Incoming Audi A5 PHEV to be competitively priced

AUDI Australia has launched its A5 entry grade and S5 flagship fashions this month forward of an increasing vary it says will embrace identically priced petrol- and plug-in hybrid electrical variants from later this 12 months.

Providing clients value parity on ICE and PHEV powered fashions with comparable tools ranges is a strategic transfer Audi says will take away the barrier typically offered when purchasing new power car know-how.

Talking with GoAuto on the Australian launch of the A5 and S5 in Trentham, Victoria, Audi Australia head of product Matthew Dale mentioned he expects the mid-tier TFSI quattro 200kW (petrol) and e-hybrid quattro 270kW (PHEV) to beat the lion’s share of A5 gross sales, suggesting the plug-in hybrid variant’s worth benefit might win it a majority vote.

“What we’ll see, as soon as the rest of the vary arrives, is that almost all of patrons will go for fashions within the mid-tier, being the 200kW possibility and the PHEV,” he famous.

“The larger query for us, is round that 200kW and the PHEV (given the similarities in value). As a result of we haven’t had a PHEV in that area earlier than, it’s been the 200kW automobile, at round 50 per cent, that has been fairly robust for us.

“The brand new A5 PHEV has a really robust set place – there’s a number of buyer worth in that automobile. We expect it is going to kind a wholesome a part of the mannequin combine shifting ahead.”

Mr Dale mentioned Audi Australia had purposefully positioned the mid-tier A5 duo to tempt conventional section patrons towards a car they might not have beforehand thought-about, and that the removing of the worth impost will draw patrons chasing not solely a greener different – however one which very almost competes with the sportier S5 when it comes to efficiency.

“Our clients will inform us what they want to buy, however we’ve positioned each autos accordingly in that mid-tier to actually converse to these extra conventional clients preferring a 200kW quattro or a barely extra the-focused PHEV,” he added.

“It (the PHEV) has extraordinarily nice buyer worth, and to get it to that value has taken fairly a big technique transfer on our behalf. However the primary profit after all is that clients are benefitting from S mannequin ranges of efficiency with PHEV ranges of effectivity.”

Whereas section gross sales numbers may point out the A5 vary will face important headwinds, given Australian preferences for SUVs, Mr Dale insists the premium share of the market is extra steady than its mainstream counterparts.

“The premium market has been fairly steady for plenty of years. It’s not as risky (because the mainstream passenger automobile market), which supplies us confidence in providing one of many broadest mannequin portfolios that we’ve had within the section,” he advised GoAuto.

“That broad vary means we are able to usher in not solely the powertrain variants our patrons need, it offers us the boldness to supply physique types that Australian shoppers need. We’ll supply the vast majority of them (accessible variants and physique types), and we’ll place these vehicles extraordinarily effectively.”

For now, the A4 changing native A5 vary will embrace the two.0 TFSI front-wheel drive Sedan (from $79,900) with turbocharged four-cylinder petrol energy delivering 150kW/340Nm, and the S5 flagship in each Sedan (from $99,900) and Avant (from $102,900) physique types combining 48-volt electrical help with a 3.0-litre V6 turbo-petrol engine creating 270kW/550Nm.

The A5 TFSI 150kW, S5 version one, and S5 will probably be joined towards the tip of the 12 months by extra mannequin variants Mr Dale talked about, together with the A5 TFSI quattro 200kW and A5 e-hybrid quattro 270kW – each accessible from an equivalent $89,900 as a Sedan or from $92,900 as an Avant.

The pricing construction offers Audi a aggressive benefit over conventional rivals together with the BMW 3 Collection (from $92,900 + ORC), Jaguar XE (from $80,450 + ORC), and Mercedes-Benz C-Class (from $89,990 + ORC), whereas leaving adequate wriggle room for opponents just like the Alfa Romeo Giulia (from $69,950 + ORC), Genesis G70 (from $80,265 + ORC), Lexus ES (from $62,140 + ORC), and Volvo S60 (from $69,990 + ORC) to make their mark.

Go to GoAuto once more quickly for our native launch overview of the 2025 Audi A5 and S5 vary.

2025 Audi A5 and S5 pricing*:

*Pricing excludes on-road prices.