Audi To Revert The A5 Nameplate Back To A4

Audi came up with a plan a few years ago, according to which gasoline and diesel cars would wear odd numbers and electric vehicles would have odd numbers. But the automaker now admits it wasn’t such a genius moment after all and hints that the classic A4 badge could soon return from exile in cars with internal combustion engines.

The even and odd number strategy may have been good in the plans, but in real life, it meant that the long-standing A4 sedan and wagon suddenly became the A5 models, the name previously used for the coupe, cabriolet, and Sportback versions. That change confused buyers and frustrated sellers who had to deal with it.

Audi CEO Gernot Delner openly called the move, which was approved by his predecessor, a mistake. Speaking to Australia’s Drive, he said the brand would return to its traditional system where “a number describes the size of the car or the segment of the car.”

Audi made the U-turn after already converting the A4 into the A5, but just in time to prevent the A6 from making the same change. And now Dellner says rebranding the A5 with internal combustion engines as the A4 is “conceivable.” That strongly suggests that the current combustion-engined A5 could carry the A4 badge when it gets a mid-life facelift, likely in the next few years.

Audi is also planning an all-electric A4 e-tron for the 2028 model year. That car is expected to be based on the new Scalable Systems platform and modeled after the Concept C. So, in a few years, you could have an A4 with internal combustion engines and an all-electric A4.

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