Audi has expanded its A5 saloon and ‘Avant’ estate range with the addition of a new plug-in hybrid engine option which will become available to order in the UK in May.
Positioned between the pure petrol and diesel range and sportier S5 line-up, the A5 e-hybrid is powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine paired with an 142hp electric motor and a 21kWh battery. The plug-in hybrid, which has a total power output of 299hp, can reportedly complete a 0-62mph sprint in 5.9 seconds.
Only available with ‘quattro’ all-wheel drive, the e-Hybrid saloon and estate can muster up to 67 miles on electric power alone – a feat that Audi says it has achieved thanks to improved battery tech that boosts capacity by around 45% and increased regenerative braking performance. By comparison, BMW says its plug-in hybrid 3 Series rival can provide up to 63 miles in electric-only mode.
The car is compatible with AC charging speeds of up to 11kW, and at that rate, the battery reportedly takes two and a half hours to fully charge from empty.
The trim choices and equipment lists are nearly identical to the ICE-powered A5 range – the only notable difference is that this plug-in hybrid comes with an extra paddle mounted on the steering wheel column to adjust the regenerative braking strength.
Joining the A5 range officially next month, UK pricing for the A5 e-Hybrid will start at just under £49k for the lead-in ‘Technik’ trim, rising to around £59k for the top-spec ‘Edition 1’ model.
