The all-new Audi A5 has officially been unveiled! This new model replaces the A4 and A5 in the German automaker’s line-up, and is the first car in its portfolio to be built on VAG’s PPC.
We had the opportunity to sample the Audi A5 ahead of any public test drives/media reviews, and here are some initial thoughts after about an hour with the Edition 1 variant!
What’s Powering This?
Peel back its long bonnet and you’d find a 2.0 litre four pot. Which, like most cars from VAG, is turbocharged. And this is no vanilla four banger – Audi has fitted it with the fifth generation EA888, the same motor that is used to power iconic hot hatches such as the CUPRA Leon and the Golf R.
But the motor has obviously been retuned for this application. It doesn’t pop or crackle, instead choosing to deliver power in a smooth and linear fashion. Most of its 201 bhp is accessible in the mid-range, with the car pulling strong when you manually toggle through the gears.
In the short preview drive we had with the A5, the car felt refined and smooth, and was generally unbothered by minor imperfections in the road. It certainly is one of the softer Audis (I’ve not had the chance to sample the A8) we’ve driven in recent years, managing to do so without hurting its corner-ability.
Distinctive Yet Recognisable Looks
It may be subtle, but it is clear that Audi is starting to reimagine its iconic Singleframe grille. This may have started with their electric cars – with no need for huge amounts of cooling, the grille is less a necessity, and more of a design feature.
And the same can be seen here. It is very obviously a grille in this application, but it is no longer as large or as imposing as Audis of old. Said feature now lives harmoniously with the lower valence, with the vents on either side of the front bumper.
It also comes with aerodynamic flush handles, a reimagined rear lightbar, and scallops on the bonnet. Distinctive it most definitely is, and it does so without coming across as tacky or overdone.
A Fresh Cockpit
The curved combined infotainment screen and gauge cluster really makes the interior of the A5 feel modern and up-to-date. All of the graphics have also been overhauled, simplified and made to feel more distinctive.
Audi has reduced the number of visible buttons in the car, choosing to integrate several of its functions into a single control pad on the driver’s door. But that isn’t to say that you’d have to faff through various sub-menus to access various options.
There are still physical controls in the centre stack, and hotkey shortcuts on the infotainment screen. The car certainly feels like an Audi on the quality front, with expensive feeling and smelling leather used throughout the cabin. In the Edition 1, you also get a heads up display, and the Bang and Olfusen sound system.
Cabin space is generally decent, though taller passengers can feel a touch cramped in the back – a panoramic glass roof will do wonders in giving a greater sense of perceived space in the interior of the car!
A Detailed Review Will Follow
These are our initial impressions of the all-new Audi A5. A detailed, and far more thorough, review will follow – so do stay tuned to our site and our socials for when that is ready!
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