Audi has launched a new A4, and called it the A5. Confused? You shouldn’t be if you’ve been paying attention. Audi has previously said it will restructure its line up and naming system to reflect its range of EV and ICE offerings. Going forward, vehicles with even numbers stand for electrically powered models, and odd numbers are for vehicles with combustion engines.
And so the A5 is effectively the new A4. The other change is the move away from a four-door sedan to the more popular (and aero efficient) five-door hatchback. Although for some reason, Audi is still referring to it as a sedan.
Almost everything. The new A5 is Audi’s first model to use the Group’s ‘Premium Platform Combustion’ (PPC). The A5 is a little longer overall (+67mm) than the old A4, with the wheelbase stretched by 80mm.
Of the styling Audi says the A5 wears ‘modified proportions with a long wheelbase, large wheels and the low, sporty body embody progressive dynamism and premium standards’.
The wagon or Avant, has a ‘dynamic, taut roofline’ while the ‘D-pillars, which are steeply raked, emphasise the dynamic side view of the A5 Avant’. The wheel arches are fairly prominent, and are said to be ‘reminiscent of the Audi Ur quattro and a core element of the Audi design DNA’.
Up front, the wider and flatter grille has a three-dimensional honeycomb structure and is flanked by slim-lined headlights. Digital DRLs are a feature as are second-generation digital OLED rear lights at the rear.
Plenty of course. The interior is all new also, the latest ‘operating concept’ said to ‘increase interaction with the vehicle thanks to the E³ electronic architecture’. The interface consists of the Audi virtual cockpit with a 11.9-inch screen and the 14.5-inch MMI touch display. There is also an optional display for the passenger. That’s to go with the evolved head-up display, which gives the driver yet another option for controlling vehicle and infotainment functions.
With the wheelbase lengthened, rear seat space should improve, although rated luggage capacity has reduced from 480L to 445L in the new sedan/hatchback version. It should be easier to load however via its much larger opening.
Read our Audi RS 4 generations group test
Not yet, but apparently one is coming. Initially, the A5 will use a range of ICE engines supplemented with 48v mild hybrid tech. This Audi says ‘supports the combustion engine and reduces CO2 emissions while increasing performance’. The Germans are calling their mild hybrid unit the ‘powertrain generator’ or PTG, which ‘enables partially electric driving that contributes to a reduction in fuel consumption’. The PTG can add up to 18kW to the combustion engine, though generally it’s the additional burst of torque at low speeds that is the main benefit. Audi says the PTG can enable ‘purely electric manoeuvring and parking’ but to a ‘limited extent’. The 48v system also allows for longer engine off periods when stopped, and without a degradation of the AC operation.
The range at launch offers various tunes of the 2.0-litre TFSI petrol engine ranging in output from 110kW to 150kW, along with an S5 variant with a mild hybrid V6 fronting with 270kW. Quattro AWD returns for the more powerful models. The modes in the Audi Drive Select system are said to offer ‘a wider spread between comfort and sport’, especially for those models fitted with adaptive dampers. And speaking of, the new A5 has the usual chassis improvements including stiffer suspension mounts and a more rigid front axle to deliver ‘connected, progressive steering’.
Further details on the New Zealand launch, including the model line up and pricing are yet to be confirmed.
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