Overview
- CEO Gernot Döllner told Drive the naming change was a mistake and said bringing back the A4 name is conceivable.
- The A4 successor was launched in 2024 as the A5 under the short‑lived scheme, with S5 Avant on sale and an RS 5 planned for 2026, according to reports.
- Audi is reverting to its classic naming logic, and the timing for renaming today’s A5 remains undecided, with some reporting pointing to a facelift window no earlier than 2027.
- The rollback does not alter EV plans, as an A4 e-tron remains in development for later this decade, possibly around 2028, per Motor1.
- In China, a SAIC partnership is launching the separate all-electric AUDI brand starting with the AUDI E5 Sportback, while globally Audi plans the next Q7 in 2026, a larger Q9, a potential entry EV, and the phase-out of the A1 and Q2.