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February 26, 2025 — The new Audi A5 Sedan is rolling out to U.S. dealerships, and it's more than a renamed A4. Audi's premium mid-size sedan brings a curved dual-screen cockpit, a 48-volt mild-hybrid powertrain, and a fastback tailgate, while the long-running A4 badge has been retired. The number change is part of Audi's new naming strategy — odd numbers for combustion cars, even numbers for EVs. For American buyers, the result is a more expressive, more practical take on the classic German four-door.
Audi has sold the A4 in the United States since 1994, when the badge replaced the Audi 80. For three decades, it stood for disciplined design, refined driving manners, and all-wheel-drive security. That chapter closed when Audi reorganized its model nomenclature. Combustion models are shifting to odd numbers — the new A5 and S5 lead the way — while even-numbered nameplates such as the A6 e-tron are reserved for electric vehicles.
So the A4 disappears without a direct successor. In its place sits the A5 Sedan, with a new S5 performance version above it. Audi has also dropped the A5 Coupe and Cabriolet body styles for 2025, and the Avant wagon sold in Europe is not offered here. U.S. buyers get the sedan only — a decision that keeps the lineup simple and the focus squarely on four-door practicality.
The A5's most obvious change is visual. Its hood is longer, its roof arch is lower, and its rear deck falls away in a fastback flow that gives the sedan coupe-like energy. It's a shape that reads instantly as "Audi" without leaning on the conservative angles of its predecessor.
The fenders swell subtly around the wheels, and the surface details — crisp creases, minimal chrome — keep the car looking composed rather than busy. Audi takes the same approach with lighting: the headlights and taillights use digital elements, and drivers can choose among several light signatures to personalize the car's appearance. At night, the continuous light strip across the tail makes the A5 unmistakable in a parking lot, a small touch that adds personality without shouting.
Step inside, and the A5's digital-first layout comes into focus. A curved 14.5-inch touchscreen anchors the dashboard, angled toward the driver, and it handles navigation, entertainment, and vehicle settings with sharp graphics and quick response. Behind the wheel, a configurable digital instrument cluster keeps key information directly in the driver's line of sight.
An available 10.9-inch front-passenger screen rounds out the setup. It lets the person in the right seat pull up the route, change the playlist, or send an address to the main display without reaching across the cabin — a small division of labor that keeps the driver undisturbed. Audi's natural-language voice assistant can also handle many of those tasks, which helps when the last thing you want is extra distraction in stop-and-go traffic.
The interior materials are a clear step up from the A4: soft-touch surfaces, tight panel gaps, and available sport seats give the cabin a more expensive feel. Ambient lighting can be adjusted to suit the hour, and the panoramic glass roof is worth special attention. Its layers can be switched between transparent and opaque with the tap of a button, so the sun-belt states don't turn the cabin into a greenhouse. That roof logic — let light in when you want it, block it when you don't — is one of those details you appreciate most on a second or third trip.
The available Bang & Olufsen 3D sound system places speakers in the front head restraints, which creates a more immersive experience at moderate volume without blasting the whole cabin. Rear-seat space is fine for two adults around town, and the sloping roofline is less intrusive than it looks from outside.
Under the hood, Audi keeps the U.S. lineup focused. The A5 uses a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that develops 268 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque; the only gearbox is a seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch automatic, and quattro all-wheel drive comes standard. It's a proven formula, and the addition of a 48-volt belt-driven starter generator modernizes it.
That mild-hybrid system recovers energy under braking, restarts the engine seamlessly, and allows the car to coast briefly with the engine decoupled — a comfort feature as much as an efficiency one. Audi doesn't promise fuel-economy heroics; the upside is smoother, quieter day-to-day operation. For buyers who want more, the S5 pairs a 3.0-liter V6 with 362 horsepower and 405 pound-feet of torque, delivering performance without sacrificing daily usability.
The A5's smartest trick is at the rear. Beneath its sedan shape, the A5 is a liftback: the rear window, trunk lid, and surrounding structure open together as one large gate. That opening swallows strollers, luggage, and the kind of cargo that usually pushes shoppers toward an SUV — without raising the roofline, the floor, or the center of gravity.
Cargo volume is competitive for the segment, and split-folding rear seatbacks extend the bay for longer loads. It's the rare body style that looks like a traditional sedan but functions like a hatchback, and it makes the A5 persuasively more useful in daily American life — at the grocery store, the airport curb, or the hardware store.
On the road, the A5 does what Audi's mid-size sedans have always done best: it makes routine driving feel calm. Drive select modes let you choose among comfort, auto, dynamic, and individual settings, which alter steering weight, throttle response, and gearbox behavior. Optional adaptive dampers smooth out cracked pavement, and body control stays tidy when the pace rises.
The dual-clutch transmission shifts quickly and cleanly, whether you're cruising or merging. Steering is accurate, and the chassis communicates enough to keep a back road interesting. Highway noise is well suppressed, and quattro remains the reassurance factor for wet weather and slushy winters. The A5's compact dimensions also make it easy to place in tight city parking structures.
The 2025 A5 Sedan enters a crowded field — the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class are both strong, established choices — and Audi knows it. Its answer is a design-forward cabin and standard digital equipment: even base Premium trim gets the dual-screen setup, while the fastback body gives it a practical edge over rivals.
The A4's lineage helps, too. That nameplate has appeared on Car and Driver's 10Best list over multiple generations because it balanced comfort, precision, and usability. The A5 carries much of that DNA forward while taking a few more risks on style and technology — a bet that should pay off for buyers who appreciate both.
The A4 earned its audience by being sensible. The A5 keeps that core and adds ambition: modern screens, clever glass, an exterior with real character, and a tailgate that turns a sedan into a practical everyday tool. Whether the journey is planned weeks ahead or decided at the last minute, the 2025 A5 is prepared for both — and that's precisely what a modern American daily driver should be.
