► All-new Audi A5 launched
► Replaces previous-gen A4 saloon
► Petrol, diesel and hybrid options
Audi has announced that its new ICE-champion A5 will cost from £41,950 ahead of first deliveries starting before the close of the year.
The A4 is an all-new petrol- and diesel-powered compact executive car, built on a brand-new combustion-only platform. At a time when most manufacturers have stepped away from fossil fuel saloons to focus on their electric SUVs, it’s positively radical.
The new Audi A5 replaces the A4 in the brand’s line-up, becoming a fresh rival for the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes C-Class. That’s some tough competition, but Audi hopes to set itself apart from its peers with its fancy new 48-volt mild hybrid technology, some clever infotainment tech and a new 3.0-litre V6 engine for the range-topping S5.
However, with progress comes casualties. By converting the A5 into a sensible, practical family hatchback (or estate), Audi has had to sacrifice the old A5 Cabriolet and Coupe. Audi isn’t too fussed, though – the brand told us they were relatively small sellers.
Prices and specs announced
Orders are now open for the new Audi A5, with prices starting from £41,950 for the hatchback and £43,850 for the Avant estate. It comfortably undercuts the starting price of both the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe and Mercedes C-Class, likely aiding its appeal.
There’s a choice of Sport, S line and Edition 1 trim levels across the A5 line-up, with the S5 only available in a top-spec Edition 1 guise.
Sport trim starts from £41,950, with standard features including a 14.5-inch touchscreen, large digital instrument cluster and adaptive cruise control.
S line versions are expected to be the most popular, and start from £44,100. They’re distinguished by the trademark sportier bodykit, larger 19-inch wheels and sports seats.
At the top of the tree sits the Edition 1, commanding a £5,000 price increase to start from £49,100. There are plenty of extras included, though, such as 20-inch trims, Matrix LED headlights and an additional touchscreen for the front-seat passenger.
For the time being the sportier S5 is only available in the Edition 1 trim, costing from £68,700 for the hatchback and £70,600 for the Avant, making it a more expensive alternative to a BMW M440i or Mercedes-AMG C43. How the tables turn. Extra kit for the S5 (over the A5) includes Nappa leather upholstery, ventilated and massaging front seats and a Bang & Olufsen sound system.
Orders for the new Audi A5 and A5 Avant are now open, with first UK deliveries expected in November.
What engines can you have in the new Audi A5?
From launch, buyers will be able to choose from four newly developed engines. Entry-level models are available with two petrol units, both based on the same turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder unit.
One produces 148bhp, while the other has 201bhp. Both units send drive to the front wheels via a double-clutch automatic gearbox as standard, although the latter unit can be optionally specified with quattro all-wheel drive.
Above that is – rather unexpectedly – a 2.0-litre diesel engine. It’s a development of the VW Group’s familiar EA288 unit (which is found in everything from the Volkswagen Golf to the Skoda Superb), and it produces a healthy 201bhp and 295 lb ft of torque. It’s available with the same gearbox and drivetrain options as the 201bhp petrol engine.
At the top of the A5 range is the sporty S5. It features by a turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 engine with 362bhp and 406lb ft of torque. It’s only available with quattro all-wheel drive.
This all sounds rather conventional – but Audi has an ace up its sleeve. The diesel and V6 engines are teamed with its new MHEV Plus system. This is a more advanced version of the 48-volt mild hybrid technology we’re used to seeing in pretty every car on sale.
It has a bigger 1.76kWh battery pack, a more intelligent power management system and two electric motor generators. There’s one mounted in the usual place amongst the engine’s ancillaries, and one yoked to the back of the gearbox.
This second motor is more efficient at harvesting electricity when decelerating – and it can power the car all on its own at speeds of up to 18mph. If you want to learn more about the system, check out our dedicated MHEV Plus explainer page.
There are also two plug-in hybrid models in the works, but we won’t see those until 2025. They’re based on Audi’s 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and will have outputs of 295bhp and 335bhp. Both will also have a maximum electric driving range of more than 100km (62 miles) and battery capacities greater than 20kWh.
Audi has also tried to make the A5 better to drive than the old A4. It gave the new car stiffer front suspension mounts, a redesigned front axle, a new progressive steering system and new tyres. The brand has also paid closer attention to the calibration of its driving modes, dialling in a wider difference between comfort and sport modes.
What’s the new Audi A5’s interior like?
Unlike any previous Audi, that’s for sure. The infotainment system, for example, is a stark departure from the brand’s previous generation combustion cars. Like BMW, Audi has designed a new dual-screen setup that combines a digital gauge cluster and central touchscreen under one giant piece of curved glass.
The former display measures 11.9 inches across, while the latter sizes up at 14.5 inches. Audi also offers an extra 10.9-inch display for the passenger side of the dash as an optional extra, which can be used for helpful things such as setting nav instructions, or selfish things like watching YouTube. Plus, you can use the screen on the move without distracting the driver thanks to a clever polarised filter.
We’ve poked around the car in the studio and, we have to say, Audi’s new infotainment system is very impressive. It doesn’t feel quite as polished as BMW’s system, but it’s definitely ahead of Mercedes’ technology.
The graphics are crystal clear and the processors are lightning fast, so there’s very little lag when swapping between screens. We thought the menu design already looks a little dated, though – to our eyes, the fonts and layouts are too similar to the outgoing Q5.
It’s roomy, too. The new A5 is 67mm longer and 13mm wider than the old A4 – and its wheelbase is 80mm longer than its predecessor. That means there’s a lot more space inside for passengers. We sent a six-foot staffer to the car’s preview event, and he had a solid four inches of knee room and enough foot space to tap dance in.
The rear seats are surprisingly comfortable, too. They’re more heavily bolstered than your average compact executive saloon and they have a very low hip-point which means your thighs are well supported. They’re also slightly staggered against the front seats, affording those in the back a clearer view out of the windscreen.
Is it practical?
Yeah. You get 445 litres of boot space in the standard A5 and 476 litres of space in the Avant. That’s quite a bit less than the 480 litres you get in the BMW 3 Series saloon, but the Audi’s boot has a hatchback rather than a traditional boot lid, which means it’s easier to load luggage into the space.
Crucially, you barely lose any space by opting for one of Audi’s (eventual) PHEV models. The battery is packaged into a cavity carved into the boot floor – and it only trims capacity by 28 litres. That’s way better than the Mercedes C300e PHEV, which loses a whopping 140 litres of luggage space to its battery pack.
Has Audi done anything else unusual?
At the preview event for the A5, Audi wheeled out its light designer to walk us through all the weird and wonderful things the brand has achieved with its head and taillights. Much like MINI with the new Cooper and Countryman, the Audi A5 has a range of configurable lighting signatures that can be tweaked from inside the car.
The A5’s daytime running lights and taillights are made up of loads of little OLED crystals, which can be ignited and extinguished to create a range of patterns. There are eight choices for both the front and rear lights.
The most unusual pattern is a gently flickering design for the taillights. At a distance, the design looks like a solid stream of light but, as you draw closer, you notice each crystal is slowly fading in and out of phase. Audi also tells us the design is powered by an algorithm that ensures the same pattern is never repeated.
Rather ironically, considering the Audi driver stereotype, there’s also a dedicated safety-focused pattern for the taillights that will flash if the car behind is following too closely. Sadly, the same function hasn’t been added for the headlights.