New Audi A5 e-hybrid quattro review: is the plug-in hybrid coming of age?
Audi’s e-hybrid plug-in hybrid powertrain fills a crucial gap in the A5 range, offering fuel and tax efficiency that will appeal to many.
Verdict
You need a car with a plug if you want to control your company car tax bill these days, and the e-hybrid models fill that role in the Audi A5 range. Audi’s new-generation plug-in hybrid technology combines its petrol and electric power sources well and slots into the A5 to create a high-quality, comfortable and relaxing compact executive car. It matches rivals for efficiency but isn’t the most rewarding car to drive in the class.
Plug-in hybrid cars; depending on who you believe, they’re either a wasteful technological dead-end or a sensible compromise and valuable stepping stone to pure-electric vehicles. The truth, as ever, is more nuanced but the Audi A5 e-hybrid could actually be arriving at an opportune moment with the future of PHEVs (plug-in hybrid electric vehicles) looking clearer, and brighter.
Hybrid cars now look like they’ll remain in showrooms beyond the UK’s 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars, while the efficiency of PHEV technology is on the up – pushing the associated costs down. It’s good news for Audi, provided its plug-in compact executive saloon and estate can elevate itself above rivals such as the BMW 330e and Mercedes C 300 e.
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The e-hybrid versions of the Audi A5 sit at the top of the mainstream A5 range, below the performance-focused S5 variants. The standard A5 2.0-litre petrol and diesel models are nothing special in terms of efficiency, but for around £3,000 more than the equivalent 52mpg mild-hybrid diesel you can have a 140mpg plug-in e-hybrid with an official all-electric range of well over 60 miles. Audi reckons that proposition will net the e-hybrid models around 25% of total A5 sales in the UK.
As always with PHEVs, the caveat that you have to charge regularly to access the best efficiency applies. The official tests do, however, suggest the A5 will return 43.5mpg on an empty battery. That’s a solid showing which addresses a key issue with some older plug-in cars: they become horribly inefficient when the battery is flat. It’s also better than the equivalent 40mpg figure of the BMW 330e.
The compact-executive car sector has always been a big favourite with company car users, and even with the growing lure of SUVs, Audi will need the A5 e-hybrid to do big business with fleets, salary sacrifice business users and the like. The official WLTP electric range of 67 miles puts the car in the nine per cent band for company car tax payers in 2025/26. The 71-mile Mercedes C 300 e squeaks into the six per cent bracket but pure EVs are taxed at three per cent and so have a powerful pull.
Under the skin of the A5 e-hybrid is Audi’s latest PHEV powertrain. That means a battery with a 20.7kWh usable capacity, an electric motor integrated into the seven-speed S-tronic gearbox and a 2.0-litre TFSI petrol engine. Together they deliver 295bhp and 450Nm of torque to all four wheels, qualifying all versions of the car for Audi’s famous ‘quattro’ branding.
There’s no DC rapid charging, unlike in the Mercedes C 300 e, but the e-hybrid can charge from a 7.4 or 11kW AC supply. The latter is rare in the UK but allows a full charge in 2.5 hours, and even 7.4kW should be more than fast enough for easy top-ups while at home or at work.
When you get it out on the road, performance is strong and smooth but not as punchy as the power output and the 5.9s 0-62mph time might have you expecting. The electronics cleverly juggle the two power sources so that the transitions between petrol and EV power feel all but seamless.
There’s very little noise from the powertrain at low speeds, but you can always tell what’s going on when bigger throttle inputs are answered either by the whine of the electric motor or the distant snarl of the turbo petrol. That petrol engine revs freely and actually sounds quite sporty, but revving it up over 6,000rpm isn’t really what the A5 e-hybrid is all about.
Indeed, the neatest part of the A5’s PHEV set-up is the efficiency-boosting intelligent hybrid system. In Hybrid mode, the car assesses driving conditions and the navigation route data to optimise the mix of petrol and electric power, and the brake energy recuperation system for the best possible fuel economy. You can also set the amount of battery charge you’d like to keep in reserve and the system will avoid dipping into that so you can have some EV-only miles left when you reach your destination.
In EV mode, the A5 e-hybrid will do its best to use only electric power, although a sharp stomp on the accelerator will still bring the petrol motor into play. In this electric only setting, the steering wheel paddles no longer control the gears as the do in Hybrid mode. Instead, they govern the strength of the brake energy regeneration system, like on a pure EV. Even the maximum strength re-gen braking doesn’t slow the car very sharply, however.
This Audi A5 effectively replaced the old Audi A4, with the previous generation A5 coupé and convertible models disappearing from sale as part of that reshuffle. The so-called ‘saloon’ version isn’t actually a four-door car, with Audi sensibly opting for a more practical five-door hatchback shape that’s also larger in all the key dimensions. It’s all as clear as mud, but there’s still an Avant estate option.
What you get from this A5 is a roomier car than we’re used to in the compact executive class. Rear legroom is very good, although headroom might be an issue for taller passengers. In the front, the car feels even more spacious, adding to its pedigree as a long-distance mile muncher.
It’s all very classy in terms of the quality of the design and materials used with two large display screens curved round in an arc ahead of the driver. The graphics on the displays are clear and crisp but, as is so often the case, the menus do take a bit of familiarisation. At least there’s a physical volume control knob and plenty of steering wheel buttons. You get a much nicer steering wheel with the S line cars and above that has a flat top and bottom. It far better to hold than the over-large standard one. In both cases, however, it’s too easy to accidentally press buttons while turning the wheel. I did it several times on my test drives in the various versions.
Boot space under the hatchback rear isn’t particularly impressive at 417 litres. It’s the same as in the diesel A5, which also has quattro all-wheel drive, but is down on the front-wheel drive petrol car’s 445 litres as well as on the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes C-Class.
The Avant estate offers 448 litres in e-hybrid quattro form or 476 litres in the non-quattro petrol models. It means you aren’t really gaining much in terms of practicality by choosing that body style - especially now the ‘Saloon’ is a hatchback. I personally love the look of an estate, though.
Priced from under £49,000, the A5 e-hybrid models are offered in Technik, Sport, S Line and Edition 1 trims. The Avant estate is £1,900 more than the five-door ‘Saloon’ across the range. That positions the e-Hybrid within about £2.000 of both the Mercedes C 300 e and BMW 330e.
| Model: | Audi A5 Saloon e-hybrid quattro S-Line |
| Price: | £53,600 |
| Powertrain: | 2.0-litre 4-cyl TFSI turbo petrol / e motor |
| Power/torque: | 295bhp/450Nm |
| Transmission: | Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, all-wheel drive |
| 0-62mph: | 5.9 seconds |
| Top speed: | 155mph |
| Economy/EV range: | 141mpg/ 67 miles |
| Size (L/W/H): | 4,835/1,860/1,461mm |
| On sale: | Now |
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