Audi A5 and A3 PHEVs lead run of 10 new Audi plug-in hybrids due this year

Audi will unleash a wave of plug-in hybrids to satisfy growing global demand for petrol/electric drivetrains, and as a hedge against uncertain future take-up of pure electric cars.

Audi has achieved some impressive figures with its new hybrid technology, too. The plug-in version of Audi’s best-selling car in the UK – the A3 Sportback – will be capable of driving up to 87 miles purely on electric power. It won’t be the first of these new plug-in hybrid Audis to reach the UK – that’ll be the new Audi A5 PHEV – but it will land as soon as this summer because Audi UK anticipates huge demand. 

“By the end of 2025 we will launch 10 plug-in hybrid models,” said Audi CEO Gernot Döllner. “The first will be the A5 based on the PPC [Premium Platform Combustion] architecture.”

This year’s PHEV crop mixes a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder engine with a single electric motor in the transmission. Two power outputs will be available in other markets – a 295bhp and a 362bhp – feeding either the front or all four wheels for quattro all-wheel drive, though we'll only get the less-powerful version in the UK.

Those significant electric ranges will apply across the board, reducing CO2 emissions while delivering lower tax for company car drivers. Bigger, heavier cars such as the A5 and Q5 won’t have as big a zero emissions range as the A3, based on the MQB transverse-engine architecture, but could still travel up to 62 miles.

“Plug-in hybrids are an integral part of Audi’s portfolio,” said CEO Döllner. “They will make an important contribution to achieving our CO2-reduction targets.” 

“They are important in the transition to an all-electric portfolio, especially in some European countries where the transition is proceeding at different speeds.”

In 2024 Audi sold more than 70,000 plug-in hybrids, with 12,401 finding new homes in the UK. The 10 new hybrid models are part of Audi’s new model rush of 20 new models by the end of 2026.

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