2017 AUDI A5 COUPE

Normally when I drive a new car into the townhouse complex where I live neighbours have a casual glance to see what car I’ve just picked up, then go back to whatever they had been doing.

Not so with the bright read Audi A5 coupe; it stopped a five-way conversation, pulled all eyes in its direction and got folks wandering over to have a closer look and a chat.

Audi continues to push hard in the Australian market, with its sights on BMW and Mercedes in every possible area of the new-car sales race. Audi A5 and S5 in two-door coupe format have just been joined by a five-door Sportback. A convertible will be introduced later in the year.

The best news about the two coupe models is that prices have been cut by as much as $15,000 when compared equipment-to-equipment with superseded models. The range begins with the A5 2.0 TFSI petrol S tronic at just $69,900. Our test car was the A5 2.0 TFSI S tronic with quattro drive, with a recommended price of $81,500. There’s also an A5 2.0 TDI diesel quattro S tronic priced at $73,900.

Topping out the range is the full-on S5 3.0 TFSI quattro S tronic, which is still pretty reasonably priced at $105,800

Dealer and government charges have to be added to these figures. It’s probably too early to ask a dealer to throw in part of their pre-delivery work at no charge to you. But Audi’s German head office is pretty keen to have Australian sales increased so you might just be in with a chance.

STYLING
The body is all-new and is as sleek as ever, but now has a sharper, edgier look that ties in neatly with the new A4 range and, to a lesser extent, the recently launched Q2.

A feature we really like is that the ‘third’ brake light extends almost the full width of the roof of the car. Not sure if it really grabs any more attention, but it sure looks good.

Inside the new A5 range there’s the typical Audi attention to detail, with quality materials and neat touches to the shaping of all areas.

INFOTAINMENT
The central 8.3-inch touchscreen gives extensive access to the MMI system. It has navigation plus; Audi connect; LTE data transmission; and wi-fi hotspot.

Apple and Android smartphones are catered for. What Audi calls a ‘phone box’ provided the added convenience of inductive charging for your smartphones. At an added $455 it’s not exactly cheap – but is the sort of feature that will impress those you show your new car to…

A $1950 Bang & Olufsen Sound System with 3D sound, 19 speakers and 755 Watts of power was installed in our test A5. It provides stunning sound clarity and range.

ENGINES / TRANSMISSIONS
Power comes from significantly improved versions of the now superseded turbo-petrol and turbo-diesel engines. The 2.0-litre four-cylinder TFSI unit comes in two versions, one produces up to 140 kW and 320 Nm, the other 185 kW and 370 Nm. The only turbo-diesel offered in Australia is a 2.0 four-cylinder with 140 kW and 400 Nm. Automatic transmissions are a seven-speed double-clutch

DRIVING
Audi A5 and S5 coupes are virtually A4 sedans with sports bodies. The latest coupes are slightly larger than in their previous generation and can carry four adults in reasonable comfort. However some sharing is needed if the driver and the occupant behind them are both tall. This isn’t a criticism as these are coupes, not family sedans. Perhaps you could call it a 3+1 rather than a 2+2?

Handling is impressive, even in A5 not S5 format, with plenty of road grip thanks partly to the quattro all-wheel-drive system. We also sampled a front-drive model during the media launch of the pair of coupes in Tasmania a few months back and it’s no slouch in the handling department

Steering feel is too light for our tastes and there’s not as much feedback through the wheel as we prefer. You can sample this for yourself during your private pre-purchase test drive, as we have spoken to Audi owners who like the feel of other models just the way it is.

Ride comfort is excellent when you consider these are sporty models and have plenty of road grip. The seats support well and these Audis make very good long distance tourers.

Road noise can be obtrusive on dirt roads as well as on Australia’s notorious coarse-chip sealed roads. Other than that there’s a real feeling of serenity of the sort you don’t always get in sports coupes.

All Australian imports of the new A5 have Audi’s virtual cockpit. This gives the driver a choice between which instruments or readouts they want to focus on. It’s now included in the price of the A5. Naturally the S5 also gets it, this time with a choice of three displays, not the two in the A5.

SUMMING UP
Audi’s latest A5 range will sell on style alone, it really is a stunner. However, there’s also plenty going for it in the powertrain department, and road grip is impressive. It’s hard to see it not clawing its way a fair bit up the sales ladder.

AT A GLANCE

MODEL RANGE
A5 2.0 TFSI S tronic two-door coupe: $69,900
A5 2.0 TDI quattro S tronic two-door coupe: $73,900
A5 2.0 TFSI quattro S tronic two-door coupe: $81,500
S5 3.0 TFSI quattro S tronic two-door coupe: $105,800
Note: These prices do not include government or dealer delivery charges. Contact your local Audi dealer for driveaway prices.

SPECIFICATIONS (Audi A5 2.0 TFSI S tronic two-door coupe)

ENGINE:
Capacity: 1.984 litres
Configuration: Four cylinders in line
Maximum Power: 140 kW @ 4200 rpm
Maximum Torque: 320 Nm @ 1450 rpm
Fuel Type: Petrol 98ROM
Combined Fuel Cycle (ADR 81/02): 5.5 L/100km
CO2 Emissions: 125 g/km

DRIVELINE:
Seven-speed automatic

DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length: 4673 mm
Wheelbase: 2770 mm
Width: 1846 mm
Height: 1353 mm
Turning Circle: 11.5metres
Kerb Mass: 1565 kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 54 litres

BRAKES:
Front: Ventilated disc
Rear: Solid disc

STANDARD WARRANTY:
Three years / unlimited km