New Models Audi's China Coup: 10,000 Pre-Orders in 30 Minutes

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Surprising Success for Audi in China: The new AUDI E5 Sportback appeals with competitive prices starting at €30,000 / $33,000 and high-tech features. The result: 10,000 pre-orders in half an hour.

Audi Celebrates a Surprising Success in China with a New Electric Car. The E5 Sportback model, developed by Audi in collaboration with its partner SAIC Motor, was introduced on September 16 in Guangzhou. Within 30 minutes, more than 10,000 pre-orders were received, as viewers of a live stream could observe. Audi subsequently confirmed the figure.

The E5 Sportback is the first vehicle in the new AUDI model series, developed specifically for the Chinese market.

Audi is Experiencing a Significant Decline in Sales

So far, German and other foreign manufacturers have struggled in the Chinese market for electric cars and hybrids, and Audi is no exception. Sales of all Audi brands in China fell by about ten percent in the first half of 2025 compared to the previous year, amounting to less than 290,000 units, according to the manufacturer. 2024 had already seen a similar decline compared to 2023.

The new E5 Sportback and further product initiatives are hoped to bring about the desired turnaround. The E5 Sportback measures nearly 4.9 meters in length, almost two meters in width, 1.48 meters in height, and has a wheelbase of nearly three meters. This makes it approximately the same size as a long version of the Audi A6 or BMW 5 Series.

New Pricing Strategy

The launch of this program, which one could call "We Are Catching Up in China!" has been successful so far. Chinese automotive experts are currently referring to it as a "lightning success" and a "record start in the premium electric segment." Buyers receive surprisingly good equipment for a competitive price, according to the initial reactions.

The mid-range electric vehicle, offered in four variants, is priced between 236,000 and 320,000 yuan (approximately €30,000 to €41,000; $33,000 to $45,000), positioning itself directly against Tesla's Model Y and the Nio ET5, according to the manufacturer's statements.

The pricing strategy deviates significantly from what German luxury manufacturers, including Audi, have attempted in China so far. Because they have also been looking at other global markets, they have never priced low enough to truly have a chance in this segment in China. With the E5 Sportback, they are now trying a different approach.

Four Drive Variants, Two Battery Types

The car, which belongs to the "B-Class Luxury Sedan" segment, is available with four different purely electric drive systems. The entry-level model "Pioneer" features a LFP battery (lithium iron phosphate) with a power output of 220 kW and a range of over 600 kilometers (~373 Miles). This is followed by progressively stronger versions with higher ranges. The most expensive variant, the "Flagship Quattro," features all-wheel drive, an NMC battery (nickel-manganese-cobalt) with 100 kWh, and delivers 579 kW.

Original Quattro Driving Feel

Despite its “competitive pricing,” the new electric vehicle comes with a range of technical extras, some of which are optional. All versions feature an ultra-wide, curved 59-inch display that stretches nearly across the entire width of the cockpit, along with digital side mirrors. Similar features often come at an additional cost from other manufacturers.

Audi strives to remain true to its image and portrays the E5 Sportback as a vehicle with sporty driving characteristics. Song Feiming, the development director in the Audi-SAIC joint venture, emphasized at the launch that they have tuned the electric all-wheel drive over several years to maintain the balanced driving feel of previous Quattro models.

Result of the Audi-SAIC Collaboration: “A Statement”

Audi has not skimped on the electrical engineering. All E5 models feature an 800-volt system with correspondingly short charging times for the battery. The top model, with its 100 kWh battery, is reported to have a range of up to 770 km/478 Miles (according to the Chinese CLTC standard). In just ten minutes of charging, it is claimed that a range of up to 380 km/236 Miles can be replenished.

“We have combined German engineering and quality with the innovation speed and software expertise of our Chinese partner,” quotes Audi CEO Gernot Döllner during the E5 presentation, as reported by the economic newspaper Jingji Ribao.

“We have not just delivered a new car here, but ‘a statement,’” said Song Feiming, CEO of the Audi-SAIC joint venture. “There is no reason to compromise between German engineering tradition and China’s digital innovation leadership.”

Audi: We Have Listened to Chinese Customers

Audi representatives continuously emphasized at the premiere that they listened to the Chinese consumer and tried to consider their new understanding of luxury. This approach resonates well in China and creates positive press. Audi and SAIC have succeeded with this model in building “a localized solution that more effectively addresses the expectations of Chinese consumers for the evolution of luxury brands,” comments the news portal Guanchazhe.

Much of the technology is up to date and comes from Chinese suppliers, such as an assistance system jointly developed with the Chinese start-up Momenta featuring “end-to-end” AI. It is included in the base price for all models and remains free for the vehicle's lifespan. This is not the case with all providers. The voice assistant utilizes the "Doubao" LLM from Volcano Engine. A Snapdragon 8295 chip from Qualcomm provides substantial computing power.

Audi Focuses on Luxury Where Customers Notice

What stands out especially is the attempt to not skimp on equipment in areas where customers truly take notice. Buyers receive various technological "goodies" that often come at an extra cost from competitors, such as digital HD side mirrors for exceptionally clear visibility, or the previously mentioned "lifetime free" ADAS usage.

This represents an innovative combination of "hardware plus benefits," which makes the E5 Sportback up to 20 percent cheaper compared to some competitors, according to a commentator on the auto portal Qiche Zhijia. The author even has a term for this new brand strategy from Audi: "luxury parity" has been achieved in a mid-range vehicle.

However, some luxury enhancements still need to be ordered and paid for separately. There is, for example, a "luxury cockpit upgrade package" with massage seats in the front and heated seats in the back (standard in the front), or a better audio system from Bose with 18 speakers.

Developed in 15 Months

The close collaboration between German and Chinese engineers and the resulting features are widely welcomed by experts as an attempt to deliver more of what interests Chinese customers. The Chinese team developed the drivetrain, software, and many functions of the new car, while the German side contributed to the design, a portion of the hardware, and its quality control.

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Overall, this time everything went much faster than is usual in Germany. From concept to series production, it took only 15 months for the AUDI E5 Sportback. "We successfully combined two worlds," said Gernot Döllner during the rollout, "Germany's engineering and quality" and the "speed of our Chinese partner in innovations and software."

Additional AUDI Models Announced
 

In the coming three years, several more models from this new series are expected to follow in China to expand Audi's offerings in the mid-range and luxury segments. The car is part of a long-term strategy, not just a one-time spectacle. This second Audi joint venture line with SAIC is said to "complement" the existing partnership with FAW in China, rather than replace it.

Despite the successful launch, it remains to be seen whether Audi can compete against the strong local competition with its new model series. Tesla recently comprehensively updated its Model 3, which the E5 also competes against, and is selling it very successfully in China. Last month, nearly 18,000 Model 3 vehicles were sold, according to recent market data. At the same time, Chinese manufacturers like Nio, Xpeng, BYD, Geely's electric brand Zeekr, and Li Auto are continually pushing new models into the market.

Only the coming months and years will show whether Audi and SAIC can keep up with this dynamic with their specially developed electric cars for China, such as the E5 Sportback.