No, this isn't an Audi A4 — it's the new Audi A5 in naming rejig
Does this mean an all-electric A4 e-tron is on the way?
Do not adjust your screen — the car you are looking at is not an Audi A4, but the all-new Audi A5, available in regular saloon (it’s a fastback, actually) and Avant estate forms, and with a high-performance S5 derivative available, too.
Yes, after 30 years and five generations, Audi has decided to re-think its naming policies so that all of its electric vehicles (EVs) are even-numbered, while anything with internal-combustion power becomes odd-numbered.
And as the new A5 is propelled by a variety of mild-hybrid (MHEV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) drivetrains, it meant the model could no longer be called the A4. This is going to make used Audi buying on Auto Trader a nightmare.
Indeed, you will soon see a similar-sized EV to this A5 from Audi, which will be called the A6 e-tron – which, in turn, will see the car known as the A6 previously become the A7. Still following?
Longer and more upmarket
Styling-wise, the boot badge may be different but the A5 is recognisably the latest take on the A4, Audi’s compact executive-car challenger in the same market segment as the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes C-Class.
Audi has loaded plenty of high-end tech and equipment into the new A5 family, as well as making the car 67mm longer, 16mm taller and 13mm wider to push it further upmarket.
It also has an additional 80mm between the front and rear wheels (the wheelbase), which results in greater passenger space in the rear of the car.
Two body styles will be available for both the A5 and the S5, these being the Avant and then what Audi is calling a saloon.
However, while it might look like one in profile, as with the related Skoda Octavia the new A5 has a large hatch that hinges up near the roof, making it into a big fastback more accurately than it is a saloon.
This makes it relatively commodious and easy to access. The A5 comes with 445 litres of boot space as standard, rising to 1,299 litres with the rear row of chairs folded away.
The equivalent stats on the A5 Avant are 476 and 1,424 litres, so the estate isn’t that much more commodious but the straighter roofline will be more practical for load-lugging.
For comparison, the outgoing A4 saloon and Avant held 480 and 505 litres, respectively.
Eight different ways to light up your life
Stylistically, the A5 is a gentle evolution of what came before. Many Audi distinguishing features designed to subliminally make you think of quattro all-wheel drive, such as the “Singleframe” radiator grille and flared wheel arches, are carried over.
What the company seems to be most proud of, however, are the new LED front, Oled rear light signatures.
Owners can choose from eight different designs of these to personalise the appearance of the car’s exterior at night as they see fit.
In one setting, the triangular elements of the Oled rears even pulse individually at different rates, which gives the back lights a liquid, moving appearance. This, apparently, is road-legal in all markets where the Audi is going to be sold. Audi was the first to introduce “sweeping” indicators, you may remember.
Other touches include a full-width light strip on the tailgate and, for the S5 models, bigger alloy wheels, more aggressive-looking bumpers and body styling, plus the prerequisite Audi S hallmark in the form of quad exhausts at the rear.
Digital love
As you’d expect of an Audi, it all looks supremely high-quality within, in terms of material finish and the general ergonomics of the car, but those who like physical switches for their climate controls will be disappointed — all the A5’s heating and ventilation is managed by a strip on the central touchscreen.
This huge 14.5in item is blended into a massive “Digital Stage” construct that also houses the 11.9in instrument cluster of the new A5’s cabin.
It’s a look that echoes the company’s existing e-tron EVs, and you can expect to see it virtually unchanged in forthcoming model lines from Audi such as the A6 e-tron and the next-generation Q5 family SUV.
Above and to the side of the Digital Stage are yet more screens, either as standard or optionally, including a configurable head-up display for the driver and, at extra cost, something seen in recent Porsche models — the 10.9in front passenger display.
Remember, Audi and Porsche are related, as they’re both part of the Volkswagen Group, so this additional screen for the passenger side of the main fascia is not such a surprise in the A5.
Hybrids are the order of the day
Power, at launch of the A5, will come from a series of MHEV drivetrains. There are petrol models, badged TFSI, which develop either 148- or 201bhp, as well as a TDI turbodiesel that matches the latter output.
All of these are 2-litre four-cylinder units, with seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmissions as standard. The lower-powered TFSI petrol will be front-wheel drive, while the 201bhp cars will be either front-drive or available with the option of quattro all-wheel traction.
Alongside the A5s will be the S5. This is the sporty model, with a 362bhp 3-litre V6 giving plenty of performance — if not fuel economy. Expect 38.2mpg from this one at best, with no lower than 167g/km of CO2 accordingly.
For reference, the petrol A5s manage up to 42.8mpg depending on which output you go for, while the TDI diesel will do up to 60.1mpg with CO2 as low as 124g/km.
PHEVs to follow… and an RS 5, too?
Following on from this raft of launch cars, Audi will introduce two PHEVs, one with 295bhp and another with an S5-rivalling 362bhp, and both will have a big enough battery pack that they’ll be able to drive for more than 62 miles on electric power alone.
It’s also not beyond the realms of feasibility that we’ll see even higher-performance models of the A5 line than the S5, meaning there will surely be an RS 5 along soon.
Finally, Audi says it has made the front suspension mounts and steering of the A5 family stiffer than that of the old A4, so it should be sharper to drive without sacrificing any comfort or refinement when on the move.
Prices for the new A5 range are yet to be confirmed, but an Audi UK spokesperson unofficially told us that the line-up will start at around £42,000, with a roughly £2,000 premium for opting for the Avant body over the saloon/fastback.
Trim lines will then follow the familiar Sport, S line and Edition One hierarchy, with the latter replaced by a Black Edition in the fullness of time.
Related articles
- If you found news on the new Audi A5 interesting, you may want to read our review of a prototype of the updated Audi S3
- You might also like to read our review of the BMW M3 Touring
- Have you seen the interior of the 2024 Audi Q6 e-tron?
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