Blending elegant and emotive coupé design with impressive family car functionality and comfort has long been the forté of the sleek Audi A5 Sportback.
Seven years and more than 340,000 units later, the 2016 Paris Motor Show will play host to the world premiere of the all-new second generation model, which further refines the ‘best of both worlds’ concept with even more tightly wrought lines, a completely new platform, the very latest engine, transmission and quattro drive developments and a host of contemporary driver assistance and infotainment systems.
Sharing the stage at Paris will be the flagship Audi S5 Sportback, which draws upon a new V6 turbocharged TFSI powerplant to deliver a hefty 354PS and 500Nm of torque from 1,370 to 4,500 rpm. From rest, it will blast past 62mph in only 4.7 seconds and can reach a limited top speed of 155mph.
Audi designers have brought together dramatic shapes and taut surfaces to update the new A5 Sportback, creating a familiar yet completely contemporary silhouette for the five-door coupé design that retains the original’s unmistakable road presence.
The stretched wheelbase, short overhangs and long, wraparound bonnet featuring a power dome emphasise the dynamism of the five-door coupé silhouette. The three-dimensional Singleframe grille is significantly flatter and wider than on the previous model.
The wave-pattern shoulder line is a key contributor to the A5 Sportback’s elegant stance. It is even more strongly accentuated than on the previous model and traces all three dimensions, creating an interplay of light and shadow. The pronounced bulges over the wheel arches underscore the quattro DNA. The rear end exhibits horizontal, equally highly precise styling. The stretched luggage compartment lid terminates with a characteristic spoiler edge.
The appearance of the new S5 Sportback follows the form of Audi S models and is subtle yet appropriately brawny. The bumper, air inlets and side sills feature distinctive contours. Many of the S-specific styling additions are painted in graduated tones of matt grey. Aluminium inlays accentuate the design inside, while the exterior mirror housings shine in an aluminium look. The rear bumper integrates a black honeycomb grille, aluminium diffuser trim and the signature four tailpipes. A spoiler lip in body colour adorns the separating edge of the luggage compartment lid.
The new Audi A5 and S5 Sportback have grown significantly inside. The interior length has gained 17mm, the shoulder room for driver and front passenger up to 11mm and the rear knee room 24mm. The sophisticated materials and colour schemes and outstanding build integrity in the interior are typical of Audi. The horizontal architecture of the instrument panel creates a sense of spaciousness. The optional ambient lighting with 30 colours to choose from always evokes a fitting interior mood.
With 480 litres of luggage capacity, the A5 Sportback rates among the best in its class. Audi also offers the option of sensor control for opening and closing the standard-fit electric luggage compartment lid.
The rear seat back splits 40:20:40 as standard. The load-area width measures exactly one metre. The rectangular-shaped layout of the 480-litre luggage compartment makes it outstanding in terms of practical use. With the rear seats folded down, it can even accommodate 1,300 litres.
Thanks to the all-new operating and display concept, including free-text search, the driver can control all functions effortlessly and intuitively. As an alternative to the standard-fit analogue instrument dials, the Audi virtual cockpit with its various display options brings the driver added convenience. The large, high-resolution TFT monitor (12.3 inches) presents richly detailed graphics.
The optional head-up display projects all relevant information onto the windscreen as easily comprehensible symbols and digits, thus enabling the driver to keep their eyes on the road.
Customers can choose between two TFSI and three TDI engine versions for the new Audi A5 Sportback. They produce between 190PS and 286PS of power. Compared with the previous model, Audi has reduced their fuel consumption by as much as 22 percent while increasing power output by up to 17 percent.
The top version of the 2.0 TFSI produces 252PS. 370 Nm (272.9 lb-ft) of torque is available between 1,600 and 4,500 rpm. It sprints from 0 to 62mph in six seconds on its way to an electronically limited top speed of 155mph. Up to 47.8mpg combined is achievable, which corresponds to 136 grams of CO2 per kilometre.
The second version of the 2.0 TFSI has an output of 190PS and 320 Nm (236.0 lb-ft) of torque available from 1,450 to 4,200 rpm. The power unit is responsive, flexible and thoroughly economical. These characteristics are the result of a new strategy: the continued development by Audi of successful engine downsizing into rightsizing. The trailblazing efficiency of the 2.0 TFSI with 190PS is the result of an innovative combustion principle. The comparatively high displacement is no handicap here – in fact, it is essential. Customers of the new Audi A5 Sportback enjoy the advantages of a small-displacement engine when driving at moderate speeds, without having to compromise when it comes to faster driving.
The four-cylinder TDI in the new Audi A5 Sportback develops 190PS and peak torque of 400 Nm (295.0 lb-ft) between 1,750 and 3,000 rpm. With quattro all-wheel drive and the seven-speed S tronic, 62mph from rest takes 7.4 seconds.
Top speed is 146mph. In combination with the seven-speed S tronic and front-wheel drive, the 2.0 TDI returns 67.3mpg combined according to the NEDC standard, a CO2 equivalent of 109 grams per km.
High and low-pressure exhaust gas recirculation and sophisticated exhaust gas treatment including an SCR system (SCR: selective catalytic reduction) work in favour of low emissions.
Audi also offers the 2.0 TDI in an ultra version which is distinguishable externally by way of a rear-mounted badge. The ultra badge denotes the most efficient versions of a model line. Modifications to the transmission ratio, optimised streamlining of the body and suspension as well as the use of low-rolling-resistance tyres help to further reduce consumption, enabling up to 68.9mpg combined (108 grams of CO2 per kilometre) in the NEDC cycle, which sets the benchmark in the competitive field.
The two six-cylinder TDI power units offer a blend of power, refinement and impressive efficiency. The first variant of the 3.0 TDI produces 218PS and torque of 400 Nm (295.0 lb-ft), available between 1,250 and 3,750 rpm. In the NEDC cycle, this engine is capable of a combined 61.4mpg, corresponding to CO2 emissions of 119 grams per km.
The new top TDI increases power output to 286PS and offers 620 Nm (457.3 lb-ft) of torque between 1,500 and 3,000 rpm. It features optimised combustion chamber filling, charge cycles and thermal management. The result is increased performance coupled with a further reduction in fuel consumption. Close-coupled catalytic converters treat the exhaust gas effectively.
The top diesel version contains a newly developed turbocharger that is 20 percent lighter, with variable turbine geometry (VTG) and a maximum boost pressure of 3.3 bar. The developers put a lot of work into optimising the gas flow, with the result that the engine responds highly spontaneously to the accelerator.
Six-speed manual transmission, seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch transmission or eight-speed tiptronic – there is tailor-made drivetrain technology available for every engine version. Front-wheel drive is standard, with quattro all-wheel drive available as an option in two versions. It is standard for the 3.0 TDI with 286PS.
A V6 turbo engine with a hefty 354PS and 500Nm (368.8 lb-ft)of torque from 1,370 to 4,500 rpm powers the latest Audi S5 Sportback from 0 to 62mph in 4.7 seconds, and on up to an electronically governed top speed of 155mph. It naturally features quattro as standard, with wheel selective torque control as well as an eight-speed tiptronic transmission that can freewheel for further efficiency gains between 34 and 99mph when the driver eases off the accelerator pedal.
The body of the new Audi A5 Sportback is the lightest in the segment. An intelligent mix of materials makes it 15 kilograms lighter than that of its predecessor. The overall weight of the new generation has fallen by as much as 85 kilograms to just 1,470 kilograms, excluding the driver.
Audi offers the model with an upgraded list of standard equipment that includes a wide range of extra functions. These include xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights and LED rear lights, Audi MMI radio plus with a 7-inch colour display, Bluetooth, a three-spoke leather multifunction steering wheel (including shift paddles in models with automatic transmission), front centre armrest, folding rear seat back with 40:20:40 split, and LED interior lighting. Also standard are the Audi drive select dynamic handling system, the Audi pre sense city and multicollision brake assist safety systems, and the variable speed limiter.
