2017 Audi A5 range (2nd Generation)

Driven: Audi's silky-smooth A5 and S5

It's only when you consider that the second generation A5 shares almost zero parts with its predecessor that you realize just how intentional the new model’s evolutionary styling is. Audi had a completely clean slate to work with here, so they could have gone far out with the new coupe’s looks if they wanted to.

Instead they stuck to the formula. A formula originally penned by designer Walter de Silva who said the A5’s gentle contours were his favourite ever. Remember, this is a guy who also drew up the R8, many pretty Alfas and some Lamborghinis before turning from cars to women’s shoes in 2015 (true story), so if the first A5 tops his personal hit list we can understand if Audi’s new design team was uncomfortable venturing too far with the replacement’s design.

The new A5 shares its basic platform with the Q7, Bentley Bentayga and upcoming models like Lambo’s Urus and the next Porsche Cayenne, but as expected it’s also very closely related to the current A4 which was launched last year. This shared MLBevo platform comprises modern materials and assembly techniques, allowing the new coupe to grow slightly in size but still weigh around 60kg less than its predecessor depending on derivative.

Speaking of derivatives, there are many. Unlike the A4 which was introduced in dribs and drabs over the past year as far as engine, drivetrain and spec selections go, the A5 coupe has been delivered to our market in one nine-model heap. Entry point is a front-wheel drive 2-litre turbo with 140kW and 320Nm, followed by a 2-litre turbodiesel (also front-weel drive) with 140kW and 400Nm. Quattro all-wheel drive can be had with the same turbodiesel engine, or with an uprated 2-litre turbopetrol with 185kW and 370Nm. All four of these variants come with seven-speed S-tronic dual-clutch autoboxes (no manuals for now), and are available in either standard or Sport trim.

Both 140kW engine types are equipped with cruise control, Xenon lights, selectable drive modes, a mix of real and man-made leather upholstery, MMI Radio Plus with Bluetooth and a floating central display, tyre pressure monitors and 17” alloys among other features in standard spec. Sport adds 18” wheels, aluminium interior inlays, different bumpers and grille, chrome tailpipes and sports seats. The same applies to the 185kW A5, but here you get electric seat adjustments, a locking centre differential and rear parking sensors in standard trim.

As with any Audi the options list is a long one, so you’ll have to pay in for extras like navigation, a Virtual Cockpit digital instrument cluster, fancier LED headlights, sports suspension, Bang & Olufsen sound, wireless phone charging and a variety of driving aids, which now includes a Traffic Jam assist feature that steers, brakes and accelerates for you at speeds up to 60km/h.

I drove the two front-wheel drive versions at the A5’s media launch last week, where some long stretches between Cape Town and Hermanus perfectly demonstrated this car’s cruising qualities. Neither model will set the tarmac alight, but they hustle along nicely with easy-going, grand touring pace. Cabin quality, in typical Audi form, is absolutely top notch and nicely suited for long distances with excellent wind and road noise cancellation.

But wait, there’s still a ninth model to mention. Along with these eight lesser derivatives comes a high performance S5 which will play top dog of the range until a Porsche-engined RS5 arrives late this year. Here a new 3-litre turbo replaces the previous S5’s supercharged V6, and with 260kW and 500Nm (15kW and 60Nm more than before) it’s easily up to the task of challenging Beemer’s 440i and Merc’s C43 AMG Coupe in pure output. This new motor is silky smooth in both power delivery and soundtrack, and was a delight to blast around the Cape’s flowing B-roads.

As per all Audi S cars, quattro drive is included but in this application is set up with a mechanical centre diff that can throw up to 70 percent of drive to the back axle when rear bias is needed – such as when carving hard through corners on heavy throttle. Handling is also aided by selective torque control, which lightly dabs the brakes on the inside wheels to help turn-in just ahead of curves. An optional Sports rear diff is also available for even more traction, and possibly even a hint of oversteer on corner exits.

The S5 uses an eight-speed Tiptronic (torque converter) gearbox in place of the seven-speed S tronic, in order to handle the new engine’s extra torque according to Audi.

The A5 range will be expanded with a four-door Sportback body style in May, and Cabriolets in July. The 2.9-litre twin-turbo RS5 with 330kW and 600Nm is scheduled for the fourth quarter.

RANGE AND PRICING

ModelPower/TorquePrice

Audi A5 Coupe
2.0T FSI S Tronic140kW/320NmR589 000
2.0T FSI Sport S Tronic140kW/320NmR623 000
2.0 TDI S Tronic140kW/400NmR619 000
2.0 TDI Sport S Tronic140kW/400NmR653 000
2.0 TDI Quattro S Tronic140kW/400NmR652 500
2.0 TDI Sport Quattro S Tronic140kW/400NmR686 500
2.0T FSI Quattro S Tronic185kW/370NmR723 500
2.0T FSI Sport Quattro S Tronic185kW/370NmR757 599
Audi S5 Coupe
3.0T V6 FSI Quattro260kW/500NmR928 000

ALTERNATIVES

Base petrol

Audi A5 2.0T FSI S Tronic140kW/320NmR589 000
Mercedes C200 Coupe auto135kW/300NmR600 726
BMW 420i Coupe auto135kW/270NmR615 596

Mid petrol

Mercedes C300 Coupe auto180kW/370NmR695 922
BMW 430i Coupe auto185kW/350NmR721 626
Audi A5 2.0T FSI Quattro S Tronic185kW/370NmR723 500
Lexus RC 200t EX180kW/350NmR748 900

Base diesel

Audi A5 2.0 TDI S Tronic140kW/400NmR619 000
Mercedes C200d Coupe auto125kW/400NmR643 300
BMW 420d Coupe auto140kW/400NmR670 300

Performance petrol

BMW 440i Coupe auto240kW/450NmR852 176
Audi A5 3.0T V6 FSI Quattro260kW/500NmR928 000
Mercedes-AMG C43 4Matic auto270kW/520Nm R935 282

http://www.iol.co.za/motoring/latest-launches/driven-audis-silky-smooth-a5-and-s5-8436356
 
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Here’s how much the new Audi A5 Sportback costs…

The new Audi A5 Coupé range arrived in South Africa last month (read our first impressions of the S5 here), and now the local arm of the Ingolstadt automaker is preparing to introduce the Sportback model. And, yes, we’ve secured pricing.

Set to be launched in May, the Audi A5 Sportback line-up will eventually comprise nine derivatives, just like the Coupé range. As with its two-door sibling, all models will employ a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission as standard, bar the S5 derivative, which makes use of an eight-speed Tiptronic.

And, you’ll be happy to learn that the addition of two doors doesn’t change the A5’s price-tag one bit, with the pricing detailed below mirroring that of the coupé line-up. For more details on the engine range, see our coupé story here.

The cabriolet version of the A5, meanwhile, is expected to arrive in South Africa in the third quarter of 2017 (most likely in July). And the new RS5 Coupé? Well, it seems Audi SA is keen to bring that in before the end of the year…

Pricing:
Audi A5 Sportback 2,0T FSI 140 kW S tronic: R589 000
Audi A5 Sportback 2,0T FSI 140 kW S tronic Sport: R623 000
Audi A5 Sportback 2,0 TDI 140 kW S tronic: R619 000
Audi A5 Sportback 2,0 TDI 140 kW S tronic Sport: R653 000
Audi A5 Sportback 2,0 TDI 140 kW quattro S tronic: R652 500
Audi A5 Sportback 2,0 TDI 140 kW quattro S tronic Sport: R686 500
Audi A5 Sportback 2,0T FSI 185 kW quattro S tronic: R723 500
Audi A5 Sportback 2,0T FSI 185 kW quattro S tronic Sport: R757 500
Audi S5 Sportback 3,0T FSI 260 kW quattro: R928 000

http://www.carmag.co.za/news_post/heres-how-much-the-new-audi-a5-sportback-costs/
 
Haters will say they look the same

New A5 on the left. Old A5 on the right.
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Nice, but who can afford these cars? I earn a decent salary, but R10K+ for a car installment is out of my reach. Basically single income household.
 
Drifter said:
Nice, but who can afford these cars? I earn a decent salary, but R10K+ for a car installment is out of my reach. Basically single income household.
Click to expand...

Try very close to R20k pm for a base S5! R928k S5 with zero options even though nobody in that price range does that + "common" financing figures used & no balloon gives us just under R20k pm.

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Tested: Audi A5's subtle evolved for a reason

For a motor company that wasn’t previously afraid to shock (or rock) us with designs like the oversized single-frame grille it introduced a few years back, Audi seems to be walking a safer path of ‘quiet evolution’ these days.
That’s certainly evidenced by the recently-launched second generation A5 coupé, cousin to the four-door A4 sedan. Perhaps the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it makeover was partly due to the famous Walter de Silva hailing the previous A5 as the most beautiful car he’d created (above other lookers that came from his pen including the Alfa Romeo 156, Audi TT and Audi R8), and Audi didn’t wish to mess too much with a classic.

Either way, it’s a beautifully sculpted thing, this new A5, and it says much about Walter’s talent that the subtly changed shape still looks as fresh as it did ten years ago. Good design has staying power.

Now the two-door coupé has just been honed with a little more attitude, including a flatter and wider single frame grille and a wave-shaped shoulder line. The car’s also shed 60kg of weight thanks to an intelligent mix of materials, and it slips through the airstream with a segment-leading drag coefficient of 0.25.

The slightly reworked front and rear lights boast the latest technology, with LEDs standard at the rear and optional LED or Matrix LED headlights up front, and the cool-looking sweep-style indicators that also adorn the Audi R8.

The new skin wraps a car that’s undergone significant technology upgrades, and the interior acquires a ‘floating’ 21cm colour screen, a 30-shade ambient lighting system, and the optional ‘virtual cockpit’. Adding a real dose of Star Trek to the cockpit, this fully-digital instrument cluster offers a choice of views, for instance with the odo and speedo minimised against a panoramic navigation map.

The Audi A5 2.0TDI S Tronic Sport version on test here is priced at R653 000 but a lot of the cool stuff costs extra. Apart from the virtual cockpit, the test vehicle was specced up to an eye-watering R828 420 with items like a sportier-looking S-Line exterior package, blind spot detector, parking assist, electric front seats, and navigation, to mention a few.

Another option was the Audi smartphone interface for Apple and Android phones which allows smartphone contents such as navigation, telephone, music and selected apps to be accessed in the car’s menu screen.

A R4 800 option I’d happily pay for was the inductive cellphone charging pad in the central armrest, which conveniently juices-up compatible smartphones without any need for wires.

Interior space in the new A5 has been improved somewhat but it’s still rather cramped in the back seat for adults, and getting there requires the front seats to be tipped forward - that’s the price of opting for the sexy two-door cousin of the more practical A4 sedan. That said, the A5’s boot is a quite voluminous 465 litres - although you have to live with a skinny space-saver spare wheel.

There are four engine versions of the A5 in South Africa: a 140kW petrol turbo, a 185kW petrol turbo, a 140kW diesel turbo, and the flagship S5 petrol turbo which dishes out 260kW.

It’s the diesel version on test here, paired with front wheel drive and a seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch auto transmission. With that 140kW output, combined with a meaty 400Nm of torque, it’s the most powerful iteration of the 2-litre turbodiesel widely used in the VW/Audi family.

It’s a beaut of an engine, laying down effortless performance with great economy and hushed refinement. There’s an initial hesitation in standing starts while the turbo spools up, which cannot be clutch-cured as the car’s an automatic, but beyond that the diesel A5 blitzes distance very effectively. It’s a swift and spirited performer with a claimed 0-100 time of 7.7 seconds and 238km/* top speed that place this diesel Audi into distinctly sporty territory.

Our test car averaged a budget-friendly 7.4 litres per 100km, but never got close to the claimed 4.2 litres.

Audi’s two-door slices through corners with appealingly hunkered-down handling and there are drive modes to change the throttle, gearbox and steering feel to suit situation or mood of the driver. This Sport model gets lower profile 18” wheels compared to the standard version’s 17” mags, which sharpen the handling (and the looks, probably more importantly) but still retain a respectable degree of bump-absorbing comfort.

VERDICT

One could criticise the A5’s too-subtle redesign but Audi has taken the stance that if you look like Halle Berry, there’s no need to mess with the formula except perhaps for small dashes of silicone and botox.

The under-the-skin changes are more significant, with new technology and limousine-like refinement levels.

If your needs are more about style than practicality, the A5 lays on the charm way more than the A4 sedan.

FACTS: Audi A5 2.0 TDI S Tronic Sport

Engine: 2-litre, 4-cylinder turbodiesel
Gearbox: 7-speed automated dual-clutch
Power: 140kW @ 3800-4200rpm
Torque: 400Nm @ 1750-3000rpm
0-100km/h (Claimed): 7.7 seconds
Top speed (Claimed): 238km/h
Price: R653 000
Warranty: 1-year/unlimited km
Maintenance plan: 5-year/100 000km

ALTERNATIVES

Mercedes C200d Coupe auto 125kW/400Nm R643 300
BMW 420d Coupe auto 140kW/400Nm R650 600

http://www.iol.co.za/motoring/road-tests/tested-audi-a5s-subtle-evolved-for-a-reason-9355666
 
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