As elegant as a coupe, as practical as an Avant, the new Audi A5 Sportback is said to combine the best of different automotive worlds. It is claimed to be as emotional and elegant as a coupe, as comfortable as a sedan, and as practical as a wagon.
The Sportback is essentially a four-door version of the current Audi A5 model, joining the Coup and Cabriolet as the third member of the A5 family.
Perhaps predictably, Audi is proclaiming the A5 Sportback represents a milestone in car design. The four-door coupe excels in its elegant, elongated, sporty profile. The large hatchback fits perfectly into the tail-end styling. The spoiler lip and the diffuser insert provide contrast and emphasize the athletic tautness of the elongated contour. However, it's simply a four-door hatchback.
The coupe-like silhouette is the result of a roof section with a long, tapering roofline that is moderately lower by 1.42" than the A4 sedan, and of the short overhangs at the front and rear as well as the long wheelbase of 9.22ft, and the four frameless doors with their slim, dynamic window styling.
The unusual hatchback design is emblematic of the vehicle's functionality. With the Sportback, the designers of the Avant are setting trends in rear-end design while combining sportiness, comfort and utility in a completely new way.
The functional concept in conjunction with the emotion-packed design creates a cutting-edge mix of coupe and Avant. The luggage volume of 17cuft nearly equals that of the A4 Avant, and it has an impressive 34.6cuft with the rear seatbacks folded down.
The A5 Sportback provides a full measure of comfort on all four seats and convenient entry through every door. Despite the fact its exterior height is less than the A4 sedan and that its roof tapers at the rear, the Sportback has comparable headroom and legroom.
All engines in the A5 are direct injection - the European diesel versions are sophisticated common-rail TDI units, while the gasoline engines are based on the FSI concept. All meet the EU5 exhaust emission standard. The diesel versions are equipped with particulate filters.
If the Sportback is brought to the US, we could expect to see the 2.0 TFSI quattro with an output of 211hp and 258 lb-ft of torque, as well as the 3.2-liter V6 quattro generating 265hp, both are equipped with the Audi valvelift system. This feature can produce more power and higher torque as well as lower fuel consumption.
European version with get Audi drive select, which can only be ordered in conjunction with one or more of three additional technologies - adaptive shock absorber control, dynamic steering with continuously variable assistance and quattro with sport differential for the 3.0 TDI and 3.2 FSI versions.