New Audi A5 revealed – Goodbye A4

Audi has revealed the next-generation A5 which will completely replace the A4 family as part of the automaker’s evolution towards an electric future.

Hence, the upgraded A5 is available in sedan and Avant (estate) body styles, and it is the first model to be launched on the brand’s new Premium Platform Combustion (PPC) architecture.

It is being rolled outing Europe starting this July, however, the local arm of Audi has yet to confirm when South Africans will be able to get their hands on them.

In Germany, the starting price for the new A5 is set at €45,200, equating to R890,000 at current exchange rates. The current-generation A5 starts at R860,100 in South Africa, so we expect the next-gen model should fetch close to R1 million once it reaches our shores.

What’s new

The next-gen A5 has grown in length and width courtesy of the PPC foundation and it boasts an entirely new design language underscored by a significantly flatter grille with a three-dimensional honeycomb structure, slimmer LED headlights angled slightly upwards to shape the face of the vehicle, and sizeable air intakes that provide a sporty aesthetic.

It also features what Audi calls a “soft nose integrated into the bumper” which allows the hood to be “flush” with the front end.

At the back, the A5 wears a continuous, three-dimensional light strip akin to the A7 ending in sleek OLED taillamp clusters each featuring 60 individual segments, complemented by a new rear bumper with a dark diffuser and rectangular exhaust tips.

In the sedan, the rear hatch now also opens with the rear window and allows considerably easier access to the luggage compartment.

The cabin of the Audi was similarly overhauled with a new layout focused on “the needs of its users.”

Headlining changes in the passenger cell include a new curved panoramic display atop the dash comprising an 11.9-inch instrument cluster and a 14.5-inch infotainment screen.

As an optional extra, buyers can now install a 10.9-inch front passenger display, too, as well as an upgraded heads-up display that for the very first time allows the driver to control certain vehicle functions.

Under the hood, the A5 is equipped with a variety of turbo-petrol (TFSI) and turbo-diesel (TDI) powertrains.

The entry-level model gets a 2.0-litre TFSI mill generating 110kW and feeds power to the front wheels via a seven-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission. It is also available as a 150kW model in which it can be specified with the quattro all-wheel-drive system.

Fuel usage for the 110kW option is listed at 6.6-7.5l/100km and for the 150kW at 6.6-7.7l/100km.

Next up is a 2.0-litre TDI that puts out 150kW and channels drive to either the front or all four wheels. Fuel consumption for this unit comes in at 4.7-5.5l/100km.

At the top sits the 3.0-litre, V6, TFSI which is reserved for the S5 models.

The setup generates 270kW and is exclusively paired with the quattro system and the more refined S tronic gearbox, resulting in an average consumption of 7.4-7.7l/100km.

The TDI and V6 TFSI drivelines both benefit from the fitment of a new 48-volt powertrain generator (PTG) that assists with reducing CO2 emissions by as much as 17g/km, improving fuel consumption by up to 0.74l/100km, and providing smoother acceleration from standstill through 18kW of boost.

Furthermore, when decelerating, the PTG feeds energy back into the battery at up to 25kW.

As a result, purely electric maneuvering and parking are possible to a limited extent, and, thanks to the option of using an electric air conditioning compressor, the air conditioning system can be operated when the vehicle is stopped at traffic lights and the combustion engine is switched off.

The A5 also sports a new integrated and blending-capable brake control system (iBRS), allowing the brake pedal and the hydraulics to be completely decoupled.

In models with the PTG system, this achieves the necessary deceleration without using the friction brakes thanks to regenerative braking, meaning deceleration is initially achieved solely by recuperation and the friction brakes only kick in when the brake pedal is pressed harder.