China Recently Awarded This AUDI Its Top Honor | Carscoops

      The E5 Sportback has received prestigious recognition in China, merging Audi's design with local technology to thrive in a highly competitive EV market.

      7 hours ago

      by Brad Anderson

      The AUDI E5 has been awarded the title of China Car of the Year for its design and value.

      The Sportback is priced starting at $33,800 and offers four different configurations.

      Other notable winners include the Nio ET9, iCAR V23, and Ferrari 296.

      Introducing a brand-new EV in China under a new name without the Audi branding might have seemed like a risky choice initially. However, with the E5 Sportback now awarded China Car of the Year, Audi’s unconventional strategy is proving to be a wise one. This vehicle, developed in collaboration with SAIC, is the inaugural product of a standalone brand designed specifically for the Chinese market.

      Although the China Car of the Year awards may not hold the same global stature as the World Car Awards, they are still evaluated by a panel comprising automotive journalists and industry experts. Since their inception in 2014, Western brands have consistently performed well.

      Read: Naturally, The New AUDI E5 EV Is Incredibly Affordable In China

      Audi, or in this instance, AUDI, commenced production of the E5 Sportback in August of last year, with the first deliveries occurring a month later. It enters a competitive and rapidly evolving EV segment, where pricing battles and technological advancements happen at an astonishing pace. Similar to many of its competitors, the E5 Sportback provides excellent value, a key factor that has likely spurred its popularity.

      This EV, which combines German engineering and quality with Chinese technology, is offered in four different configurations. Pricing starts from 235,900 yuan (approximately $33,800) and goes up to 319,900 yuan (around $45,800) for the top-of-the-line Flagship Quattro model. The flagship variant features dual motors producing 776 hp, a 100 kWh battery, and an estimated range of 402 miles (647 km) on a single charge.

      Building on the success of this elegant vehicle, Audi unveiled its new E SUV Concept at the Guangzhou Auto Show in November. This model shares a similar design with the Sportback and is set to launch later this year as the E7X.

      Other Winners

      Of course, the E5 Sportback wasn't the only vehicle to gain accolades. Other winners included the Nio ET9, which was named Luxury Car of the Year, the iCAR V23 as Budget Car of the Year, the Ferrari 296 Speciale for Performance Car of the Year, and Audi’s own A5L, which claimed the title of Design Car of the Year.

      Last year, the overall title was awarded to the Aito M9, a leading electric SUV. Other recipients included the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, the Geely Galaxy E5, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, and Volkswagen’s ID.UNYX. In recent times, premium European manufacturers have consistently performed well. The Mercedes-Benz S-Class won in 2022, followed by the EQE in 2023, and the BMW i7 in 2024.