global team of Audi and SAIC engineers worked closely and simultaneously in Germany and China. This has cut the development time of the brand’s first production model, the E5 Sportback, by 30%.

“The AUDI E5 Sportback is our first model based on the Advanced Digitized Platform, and it delivers on our brand promise: the best of both worlds. Audi’s DNA and engineering excellence is blended with China’s digital ecosystem and innovations, specifically tailored for our tech-savvy customers,” said Fermín Soneira, CEO of the Audi and SAIC Cooperation Project.

Audi design, Chinese preferences
The 4-door fastback is 4881 mm long and 1959 mm wide, which makes it a bit larger than the current Audi A5 Sportback sold in Malaysia. The E5 Sportback offers a fresh interpretation of the Audi design language, reimagining iconic elements of the brand’s heritage with fluid elegance and references to Chinese preferences. They include circular wheel arches over traditional quattro fenders and the reinterpretation of the familiar Singleframe with the new AUDI Light Frame.

The front and rear design is radically new: minimalist in form, and maximalist in function. With a fully electric powertrain, the traditional grille to allow air to enter the engine bay for cooling is unnecessary. Instead, there is a flat and bold bumper with a digital surface loop complemented by illuminated logos at the front and rear.

Like all other Audi models, aerodynamics have also influenced the shape of the E5 Sportback’s exterior. Elements like the floating front spoiler, a rear wing, and air curtains are elegantly integrated, optimizing efficiency without compromising aesthetics.

Emphasizing the car’s minimalist ethos, the slim headlights and functional modules are invisibly integrated in the sleek black loop. The position lights remain hidden when inactive, only providing a glow. When activated, more than 1,000 individual light units integrate triangular light sources to form the distinctive AUDI Light Frame – a signature element that blends warmth with engineering precision.

In addition to its distinctive lighting design, the EV features Audi’s signature Matrix LED headlight technology. With precise beam control and intelligent zonal illumination, it enhances nighttime driving safety and comfort – maximizing vision while preventing glare for other drivers. Drivers can choose from a range of welcome animations, each crafted to suit different tastes. Their sequences pay homage to Audi’s heritage while taking inspiration from Shanghai’s dynamic skyline.

Luxury and comfort
Moving inside, the cabin integrates luxurious materials with subtle comfort features. Immersive speakers, ambient natural lighting, and hidden intelligent air vents are complemented by a fragrance diffuser with 3 signature scents.

Designed in clear horizontal layers, the cabin ambience blends luxury with cutting-edge technology, offering intuitive touchpoints for effortless connectivity and thoughtful functionality. The curved AUDI panoramic display shared by driver and passenger is seamlessly integrated with the digital exterior mirrors, while the centre console offers open storage for 2 phones and 50W wireless charging with active cooling. Matching trends in Chinese EVs, there are speakers integrated in the front headrests.

Carefully selected materials include natural elements to uplift the cabin. The doors feature pioneering 3-dimensional lamella-shaped wood inlays with indirect light, inspired by contemporary architecture. Indirect natural light accentuates tactile surfaces, balancing organic warmth with advanced technology. Above, the panoramic glass roof features automatic dimming.

AUDI OS
The E5 Sportback is said to redefine in-car technology with AUDI OS, an intuitive, lightning-fast operating system that adapts seamlessly to each driver’s needs. Powered by the QUALCOMM Snapdragon 8295 automotive chipset with 5-nanometer precision, it can perform 30 billion operations per second for quick processing and responses to commands.

For an immersive experience, the 4K display spans 27 inches (686 mm) from A-pillar to A-pillar. The flow of information is presented with customizable screen layouts to suit the driver’s preferences for viewing. However, important information is always prioritized in the top-level menu, facilitating swift navigation via touch gestures.

AUDI OS interfaces with a rich ecosystem of entertainment and apps, easily accessed via a facial-recognition-enabled in-app store that is fully integrated into the digital world of China. Smartphone connectivity is seamless with effortless synchronization.

The AUDI Assistant is an AI-powered touch and voice-enabled avatar that aims to humanize digital interaction. More than just a functional interface, the digital companion embodies the new brand’s spirit. In-car interaction is reimagined as a fluid, human-centered dialogue between driver and car. Dynamic computing power enables natural language processing, personal memory, behaviour select, haptic feedback, and more.

Advanced Digitized Platform
Built on the new jointly developed Advanced Digitized Platform (ADP), the E5’s zonal electronic architecture enables next-generation connected vehicle functionality and over-the-air updates for all vehicle systems. The new platform rapidly integrates China’s leading new energy vehicle (NEV) supply chain and will form the basis for a new generation of state-of-the-art China-only connected vehicles with electric drive systems in the mid-size and full-size segments.

There will be 4 fully electric variants with either rear-wheel or quattro all-wheel drive. Power outputs will be 220, 300, 425, or 579 kW with single or dual motors. Tuned by Audi’s R&D Centre in Germany, the E5 Sportback can accelerate from  0 to 100 km/h within a claimed 3.4 seconds.,

The battery capacity will be up to 100 kWh and a maximum driving range of 770 kms is claimed. With 800V architecture, recharging with a high-powered DC supply is said to add 370 kms of range within 10 minutes.

Programmed for Chinese traffic scenarios
The LiDAR-based AUDI 360 Assisted Driving system is equipped with 29 perception hardware units, including a 100-line LiDAR with long-range detection capability, 3 long-range millimetre-wave radars, 12 ultrasonic sensors, 11 cameras, and several multi-modal sensing units. This comprehensive sensor suite – combining perception and visual technologies – enables enhanced driver assistance and improved safety.

Engineered for complex urban driving conditions, the sensors are specially programmed to recognise tricycles and delivery riders – and predict their movements – reflecting enhanced customisation for traffic scenarios in China.

Following the E5 Sportback, two more fully electric AUDI models will be launched in 2026 and 2027, as a continuation of Audi’s largest ever product initiative.

New brand called AUDI launched in China