Get used to hearing about the Audi A5 estate – it takes over from the A4 as the brand’s BMW 3 Series rival.
Given that many of us still refer to X as Twitter and to Starburst as Opal Fruits, Audi changing the A4’s name to A5 might take some getting used to. It comes as Audi repositions its range, with odd-numbered badges being used for engine-powered cars and even numbers being used for electric ones – hence the new Audi A6 e-tron and Q6 e-tron.
On the face of it, the new A5’s basic points are the same as the outgoing A4. There’s a choice of saloon or estate body styles and a tech-filled interior, plus petrol and diesel engines. But look closer and the changes are pretty thorough.
2024 Audi A5 prices and specs
An Audi A5 in Sport trim with the entry-level petrol engine costs £41,950. That buys you 150hp as well as a large infotainment system, multi-zone climate control, adaptive cruise control and self-parking ability. The estate body style is £1,900 more.
S Line and Edition 1 trims sit above, with increasingly sporty styling and increasingly large alloy wheels. Edition 1 also gets an additional touchscreen for the front passenger, Matrix LED headlights, a top-view camera and electrically adjustable front seats. Buy the S5 Edition 1 and Audi also throws in Nappa leather upholstery with front seat ventilation, a B&O sound system and digital OLED tail-lights with eight different design options.
Stepping up from Sport to S Line costs £2,150, and Edition 1 is an extra £5,000 on top. A5 Avant estate models start at £43,850 and rise to £57,525, while the S5 starts from £68,700.
The range is available to order now, with first deliveries planned for November.
Interior
The Audi A5 has more screens than a small-town cinema. You’ll immediately notice the ‘Digital Stage’ – a curved OLED display featuring a 14.5-inch touchscreen and an 11.9-inch example of Audi’s Virtual Cockpit digital instrument cluster. As mentioned, a third screen is available for front-seat passengers, which features a privacy mode so whatever’s being displayed doesn’t distract the driver.
Audi refers to the A5 as a saloon, but it's actually a hatchback like the outgoing A5 Sportback. A fastback, you might say. Changing from a saloon bootlid to a hatchback tailgate has multiple benefits – it's cheaper to build, more efficient and easier to load bulky items into the boot.
Engines and platform
Under the bonnet, little has changed in the switch from A4 to A5. You’ve a choice of a 2.0-litre petrol engine – with 150hp or 204hp – or a 204hp 2.0 diesel. That’s it. Only the diesel gets mild-hybrid technology and there’s no plug-in hybrid in the lineup, which will surely disappoint company-car drivers.
Four-wheel drive is available on the diesel engine, and a seven-speed automatic gearbox is the only option across the range.
Meanwhile, the high-power S5 swaps its diesel engine for a 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine, producing 367hp and enabling a 0-62mph time of just 4.5 seconds. The S5 also gets the 48V mild-hybrid system and four-wheel drive, plus a sport differential with torque vectoring – a bit of tech that’s been borrowed from the fantastic Audi RS3. S5 Edition 1 models – the only one available at launch – also get adaptive sports suspension that gives you the option to adjust the firmness to favour comfort or cornering.
The A5 sits on a brand-new platform, called PPC, that’s only going to be used for engine-powered Audi models. Not for any other VW Group brands. Integrated within it is Audi’s new ‘MHEV Plus’ system, which is a reworked attempt at normal mild-hybrid arrangements.
So, alongside the usual belt-driven starter generator, Audi has developed a ‘drivetrain generator’ behind the gearbox, which is responsible for scooping up power when the car is slowing down. This is a more efficient way of harvesting energy, and contributes to a 10g/km reduction of carbon dioxide output from the 2.0-litre diesel.
More noticeable is that the A5 can run on electric power alone at low speeds, so it’ll probably feel more like a ‘full’ hybrid system. You’ll be able to park or manoeuvre without waking the engine.
Shop used Audi A4 cars and Audi A5 cars for sale or read our Audi reviews.
