Audi CEO Admits Mistake, Reverts A4 Name After A5 Rename Causes Confusion

Audi CEO Gernot Dörner recently admitted that renaming the A4 to A5 was a mistake and announced the brand will reinstate the A4 nameplate. This reversal stems from a new naming convention introduced in 2023, which used odd and even numbers to differentiate between internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles and electric vehicles (EVs). The change caused significant market confusion: dealer inquiries surged by 42%, and 23% of consumers struggled to understand the relationship between models. Meanwhile, Audi’s electrification efforts have faced setbacks, with global sales declining by 11.8% in 2024 and EV sales dropping 8% year-over-year. The new CEO has rejected his predecessor’s aggressive electrification strategy, emphasizing that ICE vehicles should not be overlooked. Audi has now decided to return to its traditional naming system: “A” for sedans and “Q” for SUVs, with powertrain types indicated by suffixes (e.g., TFSI for gasoline models and e-tron for all-electric versions). As for the newly unveiled but not-yet-launched A5L, its final naming remains undecided.