Major market auto shows are a bit of a conundrum. When the pandemic shut down the global economy, fixture event such as the Frankfurt IAA, Geneva Motor Show, North American International Auto Show in Detroit all seemed to lose steam with few exceptions. One of those exceptions is Auto Shanghai, and Audi is announcing this week that it plans to make a major showing.
What’s Wrong with Auto Shows?
For the most part, the lavishness of the world auto show circuit was underwritten by the value of media exposure from launches during closed press days and, perhaps counterintuitively, not by the masses of people who show up on public days.
The presence at such shows had become an arms race both on and off the show floor. Extravagant brand zones were just the start, while off-site venues for brand controlled reveals and cocktail parties all combined to make for a halcyon era for the car and car media industry. Unfortunately, the associated coasts became just too high as car manufacturers sought budgets to develop EV platforms alongside legacy internal combustion product.
It all made for a perfect storm, and that storm wrecked the global motor show calendar. Though many now survive, they’ve adjusted as did the IAA by moving to Münich and focusing on mobility, or this week’s New York International Auto Show that sees much more dealer involvement and far fewer factories showing up.
What about Auto Shanghai
In China, the auto industry is enjoying its own halcyon era. Chinese car brands have stepped up their game in quality and imaginative products, while an increasingly wealthy Chinese population over the last few decades has helped establish the Chinese automotive market as highly dominant. And while the U.S. automotive marketplace remains larger (for now), China had already become the largest market for many non-domestic American brands like Audi for some time now.
More recently, a market shift to Chinese domestic brands by Chinese buyers has seen all-important sales volumes in that market shrink concerningly. And while this could be a boon for a stepped up focus on other large markets like the United States that are underperforming for these marques, the more recent tariffs pushed by the American government create even more challenges that likely solidifies decisions not to rely on any single market for growth.
In as much, Audi needs to focus on both markets independently. In the case of China, this means a strong showing at Auto China where media exposure is still highly reliable even if sales haven’t been so in recent years.
Audi Bringing New Models, Including AUDI
Given the focus on electromobility in the Chinese market, the clear focus for Audi here is reaffirming its leadership in this segment while also building on its already strong position in combustion vehicles.
Audi CEO Gernot Döllner says: “Last year, we took key steps to secure future success in China together with our joint-venture partners FAW and SAIC. As this important market develops further, our tailored models continue to grow in importance. At 2025 Auto Shanghai we are going to show that Audi delivers in China.”
AUDI Is a Sister Brand, Not Audi Shouting. What’s the Difference?
When Audi pulled the wraps off of its AUDI concept car, its notably differentiated design language was a bit overshadowed by jokes being made about the name. What’s the difference between an Audi and an AUDI? That’s the question on everyone’s mind heading into Auto Shanghai where Audi will launch the first production AUDI with the new E5 Sportback.
SIDENOTE: Poking fun at Audi over using the name AUDI may be annoying for executives invested in the move and excited about this new opportunity. Even still, the jokes also reveal the inherent challenges of the decision. Besides caps being a generationally understood way of shouting in texts and messages, the Audi brand has a long history of stylistic use of lowercase and caps. Think quattro not Quattro or e-tron not E-tron and you get the idea. This E5 is both a capitalized “E” and not an e-tron, while it’s a 5 that critics will say is more akin to a BMW mid-sized entry than an Audi. Now throw on the fact that caps can be a major challenge in hashtags and entering identities on all-important social media platforms. Ask the publisher of a site named ooooIYKYK how one knows…
For AUDI, “E” designates fully electric propulsion while “5” designates the mid-sized segment. Sportback is likely more familiar, yet also not really as here it seems to apply the Sportback terminology to a more short wagon-like form seen on the A3 Sportback and less the fastback coupe-like form of the A7 Sportback. Nevertheless, Audi refers to Sportback as a form that embodies “Audi’s signature coupé design”.
However we consternate about it, the AUDI E5 Sportback is a new car and new approach tailored to a new generation of Chinese drivers. It’s expected to see a market introduction that will begin in the late summer of 2025.
Other Audi Models Also Planned for Auto Shanghai.
Beyond AUDI, Audi is also planning to reveal several other China-specific models. These include the A6L e-tron, the A5L, a second A5L Sportback and a Q5L. The A6L e-tron will be produced at the new Audi FAW NEV Company production site in Changchun that was completed in 2024 and began producing cars in December.
More interesting in this group of new models for brand watchers outside China is the handling of the A5. Typically these extended wheelbase “L” designated models are for China only, and that’s unlikely to change anytime soon. Even still, it’s that pair of A5s that may be notable here.
When Audi launched the B10 A5 in Europe, it launched an Avant and a four-door version called Sedan that is more notchback than the outgoing B9 A5 Sportback yet retains the more utilitarian hatchback rear opening. The B10 even dropped the Sportback name entirely.
What’s most interesting here then is the plan for two A5L variants, one simply called A5L and the other called A5L Sportback with an accompanying photo that shows an A5 with proportions seemingly more akin to the e-tron GT than the A5 Sedan. Admittedly, it’s hard to tell because of the atypical angle of the lone photo released. Even still, this is definitely one to watch with interest.
Could this mean more coupe-like forms will return? That’s unclear. The AUDI E5 is more of a wagon form, and the new A6 Sedan launched just this week is a notchback sedan even though it was originally slated to be called “A7”. That probably makes no difference to the Chinese though, because an A7L notchback sedan has been on sale there for some time now.
Intelligent Cockpit
In addition to the new models, Audi will also introduce what they’re calling “the next-generation intelligent cockpit tailored to the Chinese market”. This last part was an almost missed final paragraph of Audi’s associated Auto Shanghai press release. Nevertheless, it’s an interesting additional mention.
In China, the evolution of the user interface and its alignment to young Chinese consumers has been a major differentiator for Chinese domestic brands wooing over young buyers from established western brands. This is an area Audi will need to address in order to truly ignite its reemergence in China. The brand claims that its new electronics architecture will enable the brand to provide a fully customizable holistic digital user experience for Chinese buyers.
Further Details Audi at Auto Shanghai
Audi will display a total of 19 models with its partners FAW and SAIC at Auto Shanghai. The presence of the new AUDI sub-brand will also be part of that display.
Auto Shanghai
Audi Booth in Hall 5.1 H, Booth 5A03
April 23 to May 2, 2025
Audi Press Conference on April 23, 9:40 a.m. Shanghai time