Chinese consumers are impressed by the new electric car from AUDI sub-brand E5 Sportback – with dual motors, up to 402 miles of range, and a low price tag.

Ten thousand customers pre-ordered the new Audi E5 Sportback in less than half an hour. The car has about 776 horsepower and no longer bears the typical “rings” logo on the front.

Electrek: First launched last fall, the new Audi-backed AUDI sub-brand kept the sexy wagon aesthetic but ditched the Germans’ interlocking rings and Auto Union heritage in favor of a simple, all-caps AUDI logo on the E concept wagon. Now seen in production trim, the production AUDI E5 Sportback is surprisingly true to the original concept – except in the horsepower department, that is.

But, while a production car having lower horsepower figures than the concept car that preceded it is pretty typical, the production AUDI E5 is different: it actually offers more peak power than the 765 hp concept!

That’s right, kids! the range-topping Flagship Quattro version of the new AUDI E5 Sportback offers buyers 776 horsepower (that’s 11 more than the concept), and gets 402 miles (CLTC) of range from its 100 kWh battery. And, while that version is a monster, even the base-level Pioneer version at just 235,900 yuan ($33,000, as I type this) offers a 76 kWh battery pack sending power to a 295 hp rear-mounted electric motor and over 600 km of range (~385 miles).

It’s a good technological and value accomplishment, and the Audi team appears to be quite pleased with it.

According to Fermín Soneira, CEO of the Audi and SAIC Cooperation Project, “The AUDI E5 Sportback is our first model based on the Advanced Digitized Platform, and it delivers on our brand promise: the best of both worlds. Audi’s DNA and engineering excellence is blended with China’s digital ecosystem and innovations, specifically tailored for our tech-savvy customers.”

The AUDI E5 Sportback’s interior is significantly different from any other Audi model and more in keeping with comparable entry-luxe EVs that are offered for sale in China. In addition, the E5 dash features wireless phone chargers, digital side mirrors, Alcantara seating surfaces, and a 59-inch wide screen that fills the entire dash.

The QUALCOMM Snapdragon 8295 automotive chipset, which can execute 30 billion operations per second with 5-nanometer precision, powers all of that technology. The Chinese-market AUDI OS provides what its creators refer to as “an intuitive experience designed to make the vehicle occupants’ lives easier.”

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