New Audi A5 Coupe revealed

Essentially a two-door, more style-led version of the Audi A4 saloon, the new Audi A5 and S5 offer more performance, more technology and lower running costs than their predecessors. When the new A5 arrives later this year, it’ll be up against rivals like the BMW 4 Series and Mercedes C-Class Coupe.

Audi A5 design

Like its saloon sibling, the Audi A4, the new A5 has been designed to be as aerodynamically efficient as possible, meaning it slips through the air more easily. This improves fuel efficiency, lowers CO2 emissions (and consequently running costs) as well as improving performance.

14

Much of the new car’s front end looks very similar to the A4 saloon’s, although the headlights have been very slightly reworked and the grille is slightly smaller than on the saloon.

Elsewhere, the changes are more dramatic, with a swooping crease running the length of the body from the headlights to the rear light clusters. This closely follows the contours of the body, accentuating the heavily pinched-in flanks. At the back, the lights are all-LED, while Audi says that the long wheelbase (the distance between the front and rear wheels) and the short overhangs at the front and back “underscore the muscular presence of the new A5”.

14

Naturally, the high-performance S5 coupe gets a more aggressive look, with a redesigned front grille, revised front air intakes, broader wheelarches and new alloy wheel designs. It also gets larger sideskirts and four exhaust pipes.

Engines

Under the bonnet, there’s a choice of two petrol and three diesel engines, all of which will be turbocharged. These range in power from 187 to 281bhp, while the hot S5 coupe gets a 349bhp turbocharged 3.0-litre V6. That’s enough to launch the car from 0-62mph in just 4.7 seconds, before reaching an electronically limited 155mph top speed.

14

Less powerful models, such as the 2.0-litre petrols and the 2.0-litre diesels (as well as the 215bhp 3.0-litre V6 diesel) come with the choice of a six-speed manual gearbox or a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. Both the S5 and the more powerful 282bhp diesel are only available with the company’s quattro four-wheel-drive system and the eight-speed automatic gearbox. As yet, there are no running costs or performance (apart from the S5) details, but don’t expect the A5s to stray too far from the A4 saloon’s figures.

Interior

Inside, everything is very similar to what’s found in the A4. The air vents are held in a single strip running the width of the dashboard, with the screen for the MMI infotainment system above it and the air-conditioning controls below. The MMI system is operated using a controller on the centre console, just in front of the gear selector.

14

As with the A4, Audi’s excellent ‘Virtual Cockpit’ configurable digital instrument display will be available as an option. Buyers will also be able to specify the Audi connect system, which allows access to the internet using an internal SIM card, while Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility will also be on the options list. Audiophiles might want to upgrade to the optional Bang & Olufsen ‘3D sound’ stereo, too.

Equipment

In the UK, standard equipment on the entry-level A5 will include xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights, LED rear lights, Bluetooth connectivity and the MMI system, with a seven-inch central screen. All models will also come with adjustable driving modes, LED interior lights and a multifunction steering wheel.

14

Safety

There’ll be a variety of new safety features available on the A5, too, including Audi’s ‘pre-sense city’ system, which can detect an impending collision and automatically apply the brakes to avoid it. Also available will be an automatic parking system, rear cross traffic alert (which alerts you if there’s any traffic approaching as you reverse out of a driveway or parking space), while camera-based road-sign recognition is also available.

Price and on-sale date

While there’s no official word on the new Audi A5’s price as yet, expect it to cost slightly more than the equivalent A4 saloon. The new car will go on sale in the UK in the winter of 2016, with first deliveries expected towards the end of this year, or even the beginning of 2017.