In March, Audi CEO Markus Duesmann told Auto Bild the next-generation A4 will go by the “A5” moniker as part of a revamped naming strategy to have odd numbers for ICE cars and even numbers for EVs. The A4 will return one day as a purely electric sedan to rival the Mercedes EQC and BMW i3 saloons, though their names haven’t been confirmed.
There will be one last dance for performance-oriented ICEs as Audi Sport is working on a final generation of exciting sedans and wagons. According to Evo Magazine, the S5 and S5 Avant won’t get bitten by the downsizing bug and are reportedly going to retain V6 power. While the outgoing S4 and S5 models use a diesel engine in Europe, the report claims the TDI could be dropped in favor of a twin-turbo 2.9-liter V6 sourced from the current RS4 Avant.
As for the new RS4 Avant RS5 Avant, Audi has already ruled out doing four-cylinder RS cars, so the V6 is safe. However, it won’t be all alone as Audi Sport managing director Oliver Hoffmann told Autocar in 2019 the replacement will be a plug-in hybrid. By adding an electric motor, it almost certainly means the next-generation car will have more power than the 450 horses you get from Ingolstadt nowadays.
It’s worth pointing out there hasn’t been a single photo of the sedan prototype, leading some people to believe the once-traditional body style will be dropped for the next generation. With the A4 lineup indeed transitioning to the A5 name, it could mean the Four Rings will position the A5 Sportback as a replacement for the A4 Sedan rather than as a supplementary model. Given how crossovers and SUVs continue to be all the rage, the sedan’s demise wouldn’t surprise us. That said, it seems a bit strange for Audi to not have a direct rival for the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes C-Class.
Expect the German luxury brand to unveil the regular A5 models later this year, with the S5 to follow in 2024 and the RS5 in 2025. Time will tell whether Audi will follow up on these models with coupe and convertible derivatives.
