• The E5 Sportback is built on an 800-volt high-voltage architecture and can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in as little as 3.4 seconds.
• It offers a range of up to 770 kilometers and uses Momenta's driver assistance solution.

AUDI, a new brand jointly launched by Audi, the premium automotive brand of Volkswagen, and SAIC, has begun pre-sales of its first model, the E5 Sportback, in China today, following the brand's launch in November last year.

The E5 Sportback, a model similar to Nio Inc's (NYSE: NIO) ET5 Touring, has pre-sales prices ranging from RMB 235,900 ($32,850) to RMB 319,900, with official launch scheduled for September.

The midsize sedan is built on the Advanced Digitized Platform electric vehicle platform developed by Audi and SAIC, with dimensions of 4,881 mm in length, 1,960 mm in width, and 1,479 mm in height, and a wheelbase of 2,950 mm.

These dimensions are similar to those of the Nio ET5 Touring, which measures 4,790 mm in length, 1,960 mm in width, and 1,499 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2,888 mm.

The E5 Sportback is built on an 800-volt high-voltage architecture and offers single-motor and dual-motor options.

The dual-motor versions have a maximum power output of 579 kW (788 horsepower) and can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.4 or 3.9 seconds.

It is equipped with battery packs with capacities of 76.2 kWh, 83.3 kWh, or 100 kWh, offering CLTC ranges of 618 km to 770 km. It can add 370 km of range with just 10 minutes of charging.

Specifically, Audi is offering four variants of the E5 Sportback in its pre-sales, including two rear-wheel-drive versions and two all-wheel-drive versions, with starting prices of RMB 235,900, RMB 269,900, RMB 269,900, and RMB 319,900, respectively.

In comparison, the starting price for the Nio ET5 Touring is RMB 298,000.

The E5 Sportback is equipped with a roof-mounted LiDAR and uses the End-to-end Big Model (EBM) assisted driving solution from Chinese startup Momenta.

Momenta's major shareholder is SAIC and it has developed a city NOA (Navigate on Autopilot) feature that does not require high-definition maps for SAIC's EV unit IM Motors.

Audi and SAIC jointly launched the new AUDI brand in China and unveiled its first concept car, the E concept on November 8, 2024.

The E5 Sportback is based on the E concept and debuted at the 2025 Shanghai auto show at the end of April.

The model is the latest station wagon for the Chinese market. Earlier today, Huawei and Beijing Automotive Group (BAIC Group) launched pre-sales of the S9T under their new joint brand, Stelato.

($1 = RMB 7.1803)