Reviews
Gallery 1
Superbly styled exterior of Audi’s new coupe shows off Ingolstadt’s metal pressing skills.
WHAT IS IT? Two-door four-seater addition to Audi’s growing ‘B9’ generation of mid-sizers. It’s built on the same MLB Evo platform as new A4 sedan, Avant and Allroad quattro.
WHY WE’RE TESTING IT It’s almost ready for launch in Europe, but Australia will have to wait until next year for the Audi A5/S5 Coupe. The international launch in Portugal provided our first chance to find out if has more going for it than those looks.
MAIN RIVALS The BMW 4 Series Coupe and Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe ranges provide the obvious competitors for the regular A5 Coupe line-up. Most obvious rival for the S5 Coupe is the turbo 3.0-litre, six-cylinder powered BMW 435i.
PLUS: Exterior design; interior quality; performance of S5 Coupe MINUS: Stiff ride of A5 Coupe; rear seat headroom
THE WHEELS REVIEW Frequently – and justly – Audi is praised for the precision and beauty of its interiors. Now, with the new A5/S5 Coupe, hymns to Ingolstadt’s mastery of metal will need to be composed. To run a finger along the join between the four-seater’s clamshell bonnet and its front guards is to encounter pressed perfection.
Yet this is just one detail – perhaps the most outstanding – to be savoured. This coupe is a real looker. Compared with the visually bland A4 sedan and Avant wagon (very close under-the-skin relatives), the coupe is a richly detailed and lusciously proportioned feast for the eyes. It is surely one of the best looking shapes to emerge from Audi’s design studios in recent times.
With the local launch so far off, Audi Australia has not yet finalised its A5/S5 Coupe line-up. A spokesman said the company is aiming for prices similar to current models, although there will be some adjustments to the line-up.
It’s likely the slow-selling 2.0 TDI turbo diesel variant will be dropped and that a 140kW front-drive 2.0 TFSI will be the least expensive model in the range. While there will be a 3.0 TDI quattro, the choice between 160kW and 210kW versions of the turbo diesel V6 is yet to be made.
While the new A5/S5 Coupe’s external dimensions are very close to the previous generation, there’s a little more room inside the two-door. While the slight increases in cabin length and shoulder room are welcome, rear-seat headroom in the Coupe remains tight. Anyone taller than, say, 180cm will find the Coupe’s rear seat headroom insufficient.
For looks, the A5 Coupe rides lower and stiffer than the new A4 sedan and Avant built on the same MLB Evo platform. The ride of the A5 Coupe 2.0 TFSI quattro was noticeably stiffer. While it was acceptable on Portuguese roads, it may prove a shade too brusque on Australia’s often second-rate blacktop.
Strangely, the supposedly sportier S5 Coupe had a more rounded ride than the A5 Coupe 2.0 TFSI quattro. With 260kW on tap, acceleration is in a different league. Audi’s new turbo 3.0-litre V6 is a refined and torque-rich propulsion unit. And the car’s chassis has the quattro-enhanced grip and handling finesse to make the most of it.
Setting new Standards
New A5/S5 Coupe’s standard equipment will be better than the current car. Audi has made a number of across-the-board upgrades that go into everything rolling off the Ingolstadt production line. These include front seatbelt feeder mechanisms, Audi’s Drive Select system, LED rear lights and Xenon headlights (with different grades of LED headlights either standard or optional, depending on model)
SPECS Model: Audi S5 Coupe Engine: 2995cc V6, dohc, 24v, turbo Max power: 260kW at 5400 to 6400rpm Max torque: 500Nm at 1370 to 4500rpm Transmission: 8-speed auto Weight: 1690kg 0-100km/h: 4.7 sec (claimed) Fuel economy: 7.4L/100km (European combined cycle) Price: $125,000 (estimated) On sale: First half 2017
