The Shanghai auto show is in full swing this week, and Audi has revealed five new models there. It is also showcasing its new China-only brand, which, confusingly, is also named AUDI.
What's new from Audi at the Shanghai auto show?
There are five new models making their debut at the 2025 Shanghai auto show, starting with the A5L. This is the latest generation of the brand's best-selling model that is produced and distributed by its partner, FAW Audi. In comparison to the Audi A5 that we get here in Ireland, the A5L has a wheelbase that is 77 millimetres longer, providing additional interior space for those seated in the rear. The design change is subtle, and you'd only really spot it if the two cars were parked side by side.
Alongside the Audi A5L is the A5L Sportback, which is built and distributed by the brand's other joint-venture partner in China, SAIC. This model follows the same line as the A5L, with a longer wheelbase while retaining its sleeker roofline. It's built on the same Premium Platform Combustion (PPC) platform as European models but gets a China-specific digital ecosystem inside with a localised infotainment system.
Are there any SUVs from Audi?
Yes, despite China loving saloon cars, Audi also rolled out its latest Q5L SUV. The Q5 is one of Audi's biggest sellers globally, and in China, the Q5L gets a few changes, namely a 125-millimetre increase in wheelbase to make it even roomier for those in the back seats. Sitting on the PPC platform architecture, the powertrain gets a 48-volt mild-hybrid assistance to improve performance and efficiency.
What electric cars does Auto have in China?
One of the latest electric models from Audi to launch in China is the A6L e-tron. This is the third fully electric model to go on sale there that's built on the Premium Platform Electric (PPE) architecture, following the Audi Q6L e-tron and Q6L e-tron Sportback SUVs. What's different between this and the global model is a 132-millimetre increase in wheelbase that not only adds more passenger space but allows for a larger 107kWh battery to be fitted. That battery enables a driving range of up to 770 kilometres.
What's with the L names in these Audi models?
In case you didn't know, buyers in China love to have some rear legroom, and so brands offer what are essentially slightly longer wheelbase versions of its European models there, using the letter L to signify its extended length.
What's the AUDI E5 Sportback?
The AUDI E5 Sportback (note the capitalised name) is the first model from the company's new brand in China. This mid-size Sportback is fully electric, producing up to 787hp in its most powerful form. Available with rear and all-wheel drive transmissions, the E5 Sportback has a driving range of up to 770 kilometres.
It features a different exterior design language that is a combination of estate and sportback body styles, and has some of the most advanced driver assistance systems, including a roof-mounted Lidar scanner and cameras located on the front wings and around the rest of the car. AUDI also equips it with its camera-based mirror system instead of traditional mirrors. The interior is also a design departure from the current crop of Audi models, with softer materials, an almost entirely button-free layout and a dual-screen dashboard.
What does the new AUDI brand in China mean?
We all know the Audi brand and its instantly recognisable four rings logo, but in China, the company is rolling out a new brand specifically for that market. Instead of the four rings, the cars — starting with the E5 Sportback — will carry the AUDI wordmark on its nose. The 'new' brand, if you can call it that, is the result of a partnership between Audi AG (the brand we know here in Europe) and SAIC, which is a joint-venture partner of the company in China.
Adding to the confusion, all of the other new Audi models revealed at the Shanghai auto show continue to use the four-ringed logo and are known as Audi (with only a capitalised A). Audi hopes that its rebrand to AUDI will entice younger buyers as the company struggles to compete with the growing popularity of native brands. Audi is no stranger to courting confusion from its naming decisions, and it recently walked back plans to move electric models to even numbers and combustion models to odd numbers here in Europe.
Speaking at the show, Audi CEO Gernot Döllner said: “2025 marks the start of a new era for Audi in China. At Auto Shanghai we are kicking off our strongest ever model initiative. Together with our two local partners FAW and SAIC, we are launching next-generation China-dedicated models. And with our new China-only brand AUDI we are reaching additional customer segments. Thanks to our all-new battery-electric and combustion-engine vehicles, we will actively shape the growing premium e-mobility market in China as well as the market for conventionally powered cars.”