The luxury electric vehicle market's pricing landscape in 2025 is being disrupted by Audi's aggressive strategy. While BMW's new-generation iX3 and Mercedes' all-new CLA pure electric models are still in development, Audi's E5 Sportback rolled off the production line at SAIC Audi's intelligent manufacturing base on August 18 and launched presales with a limited-time starting price of 235,900 yuan, setting a new low for German luxury pure electric vehicles.
This pricing strategy marks the first time a traditional German luxury brand has achieved "price inversion" with new energy vehicle manufacturers' comparable models, directly bringing competition into the core price segment dominated by new EV makers. The impact of this pricing decision is significant: current mainstream pure electric coupe models from new energy brands typically start above 250,000 yuan, yet Audi enters this segment with its century-old luxury brand heritage without compromising on features.
The product strength is impressive. The new vehicle closely follows the concept car design with its sleek coupe silhouette and electronic exterior mirrors, balancing aesthetics with aerodynamic optimization. The interior features imported wood trim panels and 30-color ambient lighting, maintaining German craftsmanship standards.
Performance and range capabilities are particularly robust. The Audi E5 Sportback's front and rear permanent magnet synchronous motors deliver 787 horsepower, achieving 0-100 km/h acceleration in 3.4 seconds, matching sports car performance. The combination of CATL's CTP battery technology and 800V high-voltage platform enables 773km range and rapid charging capability of "370km in 10 minutes," directly addressing range anxiety concerns.
Smart technology features are equally competitive. The new AUDI OS system, powered by Qualcomm 8295 chip and supported by ByteDance's "Doubao" large language model for the Audi assistant, enables comprehensive scene interaction. Twenty-seven perception hardware components, including LiDAR, combined with NVIDIA Orin-X chips and Momenta's intelligent driving solution, cover multi-scenario autonomous driving requirements.
This "high cost-performance ratio" positioning is supported by SAIC Audi's intelligent manufacturing base's Chinese-German integrated capabilities. The facility, with annual production capacity of 360,000 units, achieves 95% welding automation and full digitalization, combining German precision engineering with Chinese manufacturing efficiency to maintain quality while controlling costs, providing foundation for the price reduction strategy.
The strategic intent behind this move is clear: reconstructing the luxury electric value coordinate system and breaking new energy manufacturers' monopoly on "high cost-performance intelligent electric vehicles." This presale initiative has already introduced market variables. New energy brands must reassess their configuration-to-price ratios, traditional luxury brands have a demonstration case for electrification transformation, and consumers benefit from significantly lowered barriers to "German luxury pure electric" vehicles.
As the new model launches and begins deliveries, this pricing disruption may accelerate the reshaping of the luxury electric vehicle market landscape.