Audi's 'In China, For China' EV Is Already A Big Hit

The all-caps AUDI brand received more than 10,000 orders for the E5 Sportback in half an hour. Can it turn things around for Audi in China?

2025 AUDI E5 Sportback

Photo by: Audi

By: Roland Hildebrandt

Translated by: Patrick George

Published by: Patrick George

Sep 19, 2025 at 10:40am ET

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Audi's in bad need of a win in China. Sales in its most important global market have been tanking in recent years as customers turn to more advanced options from local newcomers. So in order to turn things around, Audi's calling on a Chinese automaker to help make something suited to that country—and it seems to be working.

Audi’s namesake all-caps brand for China is actually off to a strong start. It took just half an hour for the newly founded AUDI to rack up more than 10,000 orders for its debut model. The E5 Sportback, which does without the iconic Four Rings, is the product of a local partnership with SAIC. Built at an existing SAIC-Volkswagen plant in Anting, Shanghai, the car is exclusive to the world’s largest market.

Ralf Brandstätter, VW board member for China, took to LinkedIn to describe the response to the E5 Sportback as “overwhelming” after AUDI opened the order books. According to a separate post on Weibo, exactly 10,153 orders were placed within 30 minutes. The newest player in China’s hyper-competitive market will sell only EVs, with two additional models due in the next couple of years. Leading the way is a large wagon that slots between the A5 Avant and A6 Avant in length.

Gallery: Audi E5 Sportback

Audi E5 Sportback

Source: Patrick George

For those of us outside China, the E5 Sportback looks remarkably affordable. The base version costs the equivalent of $33,000 and pairs a single rear-mounted motor with a 76-kWh battery. Output is rated at 295 horsepower, with a range of 384 miles (618 kilometers) on the lenient CLTC cycle.

Even the flagship model delivers strong value. The dual-motor Quattro variant produces 776 hp and uses a larger 100-kWh battery, yet costs only $45,000. In this top trim, the first China-only AUDI manages 402 miles (647 kilometers) on a charge and sprints to 62 mph (100 km/h) in just 3.4 seconds.

Photo by: Audi

Despite its low price, AUDI hasn’t cut corners on features. The E5 Sportback offers rear-wheel steering, adaptive air suspension, 800-volt charging, and even a LiDAR setup. True to local tastes, the cabin is dominated by a pillar-to-pillar 27-inch 4K display, flanked by a pair of side-camera screens. Of course, such a car would cost far more in the United States or Europe thanks to tariffs, not that it’s leaving China anyway.

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Beyond specs and pricing, the minimalist design and screen-heavy interior help distinguish it from global Audi models. Without the oversized capital letters, we honestly wouldn’t have recognized the E5 Sportback as an AUDI, or an Audi. It probably won't win any beauty pageants, but hey, at least it's not another SUV.

Launching a separate brand from Audi is a bold move for the Volkswagen Group. Who’s it for? According to Brandstätter, the AUDI brand aims to reach “other new customer groups in China that we have not previously covered with the Four Rings.” The launch response has been strong, but in China’s brutal EV market, only time will tell whether AUDI can carve out a lasting niche.

2025 AUDI E5 Sportback

Source: Audi

Source: Ralf Brandstätter / LinkedIn

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