Audi A5 Sportback (2010)

By Georg Kacher (artist's impression by Larson)

Spy shots

22 April 2008 06:06

Unlike the A7, which is - like the Mercedes CLS and the VW Passat CC - a four-door coupé with a conventional bootlid, the A5 Sportback combines Avant practicality with the aesthetics of an elegant saloon.

The new model shares the wheelbase and length of an A4 Avant, but it is as wide and low as the A5. Despite a variety of S-line packs, Audi has - somewhat surprisingly - backed off from the proposed S5 and RS5 versions of the Sportback. According to those in the know, that's because the Sportback will be priced aggressively to steal market share, rather than act as a low-volume halo product.

Audi A5 Sportback: the engine room

The familiar engine spectrum includes a more powerful 2.0-litre TFSI unit which delivers 211bhp and 258lb ft and an uprated 240bhp 3.0-litre V6 TDI which musters 368lb ft of torque. The modified dual-clutch S-tronic, which has seven instead of six forward ratios, will only be offered in conjunction with quattro all-wheel drive.

What´s so far missing from the A5 Sportback line-up are a hybrid version, a convincing answer to Efficient Dynamics and Fuel Efficiency concepts marketed by BMW and Mercedes, and the first iteration of the VW group's promising combined combustion system (CCS) engine. But it can only be a matter of time...

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