2025 Audi A5 (A4 Replacement)

The new plug-in hybrid Audi A5 allows for up to 67 miles of pure electric driving

The PHEV A5 comes in both saloon and estate form, and will start at just under £49,000

We knew it was coming, and now it’s here. Audi has expanded its A5 saloon and Avant lineup to include a plug-in hybrid option, which slots neatly between the entry-level petrol and diesel options, and the hotter S5. And yes, the successor to the A4 will still be known as the A5, even though Audi has since dropped its previous plan to name combustion cars using odd numbers and EVs using even numbers.

Packed with Audi’s newly named ‘e-hybrid’ system, the PHEV gets a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-pot petrol engine connected to an electric motor and a fairly hefty 20.7kWh (usable) battery. In pure EV mode, that means zero emissions driving for up to 67 miles, beating the BMW 3 Series PHEV, which can only claim between 52 and 62 miles.

When the petrol engine and electric motor are working together in harmony, the A5 manages 295bhp and 332lb ft of torque. That's sent to all four wheels through a seven-speed S Tronic auto ‘box and 0-62mph apparently takes 5.9 seconds. A 0-100 per cent charge at a maximum of 11kW is expected to take 2.5 hours.

Most of the cabin comforts are carried across from the rest of the range, including the triple-screen panoramic display, built-in navigation and three-zone air-con. There’s a phone charging pad in there too, and ambient lighting that we very much liked during our first drive of the new gen A5. The only real difference from the pure combustion cars is a paddle on the steering wheel to adjust the regen braking - with up to three settings available.

 
ABT has given the Audi S5 Avant a nice little power bump and made it faster

Just don't ask us about the name of the thing

Venerable Audi tunificator ABT has given the new S5 Avant an upgrade package. We would say it's pushed it closer to a potential RS5 Avant, but since our heads are still spinning from Ingolstadt's naming convention changes, we have no idea what anything means anymore. So let's just call it 'quick'.

And 'powerful'. ABT has taken the 3.0-litre V6 and opened it up a bit, bumping the outputs from 362bhp/369lb ft to 434bhp/443lb ft. The 155mph top speed remains unchanged, but the extra 72bhp should help cut the original 4.5s 0-62mph sprint down a bit.

Visually, it looks like yer typical Black Edition-grade car. There’s 25mm lowering springs to drop it right down, and a full bodykit that includes a more aggressive front lip, inlet cover and rear wing.

Bigger 102mm stainless steel quad exhausts sit at the back, while 20in five-spoke ‘Prime’ alloys hide inside those arches. Why they’ve been named after KSI’s energy drink, we don’t know. Still, this thing looks good. Hot estates normally do.


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