2027 Audi A5 unplugs ICE variants as PHEV demand surges

Audi Australia has streamlined the A5 Sedan and Avant range, removing non-PHEV (plug-in hybrid) versions or relegating them to "customer order only".

The 2027 Audi A5 and S5 lineup is now available to order, with the previous TFSI 150kW and TFSI 200kW quattro models now conspicuously absent from the updated spec guide.

Speaking with CarExpert at the recent launch of the flagship Audi RS5, product planning manager for the Ingolstadt marque in Australia, Esther Choi, said the majority of A5 customers had been opting for the plug-in 'e-hybrid' versions anyway.

"A5 plug-in hybrid [were doing] most of the heavy lifting. So I guess our strategy in terms of positioning and [focusing on] value for the customer worked," Ms Choi said.

"The 200kW quattro is now customer order only for now. Obviously, when we launched it, we were saying the [A4] 45 TFSI was quite a significant part of our volume – it was more than 50 per cent – so plug-in was an unknown territory.

"We positioned it [alongside the 200kW quattro], providing more value for the customer and trying to convert those customers into a plug-in hybrid, and that has shown in our sales numbers... and we've been getting very high interest in plug-in hybrid within the A5 range."

Further to Ms Choi's comments, head of product for Audi Australia, Matthew Dale, said that the strategy with A5 repeats the success the brand has seen with previous PHEV launches locally.

"It was very much a strategy we came up with for the [Australian] market is to focus on performance and hybridisation, and it was a clear intentional strategy that Audi had in Australia and still has today," Mr Dale said.

"That was to cement our footprint in the market, but not alienate our traditionalists. The A4 45 TFSI quattro was over 50 per cent of our mix, and what we're seeing in the PHEV is it's now taken over that exact position.

"So the strategy [with PHEVs] has come out quite positively for us, and as per plan, and as mentioned the A5 TFSI 200kW quattro – the direct successor to the 45 TFSI quattro – remains a customer order only, so if there is a traditionalist that does want that car, we can still offer that vehicle.

"What dealers are telling us at the moment is that just with the buzz of electrification in the market is that the PHEVs, given that they're 270kW, offer almost S5 levels of performance and you've got the benefits of being pure EV around town and using it as a hybrid on longer trips.

"We're always adjusting the range to suit the market, and the market is moving, as you know, very rapidly. We're just lucky we can benefit from making these decisions internally and pivot quite quickly," Mr Dale added.

The Audi A5 e-hybrid quattro 270kW starts from $89,900 plus on-road costs for the Sedan, and $92,900 for the Avant. With the removal of the base TFSI 150kW from the revised range, the price of entry has jumped by $10,000.

Pricing for the V6-powered S5 Sedan and Avant has risen to $116,827 and $119,827 respectively on official database listings, representing price rises of ~$2000 compared to earlier in the year.

Beyond the range rationalisation, another key change for the 2027 Audi A5 and S5 range is the addition of semi-autonomous adaptive cruise assist with lane-centring functionality, as well as physical scroll wheel controls on the multifunction steering wheel in place of capacitive touch units.

It's unclear whether Audi will introduce the detuned A5 e-hybrid 220kW available in overseas markets like Europe in an effort to drop the entry price. In Germany, there's an €8400 ($A13,600) gap between the two powertrain variants, with the 220kW model 0.8s slower to 100km/h while offering slightly more EV driving range (121km vs 118km).

MORE: 2026 Audi A5 e-hybrid review
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