Audi Reverses A4–A5 Naming After Customer Confusion

Audi confirms it will reverse the A4 to A5 naming strategy after customer and dealer feedback caused confusion. Read what this means for future Audi models.

Audi has officially admitted that dropping the A4 name in favor of A5 was a mistake. What was intended as a cleaner, more logical naming strategy instead caused confusion among customers and dealers.

The original plan was introduced as part of a broader restructuring of Audi’s lineup. Even-numbered model names were meant to identify electric vehicles, while odd numbers were reserved for cars with internal combustion engines and hybrids. Under this logic, the long-established A4 effectively disappeared, replaced by the A5 name, which had previously been associated with coupe and Sportback variants. Performance models followed the same approach.

Market response quickly revealed the limits of this strategy. For many customers, the new naming broke with decades of familiar logic: the car itself had not fundamentally changed, yet its designation no longer matched expectations. Dealers also reported difficulties explaining the revised lineup, especially when the differences were largely semantic rather than technical.

Audi says customer and dealer feedback was decisive. The company has now confirmed a return to its traditional naming logic, where the letter defines the vehicle category — A for passenger cars, Q for crossovers — and the number once again reflects size and class, not the type of powertrain. Distinctions between combustion engines, plug-in hybrids, and electric vehicles will be handled through additional labels rather than core model numbers.

Models that have already reached the market under the new names will not be renamed retroactively. Cars currently sold as A5 will keep that designation throughout their current lifecycle, while the revised approach will apply to future generations and updates.

The episode highlights how deeply model names shape brand perception. Even as Audi continues its transition toward electrification, the company appears to have concluded that clarity and continuity matter more to customers than rigid numerical logic.