The axe started to fall on two-door Audi models in 2019 when the A3 Cabriolet was discontinued. The summertime sadness carried on last year when the TT Roadster drove off into the proverbial sunset, taking the TT Coupe with it. A few months ago, the final R8 left the assembly line, effectively putting an end to the mid-engine Coupe and Spyder supercar.
Last week, Audi announced its 2025 lineup for the United States with some glaring omissions–the A5 Coupe and A5 Cabriolet. Our colleagues at Motor1 Germany reached out to the luxury brand to learn about the fate of the last two-door cars from Ingolstadt. Our worst fears have now been confirmed as production of the two-door A5 models has come to an end. That includes their high-performance S and RS siblings.
It effectively means Audi is no longer making coupes and convertibles. Replacements for the less practical A5 models are not planned, hence why there haven't been any spy shots of prototypes undergoing testing. The new-generation A5 lineup comprises just two members: the A5 Sedan (technically, it's a liftback) and the A5 Avant. Both have hot S5 versions already, with an RS5 to follow.
Audi has hinted at bringing back the TT and R8 as electric cars one day, but without providing a specific timeline. We wouldn't get our hopes up too high for another coupe or convertible in the ICE age since that ship seems to have sailed already. The VW Group brand aims to go EV-only by 2033, so it's already running out of time for another gas-powered car with two doors.
Rival brands still have vehicles that eschew rear doors. BMW continues to offer the Z4, 4 Series Coupe/Convertible, and the 8 Series Coupe/Convertible. However, they're all reportedly going away in a few years. Thankfully, the smaller 2 Series Coupe is sticking around for the long haul.
At Mercedes, all that’s left are the CLE Coupe/Cabriolet, AMG GT Coupe, and the SL. That’s because the SLC, S-Class Cabriolet, and the AMG GT Roadster have gone the way of the dodo. The new CLE effectively merges the two-door C-Class and E-Class models into a single coupe/convertible pair.
The sad truth is that coupes and convertibles are a tough sell. People want the convenience of having rear doors. A folding top also hurts practicality by eating into the available cargo volume. Even so, many would argue that a brand as big as Audi should have at least one coupe and/or convertible in its lineup. That said, there are bigger fish to fry.
Having to make combustion engines run cleaner to meet increasingly stricter emissions regulations requires massive investments. The same can be said about developing purely electric models. Bean counters agree that launching the umpteenth SUV instead of a coupe or a convertible is a safer bet. That's why a three-row model is coming, potentially as the Q9.
Lest we forget other Audi models have been terminated in recent years because of slow sales. The three-door A1 and A3 have been dead for a while and the A4 sedan doesn’t have a direct replacement. The A4 is expected to return later this decade as an electric vehicle. In the meantime, the gas model's indirect replacement is the new not-a-sedan A5 Sedan.
In the coming years, Audi will phase out the A1 supermini altogether. In addition, the Q2 subcompact crossover will die after just one generation. Removing these models from the lineup allows the company to focus on what sells better.
