New Audi A5 Now Available As 295bhp Quattro PHEV

The new Audi A5, which isn’t the new Audi A4 but basically is the new Audi A4, is a nice if confusingly-named car, but so far, you’ve been a little limited in powertrain choice.

There are the options of petrol or diesel four-pots or the warmed-over V6 S5, and if you wanted Audi’s signature Quattro all-wheel drive system, you were limited to either the S5 or the diesel.

That’s about to change, however, as Audi has announced a plug-in hybrid powertrain  for the car. Available on both the saloon and Avant, the new PHEV features a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine with 248bhp. It’s bolstered by an electric motor housed alongside the seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, which boosts peak output to 295bhp.

Over in Europe, there's an even more powerful PHEV available, a beefier electric motor taking power up to an S6-equalling 362bhp, but that's confined to LHD markets.

The PHEV gets standard Quattro all-wheel drive, and regardless of body style, hits 62mph in a quoted 5.9 seconds. Top speed for both is 155mph.

The electric motors are powered by a 25.9kWh battery, which Audi says is good for an electric-only range of up to 68 miles and a 0-100 per cent charge time of 2.5 hours. The regenerative braking capabilities have been cranked up compared to previous Audi PHEVs, too.

The A5 PHEV is the first of ten new plug-in hybrids Audi plans to introduce across its range throughout 2025 as it seeks to bridge the gap between combustion and full EVs in the face of a slower-than-expected transition to the latter.

UK pricing kicks off at £48,950 for the saloon in base Technik trim, and goes as high as £60,250 for a kitted-out Edition 1 Avant. UK sales kick off on 7 May, with the first deliveries set for June.

Oh, and just because Audi’s naming system hasn’t been inconsistent enough lately, these A5 PHEVs introduce a new designation for Audi plug-in hybrids – they’re now known as e-Hybrid, borrowing a designation from sibling company Porsche.