What's the news?
As models go, the Audi A5 has been around for a long, long time - it was first released in 2007 and has only ever been mildly updated since then. So, time for a change and to that end, here is the all-new second-generation car, which is lighter, better-specified and more economical/powerful than its predecessor. It goes on sale here in Ireland at the end of the year.
Exterior
Right. Now, looks are always a subjective matter and there is of course a school of thought that reckons trotting out the same old designs over and over is a bad idea - see minor criticism of the Porsche 911, any of Ian Callum's designs since the Aston Martin DB7, and the current 'photocopier' Mercedes saloon range for details. So Audi is to be commended for making the A5 look unlike anything else in its fleet, even though it wears the trademark hexagonal Singleframe grille of the marque.
However... it's not what you'd call pretty. There are some intriguing design details, such as the 'three-dimensional wave-shaped shoulder line' and that pronounced cut in the lower section of the doors, but there's something about that front end/bonnet treatment that doesn't sit right with us. Maybe it'll look better in the metal. The best news here is that the A5 is up to 60kg lighter model-for-model than its predecessor, which is useful, and it also has a super-slippery 0.25Cd drag coefficient.
Interior
As the new A5 is larger and possessed of a longer wheelbase than the old model, Audi claims the interior space for both the driver and the passengers is improved. The wide, horizontal air vent strip that has been seen in the A4, Q7 and related Volkswagen Passat makes it into the A5's cabin, while you can alter in the interior ambient lighting through 30 different shades. Boot space is up 10 litres on the outgoing A5 to 465 litres in total, while the rear seats split 40:20:40.
Like all ultra-modern Audis, the 12.3-inch Virtual Cockpit will be an option on the A5 and there's an 8.3-inch monitor in the centre console for the MMI Navigation plus system. Expect a high level of connectivity as standard, with options to boost it to near-military levels of digital information gathering if your wallet permits, while Bang & Olufsen will provide a 3D sound system of the highest quality (as an option, naturally). Driver assist software will run up to active lane assist, Stop&Go adaptive cruise control, traffic jam assist, park assist, cross-traffic assist rear, collision avoidance assist and turn assist (that's a lot of assists).
Mechanicals
Audi's going to launch the A5 Coupé with two TFSI and three TDI units, with power in the normal range going from 190- up to 286hp... and that latter figure belongs to a diesel engine. Yipes! Anyway, worry not, petrol fans, as an S5 will sit above this A5 line-up from launch, the 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 up 21hp on the old car to stand at 354hp in total, leading to a 0-100km/h time of 4.7 seconds. Audi says all A5s offer up to 17 per cent more performance while consuming as much as 22 per cent less fuel.
Transmissions kick off with a six-speed manual as standard, with a seven-speed S tronic used on the four-cylinder A5s, as well as the 218hp 3.0 TDI with front- or all-wheel drive. On the 286hp 3.0 TDI and the S5, there's an eight-speed Tiptronic auto, while both these cars are quattro all-wheel drive only; there's also an optional rear-axle sport diff on certain models.
Talking of quattro, the fancy 'ultra' version of Audi's all-corners-drive technology will be offered on the four-cylinder TFSI and TDI manual models. This can decouple the rear axle as and when required to save fuel. Suspension with Audi's Drive Select adaptive damping will be offered on the A5, while the electromechanical power steering is a new feature for the coupé.
Anything else?
Pricing for Ireland will be announced in late summer ahead of the car's Q4 on-sale date, although we do know standard equipment will be more generous this time around. Audi Ireland has confirmed the A5 will get: Xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights and rear clusters; LED interior lights; Audi MMI Radio plus with a seven-inch MMI colour display; Bluetooth connectivity; a USB charging function; the three-spoke multifunction steering wheel (including paddle shifts on automatic models); height-adjustable belt feeds; Audi Drive Select; and Audi Pre-Sense City.