Although the U.S. market won’t be getting the Audi A5 Sportback, based on the reaction here on the floor in Frankfurt, Audi won’t have any problem moving them in Europe. It took us longer to get clear shots of the A5 than any other car at Audi (even the R8 Spyder), and when we returned at the end of the day there were still numerous fascinated Euro types examining the car like it was CSI evidence.
The A5 is so beautiful on its own we weren’t sure how the Sportback appellation might distort, but like the BMW 5 Series GT, it makes friends with the eyes in person — and in fact, it’s better. The S5 is the top of the heap model, and it will sport a supercharged, 3.0-liter V6 with 333 hp and 325 lb-ft. Just 5.4 seconds takes you to the 60, but whatever speed you travel, you shouldn’t be disappointed with how you look doing it. At least, if you’re not in the U.S…
Audi has announced new details regarding their upcoming BMW 5-Series Gran Turismo competitor, the A5 Sportback.
Designed to be as “emotional and elegant as a coupe, as comfortable as a sedan, and as practical as an Avant”, the A5 Sportback is essentially a five-door coupe. Although the teaser video only shows an artist stretching the A5 Sportback’s design, Audi states that the new model features a large rear hatch, a graceful tapering roofline which is 36 mm (1.4″) lower than the A4 Sedan’s, and four frameless doors with “dynamic window styling”.
Performance options include a newly developed ESP system with an electronic differential lock for improved steering response, Audi drive select, adaptive shock absorbers, and dynamic steering with continuously variable assistance.
Look for the new A5 to start arriving in European showrooms this September with a base price of €36,050.
Throw out your copy of WardsAuto “Interior of the Year” awards. The Audi A5 with the S Line seats is four-wheeled Hammer time: the world’s best automotive interior. Nobody can touch the way this cabin looks, works, feels and smells. OK, when you use the Audi A5’s thumbwheel to scroll through your iPod tunes, if you don’t select a new tune within the allotted time, the menu reverts to the song playing, which could be six clicks back. Other than that, I can’t think of anything wrong with the A5’s cabin. Yes, even the dreaded MMI mouse thingie has won me over. If you want a reason to admire/buy/worship/savor the Audi A5 3.2 Quattro, there you go. Otherwise, well, I have issues. For example . .
The Audi A5 has been hailed as a design masterpiece in various quarters. Arguing the point is pointless; if an enthusiast loves a car’s sheet metal, nothing a reviewer can say will alter the machine’s aesthetic appeal. So here are my two bits: the A5 lacks the minimalist classicism that elevated its predecessors to art. The A5’s gangsta greenhouse is too fly for a white guy, the swage line is too swoopy AND too angular, the flame surfacing is forced and I will never forgive Audi for NOT modifying their Billy The Big Mouth Bass maw for U.S. license plates. Admittedly, the A5 is drop dead sexy from the rear. But I’ve never been much of an ass man. So there you go.
Speaking of go, our Quattro press car was motivated by a 3.2-liter six. Ingolstadt’s mill delivers max power (265 hp) at a lofty 6500 rpm. But there’s plenty of shove (243 lb·ft) on the down low (3250–5000 rpm). In fact, the direct injection six-pot feels like two engines in one. It’s a torquey beast that wants to shift early; the dashboard display actually tells you to change gears. At the same time, there are professional sewing machines that aren’t as smooth as this engine at wide open throttle. You can rev the beJesus out of the A5’s powerplant, [potentially] accelerating the 3737 pound two-door from zero to sixty in just 5.8 seconds. The question is: why would you?
The Dutch site Autoweek.nl has revealed the following sketches of Audi’s future models, either as a leak or as a non-official. It is unclear how they acquired these images.
Nevertheless, the sketches reveal Audi’s future portfolio to include the 2009 A5 Cabriolet and its 5-door hatchback-coupe sibling called the A5 Sportback, the 2011 A7 four-dour coupe (which will compete against Merc’s CLS) along with the next generation 2010 A8 luxury sedan. - continued -
