Until now, the A4 was a rather upright, solid, sensible sedan, while the A5 was its sleeker, sportier, sexier sibling. Going forward, Audi is signifying powertrains by model numbers. So, odd-numbered vehicles are powered by petroleum, while even-numbered models get their juice from electrons. So, the future A4 will be battery-powered. If you want a new petrol-powered A4, it’s now called the A5 and comes solely as a slick four-door hatchback, or Sportback in Audi marketing nomenclature.
That said, Audi is calling it a sedan. Notably, the fun A5s offered last year, namely the coupe and cabriolet, are dead.
A new, if familiar, wardrobe
The 2025 Audi A5 is the first to use Audi’s new Premium Platform Combustion architecture, one designed for internal-combustion models. As a result, the 2025 A5 is now 2.6 inches longer, and marginally wider and taller than last year thanks to its 3.1-inch longer wheelbase, which allows for a far more graceful proportion than the old A4. But being that the 2025 A5 replaces the A4, its sloping backlight isn’t as radical as last year’s Sportback. Practical considerations, such as rear seat headroom, take more precedent over style. Otherwise, the overall design looks much as it did before, buffed to a sleeker appearance.
The front end has been revised, including a redesigned grille. The lighting looks much as it did before, and is composed of OLEDs with Daytime Running Lights being configurable in a choice of patterns. You’ll find OLEDs in the taillamps as well, although they’re not configurable.
If any critique can be made, it’s the lack of change in most Audi design, even when a design is all-new. Certainly, the changes are subtle, which plays well to its existing clientele, but one supposes that does little to draw in new customers.
The inside story
The biggest change inside the cabin is the massive curved piece of glass that Audi calls the Digital Stage. It houses three screens: an 11.9-inch digital instrument cluster, a 14.5-inch infotainment/climate control splay and a 10.9-inch display for the front-seat passenger. It’s a far cry from the humble, if adequate, 10.1-inch touchscreen in the 2024 A4.
Otherwise, the interior finishes will feel and look familiar. And while the seating has the luxury cliché of diamond stitching, there’s more rear seat room than in the A4, thanks to the A5’s longer wheelbase. Cargo room is generous, at 26 cubic feet.
Final thoughts
Given the shrinking demand for sedans overall, Audi was smart to combine the A4 sedan and A5 Sportback into a single model. Certainly, the loss of the A5’s coupe and cabriolet models will be mourned, but the A5 looks to be a far better design than the outgoing A4, the A5 having retained some of the sleek genetics it was previously endowed with.
While the fresh design is welcome, there’s little that’s new or dramatically different from what has come before. Although it’s a beautiful car, designers did little to stretch the envelope stylistically, reflecting Audi’s conservative, sleek approach.
