- Audi A5L launches at 2024 Guangzhou auto show
- The A5L is a long-wheelbase A5 with a conventional trunk lid
- A5s bound for the U.S. feature a liftback design
The new Audi A5 that goes on sale next spring as the replacement for both the current A5 Sportback and gas-powered A4 is referred to by Audi as a sedan, but that’s a misnomer, as the car is actually a hatchback—where a sloped rear window and trunk lid open together as one element.
There is a proper sedan version of the new A5 coming, though only for China, where it will be sold as the A5L. The debut took place on Friday at the 2024 Guangzhou auto show.
The A5L is a long-wheelbase variant of the new A5 family, but instead of the liftback of the regular A5, the A5L has a fixed rear window, leaving only the trunk lid to open. The roof line is also less curved, resulting in more headroom for rear-seat occupants. Audi did the same with an A7L that was launched in China three years ago.
The A5L has a wheelbase of 116.7 inches and an overall length of 193 inches. The regular A5 has corresponding numbers of 114.1 and 190.1 inches. Most of the extra length benefits rear-seat passengers with more generous legroom, something that’s important in China where long-wheelbase vehicles are typically used for chauffeur services.
The A5L will be built in China by Audi and local partner FAW.
The new A5 also comes with a wagon body style, though Audi hasn’t announced whether any of the wagons, a body style Audi calls an Avant, will make it to the U.S. The current A5’s coupe and convertible body styles won’t make a return with the new generation.
The Guangzhou auto show runs until Nov. 24. Audi also used the event for the launch of its new China-only AUDI brand. The brand (all caps, and minus the four-ring logo) will focus on electric vehicles designed to meet the need of Chinese customers, particularly in the area of connectivity and automated driving technology. At least three vehicles will be launched by AUDI starting from mid-2025, and a concept in Guangzhou hints at what’s to come.