A prototype of the next generation of the Audi A5 Sportback has been spotted for the first time in a sporty S5 guise.
The current A5 line arrived in 2016 as a 2018 model. The redesigned generation, including this S5 Sportback, will arrive late this year or early next year as a 2025 model.
The S5 Sportback prototype is heavily camouflaged, but the general shape of the vehicle and some finer details such as the inner part of the headlights and the grille are clearly visible.
The quad exhaust tips and large wheels and brakes confirm that the prototype is an S5 version, not an A5.
2025 Audi S5 Sportback Spy Shots – Photo Credit: Baldauf
The vehicle should be based on an updated version of parent company Volkswagen Group’s MLB Evo platform found in the current A5 range, meaning longitudinally mounted engines and standard front-wheel drive.
The current S5’s turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 makes 349 horsepower. It is expected that this engine will carry over to the new generation, perhaps with the help of a mild hybrid system.
2025 Audi S5 Sportback Spy Shots – Photo Credit: Baldauf
This time, the A5 line is being expanded with an Avant wagon option. The A5 Avant will be replaced by the current A4 Avant as part of a change in Audi’s naming strategy. According to the new strategy announced in March, models with an internal combustion engine will have an odd number in their name, and electric models will have an even number in their name.
Prototypes of the new A5 Avant and S5 Avant have also been found.
2025 Audi S5 Avant Spy Shots – Photo: Timo Jann/SB-Medien
Don’t look for the A5 and S5 sedans to replace the current A4 and S4. Instead, Audi is expected to launch an A4 E-Tron electric sedan to appeal to buyers of the traditional three-box form factor.
Ultimately, however, Audi will offer only electric power in its product range. The automaker has already confirmed that it will stop launching new models with internal combustion engines after 2026.
