Made in China, this 787-horsepower Audi costs less than €40,000
This page is translated from the original post "Made in China, cette Audi de 787 chevaux coûte moins de 40 000 €" in French.
- 19/08/2025 11:45
Audi opens orders for its new E5 Sportback, a large electric sedan with an incredible price of €28,000 for a range of 500 km.
There is a “but” to this information: the purchase is currently reserved for the Chinese market only. Yes, Audi is back on the attack in China, where the German manufacturer signed a new joint venture with SAIC in 2024 (owner of MG among others), already a partner of other brands in the Volkswagen group as well as Cadillac, Chevrolet, and Buick.
Audi relies on the expertise of SAIC to quickly develop and industrialize new electric platforms at a lower cost. This is a necessity as this sector evolves at lightning speed, making it very difficult to stand out. Moreover, finding a return on investment is challenging with constantly advancing technology. An electric car can become outdated within a maximum of 24 months nowadays.
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The Audi E5 Sportback, a product banned in Europe
The first creation of this deal is the strange E5 Sportback. Strange because its proportions are unknown in Europe, but very popular in China. It is neither a sedan, nor a station wagon, nor an SUV. It is a new concept that ultimately is quite charming. Especially in pastel shades (which you can quickly tire of), but which beautifully highlight the volumes and the contrast of design elements. This architecture allows for a combination of desires and energy efficiency, with better aerodynamic performance.
Up to 787 hp of electric power!
The electric platform of this Audi E5 Sportback is modular. This allows for varying power levels and battery sizes to best meet customer needs.
At the entry-level, priced at 235,900 yuan (€28,100), is the Pioneer trim equipped with rear-wheel drive, a 220 kW (300 hp) motor, and a 76 kWh battery. The range in mixed CLTC cycle is 618 km, or a little over 500 km in Europe using the WLTC cycle.
Next is the Pioneer Plus trim with a 100 kWh battery and a power of 300 kW (408 hp), offering a range of 773 km. Following that are the all-wheel drive versions: Pioneer Quattro and Flagship Quattro.
The first has an 83 kWh battery, 386 kW (525 hp), and a range of 623 km. Finally, the latter boasts 100 kWh and 579 kW (787 hp) for a range of 647 km and a 0 to 100 km/h time of 3.4 seconds. In this ultimate configuration, the Audi E5 Sportback costs “only” 319,900 yuan, or €38,150.
A Audi with 787 horsepower for the price of an Audi A3 3-cylinder with 116 horsepower in France, who would have thought? Welcome to China!
An extraordinary interior
On board, there is a 59-inch LED screen that fills the entire dashboard. All modern driving aids are present, starting with a LiDAR on the roof for autonomous driving.
The Audi E5 Sportback is expected to remain an exclusively Chinese production, and also for the Chinese market. No internationalization plans are currently in place. It is impossible to predict the future, but it is unlikely that it will ever travel. Perhaps other generations, depending on the industrial success of this partnership with SAIC.
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