AUDI, the premium automotive brand of Volkswagen, and Chinese automaker SAIC have launched pre-sales of their first jointly developed electric vehicle, the E5 Sportback, in China. The model follows the introduction of the AUDI brand in November 2024, with official launch planned for September 2025.
The E5 Sportback is a midsize sedan built on the Advanced Digitized Platform EV architecture co-developed by Audi and SAIC. It measures 4,881 mm in length, 1,960 mm in width, and 1,479 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2,950 mm, comparable to Nio’s ET5 Touring.
The vehicle is offered in single-motor and dual-motor configurations, with dual-motor variants producing up to 579 kW (788 horsepower) and achieving 0-100 km/h acceleration in 3.4 to 3.9 seconds.
Battery options include 76.2 kWh, 83.3 kWh, and 100 kWh packs, delivering China Light-Duty Vehicle Test Cycle (CLTC) ranges of 618 km to 770 km. The model supports fast charging, adding 370 km of range in approximately 10 minutes. Pre-sales pricing starts at RMB 235,900 ($32,850) for rear-wheel-drive versions and reaches RMB 319,900 for top all-wheel-drive variants, undercutting the Nio ET5 Touring, which starts at RMB 298,000.
The E5 Sportback integrates advanced technology, including a roof-mounted LiDAR sensor and the End-to-End Big Model (EBM) assisted driving system developed by Chinese startup Momenta, a company in which SAIC is a major shareholder. The system includes a city NOA (Navigate on Autopilot) feature that does not require high-definition maps.
The pre-sales launch comes amid growing activity in China’s electric station wagon market. Other new entrants include the Stelato S9T, launched today by Huawei and Beijing Automotive Group (BAIC) under their joint brand.