New Audi A5 & S5 Sportback unveiled before Paris

Audi has revealed the all-new Audi A5 Sportback and the accompanying Audi S5 Sportback high-performance model, following on from the A5 and S5 coupes unveiled earlier this year.

They have been unveiled to journalists ahead of making their public debut at the Paris Motor Show this week.

A range of petrol and diesel engines will be available, while the high-performance S5 version will get the same 349bhp turbocharged V6 petrol as the S5 coupe and Audi S4 saloon and S4 Avant estate.

When it goes on sale, the new Audi A5 Sportback’s biggest rivals will be the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe, as well as more conventional executive cars like Mercedes C-Class, Jaguar XE and Lexus IS.

The new Audi A5 Sportback is now on sale – read our review here.

Design

Much of the latest A5 Coupe’s styling is carried over to the new Sportback, with the front end just about unchanged. It does, however, have a slightly longer wheelbase than the two-door version, to allow for the addition of the two extra doors.

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Unsurprisingly, there have also been some changes to the car’s silhouette, with a longer roofline and a shallower rear window line to accommodate the two extra doors and hatchback boot.

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Meanwhile, the S5 gets a sporty bodykit to emphasise its performance credentials. This includes extended side skirts, a deeper front bumper with larger air-intakes and extra chrome trim on the front grille. There are also four exhaust pipes, a subtle rear spoiler and a discreet rear diffuser. Like all Audi S models, the S5 sports silver mirror caps and extensive silver exterior trim.

Interior

Apart from extra space in the rear seats, the Sportback’s interior is pretty much unchanged from the Coupe’s. As with that car, you get the option of a ‘Virtual Cockpit’ configurable digital instrument panel instead of the more traditional analogue dials.

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Standard equipment includes xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights, as well as LED rear lights. You also get Audi’s MMI radio plus infotainment system, Bluetooth connectivity and a seven-inch colour screen from which to control it. A leather multifunction steering wheel, selectable driving modes and autonomous emergency braking are also standard.

You can specify your A5 or S5 with a huge amount of hi-tech kit. This includes inductive wireless phone charging, a 19-speaker, 755-watt Bang & Olufsen stereo and Audi’s top-of-the-range MMI navigation plus sat-nav system (which includes internet connectivity, a hi-res 8.3-inch screen and free map updates for five years).

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There is, however, much more room inside the Audi A5 Sportback than the Coupe. It has a 480-litre boot, which expands to 1,300 litres when you drop the 40:20:40 split-folding rear seats down. Compared to the previous version of the Sportback, there’s 11mm more shoulder room in the front, while those in the back get an extra 24mm of kneeroom.

Engines

Buyers of the standard A5 Sportback can choose from two petrol and three diesel engines, all of which are turbocharged.

There are two 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrols, managing 187 and 248bhp respectively. The more powerful of these will return around 48mpg economy and emit 136g/km of CO2. This means you’ll be liable for road tax of £130 a year. Impressive figures when you consider it’s capable of 0-62mph in six seconds and has an electronically limited 155mph top speed.

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If you want a diesel, a 187bhp 2.0-litre four-cylinder and two 3.0-litre V6s are available. The first of these is the most efficient in the range – in frugal Ultra form, it’ll return around 68mpg and emit just 108g/km of CO2. This means you’ll only have to pay £20 a year in road tax, while your Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) company-car tax contribution will be 21%.

Going for the non-Ultra version won’t penalise you much in terms of running costs, however: it’ll still hit 67.3mpg fuel economy and CO2 emissions of 109g/km, when equipped with Audi’s S tronic seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.

The two 3.0-litre V6 diesels produce 215 and 282bhp respectively and the latter manages 0-62mph in just 4.6 seconds. Go for the less powerful version and you get front-wheel drive as standard, although quattro four-wheel drive is an option.

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This version will also manage more than 60mpg economy and has CO2 emissions of 119g/km for a road-tax bill of just £30 a year and a 23% BiK rating. The more powerful model gets quattro as standard, as well as an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

You can also go for the high-performance S5 Sportback model. This comes with a turbocharged 349bhp 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine paired with an eight-speed automatic gearbox and the quattro four-wheel drive system. It’ll get from 0-62mph in just 4.7 seconds and has an electronically limited 155mph top speed.

Price & on-sale date

Orders for the new Audi A5 and S5 Sportback are expected to open in October 2016, after they make their public debut at this month’s Paris Motor Show. Deliveries are expected to begin in either late 2016 or early 2017.

There’s no official word on pricing just yet, but expect to pay a small premium over the two-door Audi A5, prices for which have also yet to be announced.