• The new Audi A5 e-hybrid can drive up to 68 miles in all-electric mode.
• It has an electric motor sandwiched between the 2.0-liter gas engine and the seven-speed automatic transmission.

Audi was clear when it said that it would invest in plug-in hybrids in the short term as sales of its all-electric models dived last year. And the German luxury automaker is wasting no time in putting its strategy to work.

This is the new Audi A5 plug-in hybrid. Officially called the A5 e-hybrid, it comes hot on the heels of its smaller brother, the A3 PHEV, which debuted last year as one of the longest-range PHEVs in Europe.

The Audi A5 e-hybrid isn’t breaking any records when it comes to all-electric range, but it could still be a great choice for customers who aren’t sure they can transition to an all-electric lifestyle. In fact, the A5’s high-voltage battery is bigger than the original Nissan Leaf’s–and if this is not a testament to how much battery technology has advanced in the past decade, I don’t know what is.

As a reminder, a plug-in hybrid vehicle uses a combustion engine and an electric motor that draws power from a high-voltage battery. In short, it’s quite a complicated setup that has the disadvantage of carrying around a heavy battery when driving using fuel. The inverse is also true, as you’re carrying around a combustion engine when driving on electric power.

All this being said, if you can charge the battery at home, a PHEV becomes a great choice for those who don’t want to accept DC fast chargers in their life, for whatever reason.

In the case of the Audi A5 e-hybrid, there’s a 248-horsepower 2.0-liter gasoline engine under the hood that’s mated to a seven-speed automatic transmission. There’s a sedan and a wagon version, and both get Audi’s Quattro all-wheel drive system as standard. Additionally, there’s an electric motor sandwiched between the combustion lump and the transmission. 

The e-motor develops up to 140 hp, and depending on the version, the maximum system output is either 295 hp or 362 hp. This means the most potent version of the A5 PHEV matches the sporty, V-6-powered Audi S6. By placing the electric motor between the gas engine and the transmission, it means drivers can use the company’s Quattro AWD system and all seven gears while driving on electricity.

The zero to 62 miles per hour (0-100 kilometers per hour) sprint is dealt with in 5.1 seconds for the most powerful version, while the 295 hp variant needs 5.9 seconds. Both can reach a top speed of 155 mph (250 kph).

Powering that e-motor is a 20.7-kilowatt-hour (25.9 kWh gross) lithium-ion battery pack that enables an all-electric range of up to 72 miles (116 kilometers) in the city, according to the WLTP cycle. In the WLTP combined cycle, Audi touts an all-electric range of up to 68 miles (110 km). By comparison, the original Nissan Leaf–the first true mass-produced EV–had a 21 kWh (24 kWh gross) battery and could travel for about 70-80 miles before needing a top-up.

Photo by: Audi

Charging the high-voltage battery of the A5 PHEV can only be done from an AC source at up to 11 kW. That’s an upgrade from Audi’s previous-generation PHEVs that could only accept up to 7.4 kW. At full speed, the plug-in A5’s battery can go from zero to 100% state of charge in two and a half hours.

The German automaker said it went to great lengths to optimize the way its new hybrid setup works in the real world. Compared to the old A6 plug-in hybrid, the new A5 PHEV will try to drive as much as possible on electric power. The amount of power that can be recuperated while decelerating is also up from the previous iteration (88 kW) and there are multiple brake regen options available.

There’s an automatic mode that dynamically adjusts the level of regen using navigation data and information from the traffic sign recognition system, but the driver can also set the level manually via the paddles on the back of the steering wheel, just like in some EVs. Three recuperation levels can be selected and there’s also a level zero that means the car will coast when the accelerator is up.

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The Audi A5 e-hybrid can be driven in full-EV or hybrid mode. Via the infotainment system, the driver can also choose to maintain the battery charge at a certain level or to charge it using the gas engine while driving. In the case of the latter, the e-motor is used as a generator only at speeds over 40 mph (65 kph). In full EV mode, the maximum speed is limited to 87 mph (140 kph).

According to the WLTP efficiency figures, the new Audi A5 e-hybrid will get somewhere between 117 and 87 miles per gallon (2.0 – 2.7 liters/100 kilometers) with a full battery. Meanwhile, the weighted combined electric power consumption is between 4.1 and 3.9 miles/kWh (14.9 – 15.9 kWh/100 km). With an empty battery, the fuel economy takes a hit–between 37 and 31 mpg (6.3 – 7.4 l/100 km).

The Audi A5 e-hybrid comes standard with an electric air conditioning compressor and a resistive (PTC) heater. This means the cabin can be preconditioned before setting off, just like in an EV. Optionally, the comfort auxiliary air conditioning system can also turn on features like seat heating, seat ventilation, steering wheel heating and glass panel heating. A three-zone automatic climate control system comes as standard.

The Audi A5 Sedan e-hybrid starts at $67,300 (€62,500), while the Avant wagon goes from $69,000 (€64,150). The higher-powered versions start from $76,300 (€70,900) and $78,000 (€72,550), respectively. The orders books open today in Europe, with deliveries expected to begin next month. There’s no word on the availability of the A5 PHEV in the United States, but the sedan version could make its way here, seeing how the previous-generation model is still on sale stateside. As for the Avant wagon, we wouldn’t hold our breath.