The four rings

Audi A5 Avant: she is the real alternative (hybrid and also diesel) to the usual SUVs

The heir to the A4 bets mainly on company fleets with a mix of sportiness and technology. Efficient, low-emission engines

by Federico Cociancich and Simonluca Pini

22 October 2024

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4' min read

4' min read

After 30 years of honourable service, Audi says goodbye to the A4 which, especially in its station wagon configuration, was the reference for those who needed a comfortable and elegant family car and for large companies that chose it as part of their fleets for agents. In its place is the new A5, sportier and equipped with the latest technology in terms of engines, safety and on-board entertainment.

A sportier, more modern design

Compared to the Audi A4, the A5 offers a sportier design, the saloon incorporating the characteristic styling cues of a coupé, primarily the strongly sloping roofline and the tail section culminating in the body-integrated spoiler, while the (electric) tailgate evokes the Sportback variants of the mrand. No less muscular is the Audi A5 Avant (i.e. the station wagon): the side view is characterised by the strongly sloping D-pillars and the roof spoiler.

Audi has chosen to give its customers the opportunity to 'play' with their lights: thanks to LED matrix headlights at the front and small oled panels at the rear, it is possible to change the light signatures by choosing from eight variants that can be modified directly from the infotainment system. A solution already seen on the Q6 e-tron, with which it shares many digital architectures.

Audi A5: tutte le foto del debutto in strada
Photogallery26 foto

The motorisations

The new A5, produced in Germany at the Neckarsulm plant, is the first car from the four rings based on the Premium Platform Combustion (PPC), the modular platform expressly designed for cars with a longitudinal front combustion engine. Available in the saloon and station wagon (Avant) variants, it will have new interesting petrol engines: a 2.0 Tfsi engine with 150 hp (110 kW) combined with the 7-speed S tronic dual-clutch transmission, also available in the 204 hp (150 kW) configuration, and the new 2.0 Tdi, also with 204 hp, and equipped with 48 Volt MHEV plus technology, which supports traction and helps to contain consumption and emissions. At the heart of the system is the powertrain generator (PTG), which is integral to the transmission and consists of an electric motor, power electronics, a dedicated cooling system and an on/off actuator. The manufacturer claims up to 10 per cent lower emissions and fuel consumption compared to the previous generation of powertrains.

The hi-tech interior

Spacious and elegant as you would expect from a car of this type, the new A5 impresses with what the manufacturer calls the digital stage: three LED displays in series, two of which are curved and one dedicated specifically to the passenger (it is not visible to the driver) that dominate the dashboard. The three screens of 12, 14.5 and 11 inches are controlled by the new E3 1.2 electronic architecture (where E3 stands for End-to-End Electronic Architecture), which allows all vehicle functions to be controlled and is characterised by extraordinary computing power.

How it goes on the road

We tested the new A5 in the hills near Nice, France, and in Vairano, Italy. In both cases where we were able to appreciate a remarkable dynamism, even more than the over 200 horsepower we were impressed by the 400 Nm of torque that the hybrid engine is able to deliver with responsiveness. The long wheelbase (2.9 metres), sports suspension with a lowered stance and active dampers together contribute to ensuring perfect handling at all times despite particularly adverse weather conditions. Another element that impressed us was the progressive, variable-assist, power-assisted steering, standard throughout the range, which now has a noticeable influence on the driving dynamics of the new A5: light and fluid in manoeuvre, it maintains great precision as speed increases without becoming excessively stiff.

Designed for fleets

Tested, as mentioned, around the Vairano track, in the 204 bhp 2.0 Tdi version, the A5 Avant showed its potential for those who use the car as a real mobile office. Because if from the track we could only marginally appreciate the clearly improved dynamics with respect to the A4, starting with a steering that is finally communicative, during the journey we have the potential of the system based on Android Automotive OS but above all of the E3 1.2 electronic architecture that makes possible, among other functions, the application of artificial intelligence with ChatGPT and a truly efficient voice control. All this underlines the focus on the fleet world, supported by the Audi for Business programme.

Audi A5, wide choice

Why the name change? Audi has chosen to reorganise the numbers of its cars to make them immediately identifiable: odd numbers for thermal models (and plug-in hybrids), even numbers for electrics (i.e. Q4 e-tron, Q6 e-tron, Q8 e-tron and the forthcoming A6 e-tron).The Audi A5 will be available with the Business, Business Advanced and S Line Edition trims: the S in evidence on the seats and on the door sill of this version should not, however, be confused with the Audi S5, the version at the top of the range and with a marked sporty character. The Italian market has so far proved sensitive to the appeal of the station wagon versions (85%) with front-wheel drive (70%).

The sporty Audi S5

The sporty and exclusive S5, which is also available in both sedan and Avant body styles, is equipped with the high-performance 3.0-litre V6 TFSI engine with 367 hp, supercharged via a single variable geometry turbocharger and featuring MHEV plus technology. In this case, the four-wheel drive is associated with a rear sports differential that actively distributes torque between the two wheels for the benefit of reduced understeer and greater agility.

Availability and Prices

Audi A5 will be available at dealerships from November 2024 with prices starting at just over 50,000 euro for the saloon and 52,550 euro for the Avant. The station with 204 hp 2.0 tdi engine and S tronic transmission will be the most interesting for the Italian market and will start from a list price of almost 60 thousand euro.

Audi S5, the sports version with a V6 3.0 TFSI engine and 367 hp will have a starting price of over 83,200 euro for the saloon and 85,600 euro for the Avant version.