A5/S5/RS5 Official: Audi A5 Sportback

Petrol Range:

2.0 L TFSI - 211 hp, 350 Nm
3.2 L V6 - 265 hp, 330 Nm

Diesel Range:

2.0 L TDI - 170 hp, 350 Nm
2.7 L TDI - 190 hp , 400 Nm
3.0 L TDI - 240 hp, 500 Nm

[Source: Car Scoop]

This should be an interesting car, it is starting to look good - much better than I expected.

I am just curious to know why they went for the 3.2 V6 instead of the 3.0TT engine from the A6.... if I am correct I am sure I read somewhere that Audi was not planning to introduce a S5 Sportback, so that engine would have been ideal.

What I can't get my head around is why are Audi positioning this car below the S4 by using the 3.2 V6 engine, when the whole ethos of a four door coupe is to provide a coupe/sport like driving experience to four passengers with the convenience of four doors.........?

That is unless they have plans to retain and re-tune the current S5 Coupe 4.2 V8 engine for a 400hp+ S5 Sportback sometime in the future, perhaps to sit the S5 Sportback somewhere between the S4 and S6.

I think I may have just answered my own question, however can anyone shed light on why Audi have gone this route as it seem to go against the grain of the current re-positioning of the S4/S5?

PRESS RELEASE
Ingolstadt, 2009-06-17


The new Audi A5 Sportback
As elegant as a coupe, as practical as an Avant

The brand with the four rings leads the pack with a new vehicle concept: The Audi A5 Sportback combines the best of different automotive worlds. It is as emotional and elegant as a coupe, as comfortable as a sedan, and as practical as an Avant. The Sportback joins the Coupé and Cabriolet as the third member of the A5 model family – and at the same time creates a new segment. With an exciting design, great everyday utility and highly efficient and powerful TFSI, FSI and TDI engines, the A5 Sportback will arrive at Audi dealerships in September. The car will be open for ordering with an entry price of EUR 36,050 for the 2.0 TDI version. A version with an even more attractive price will follow in the middle of 2010. This will make the A5 Sportback the entry model for the A5 model range.

The A5 Sportback represents a milestone in car design. The five-door coupe excels in its elegant, elongated, sporty profile. The large hatchback fits perfectly into the tail-end styling. The spoiler lip and the diffuser insert provide contrast and emphasize the athletic tautness of the elongated contour. The coupe-like silhouette is the result of a roof section with a long, tapering roofline that is moderately lower by 36 mm (1.42 inches) than the A4 Sedan and of the short overhangs at the front and rear as well as the long wheelbase of 2,810 mm (9.22 feet) and the four frameless doors with their slim, dynamic window styling. The unusual hatchback design is distinctively emblematic of the vehicle's excellent functionality. With the Sportback, the designers of the Avant are setting trends in tail-end design while combining sportiness, comfort and utility in a completely new way.

The unique functional concept in conjunction with the emotion-packed design creates a cutting-edge mix of coupe and Avant. The baggage volume of 480 liters (17.0 cubic feet) nearly equals that of the A4 Avant, and it has an impressive 980 liters (34.6 cubic feet) with the rear seatbacks folded down.

The A5 Sportback provides a full measure of comfort on all four seats and convenient entry and exit through every door. Despite the fact that its exterior height is less than that of the A4 Sedan and that its roof tapers at the rear, the Sportback has comparable headroom and legroom.

The powerplant of the A5 Sportback is another advance along the path of innovative technologies Audi has been charting: All engines are of the direct injection type – the diesel versions are sophisticated common rail TDI units while the gasoline engines are based on the FSI concept. All engines meet the EU5 exhaust emission standard. The diesel versions are equipped with particulate filters.

Initially the A5 Sportback will be available with a choice of two gasoline and three diesel engines. The two gasoline versions, the 2.0 TFSI quattro with an output of 155 kW (211 hp) and 350 Nm (258 lb-ft) of torque and the 3.2-liter V6 quattro generating 195 kW (265 hp) are both equipped with the Audi valvelift system. This feature can produce more power and higher torque as well as lower fuel consumption.

The following engines are also available right from the start: the 2.0 TDI with 125 kW (170 hp), 350 Nm (258 lb-ft), a 6-speed manual gearbox and start/stop system, the 2.7 TDI with 140 kW (190 hp) and 400 Nm (295 lb-ft), and the three-liter V6 TDI with 176 kW (240 hp) plus an enormous 500 Nm (369 lb-ft) of maximum torque and quattro all-wheel drive.

The newly developed ESP control with electronic differential lock on the front axle ensures noticeably improved steering response as on the Coupé and Cabriolet and compensates effectively for change-of-load reactions - which increases driving safety.

The perfect addition to this technology package is the Audi drive select dynamic driving system – this allows the driver to choose between three different modes which influences the throttle response characteristics, the shift points for the seven-speed S tronic or multitronic transmissions, and supports the servotronic steering. If the vehicle is equipped with the MMI operating system, a fourth, freely programmable level is also available.

Audi drive select can only be ordered in conjunction with one or more of three additional technologies – adaptive shock absorber control, dynamic steering with continuously variable assistance and quattro with sport differential for the 3.0 TDI and 3.2 FSI versions.

Source: Audi AG

Designer Commentary w/Sketches

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YouTube - New Audi A5 Sportback 2010 Sketch

BlaZain said:

This should be an interesting car, it is starting to look good - much better than I expected.

I am just curious to know why they went for the 3.2 V6 instead of the 3.0TT engine from the A6.... if I am correct I am sure I read somewhere that Audi was not planning to introduce a S5 Sportback, so that engine would have been ideal.

Click to expand...

What I can't get my head around is why are Audi positioning this car below the S4 by using the 3.2 V6 engine, when the whole ethos of a four door coupe is to provide a coupe/sport like driving experience to four passengers with the convenience of four doors.........?

That is unless they have plans to retain and re-tune the current S5 Coupe 4.2 V8 engine for a 400hp+ S5 Sportback sometime in the future, perhaps to sit the S5 Sportback somewhere between the S4 and S6.

I think I may have just answered my own question, however can anyone shed light on why Audi have gone this route as it seem to go against the grain of the current re-positioning of the S4/S5?

Click to expand...

Because the 3.0T in the FL A6 is the 3.0T in the S5 cabriolet, which is the engine which will replace the 4.2V8 in the S5 coupe and most probably the sport back!

Looking very promising so far!

Smooth subtle lines with a sloping back, not a hunch like the Porsche

Just curious, why are they doing a fastback variant of the A5/S5 rather than of the A4?

Looking at BMW's thinking of coming up with new niche variants, they have:
X6: a coupe-like variant of the X5 (ie: sportier take on the X5)
5er GT: a coupe-like variant of the 5er wagon/touring (sportier take on the 5er touring)
upcoming 3er GT: a coupe-like variant of the 3er wagon (sportier take on the 3er touring)
BMW CS concept: a coupe-like variant of the 7er (sportier take on the 7er -- I know it has been cancelled)

The main theme here is that the new niche variants are a sportier interpretation of a standard/core model.

Looking at this A5 Sportback, it is a sportier interpretation of an already sporty car... hence why I wonder why they didn't do a sportback of the A4 (unless that's in the works as well). Is the A5 fastback supposed to be a sporty-wagon variant of the A5/S5?
I understand this variant from a profit-making perspective, but not too sure about it from a design & purpose point of view.

Beemer B773ER said:

[...] Looking at this A5 Sportback, it is a sportier interpretation of an already sporty car [...]

Click to expand...

I don't think that's Audi's intention... I think the sportback is a more practical interpretation of the already sporty A5. Practical due to 4 doors, but remaining sporty. This way the A4 can remain the traditional sedan.

Plus from marketing point of view, they can charge more when badged A5 instead of A4.

I thought Audi was getting ride of the anemic 3.2L V6?

M

IMO Audi is doing what Mazda and Ford have been doing for ages, but with more style and more marketing 'hype'. Take the Mazda 6 for example, they have the sedan, hatchback, and the wagon. Audi has the A4 sedan and wagon already, now they have a hatchback in the form of the A5 sportsback. Calling it a A5 instead of the A4 is like MB calling the new CLK the E-class coupe.

Is this sportsback going to be more, or just as expensive as the normal A5?

Monster said:

Is this sportsback going to be more, or just as expensive as the normal A5?

Click to expand...

Audi.de shows that the normal A5 2.0 TDI starts at EUR 36,750 (including VAT), 30,882 without.

Press kit states EUR 36,050 for the 2.0 TDI version... but I'm not sure it includes VAT.

VroomVroom said:

Because the 3.0T in the FL A6 is the 3.0T in the S5 cabriolet, which is the engine which will replace the 4.2V8 in the S5 coupe and most probably the sport back!

Click to expand...

After reading the scoop the first question that came to my mind was why didn't Audi use the de-tuned 3.0T power plant from the A6 instead of the 3.2 V6 if an 'S' model is not planned. (I know that's an assumption but I am basing it on some past Audi release behavior - all previous A5/S5 variants have been announced simultaneously if I am not mistaken).

Having had a little time to try and think about this from Audi's perspective it became clear why a 'S' Sportback would make absolutely no sense four Audi to produce, why produce it when most people would ultimately buy the cheaper/equivalent performance S4 Sedan. On the flip side, why would Audi want to potentially hurt A6 3.0T sales as it approaches the end of its life for this body iteration.

Then it it hit me, and please do correct me if I am wrong, was there not a rumor going around recently that Audi would not be producing the RS4 this time around?

Dare I say it - What if the Sportback was actually destined to skip being an 'S' model to avoid model confusion with the S4 and went straight to 'RS' status.

Under this scenario the 3.2 V6 makes perfect sense - to me at least.

So far I like it very much. Mind that the press release states that quattro rear sport differential will be available on the two high end models, which is great news (especially if there is no S5 Sportback). This makes it the first time this new differential is being offered on a non-S model. Also note that they mention the new "electronic differential" for the front wheels, which is basically a reprogrammed ESP acting like a differential by braking one of the wheels when needed. Such a system has recently been employed by some manufacturers like Alfa with their e-Q2. While obviously not as good as a mechanical one, this one has the advantage of not adding any additional weight to the front. So basically you could get an A5 Sportback quattro with a rear electro-mechanical differential and an electronic front differential with a very good front-to-rear balance - all should add up and really make a difference in the handling department.
BMW should be worried. S4 with sport differential got rave reviews.
The only disappointment indeed is the 3.2 V6 engine.

Any more pics?

^^^ Why should BMW be worried???? They are hard at work with all sorts of projects, and the competion is still reacting to the normal 335i, a car BMW stopped working on years ago.

...as practical as an Avant.

Click to expand...

That's a lie. I don't care how "similar" demarcated boot volume is to that of the A4 Avant, there's more than a little fib going on here because manufacturers don't quote for the amount of cubic volume afforded by a wagon-box above the roll-on cover.

At 480 litres the boot volume is exactly the same as that of the A4 sedan. What Audi could've (more accurately) said was, "it is as practical as an Avant because it has the same boot capacity as the A4 sedan" and this would've been laughable.

The Avant quoted at 490 litres - but we all know that the Avant is far more capacious and hence practical when it comes to loading outsize items or loading the pet labrador in the back. You can't do this with an A5 Sportback. Marketing spin.

The Audi A5 Sportback is the exact same car as the A4 Sedan. Except that it's going to look ever-so-slightly different.

Of all the latest raft of fashionable (and debatably necessary) crossovers this Audi A5 Sportback is by far the most gratuitously superfluous. Let the debate ensue..

Of course once you remove the cover it will not have the same volume of an Avant. That itself is obvious, since it would be physically impossible. It is, however, more practical than a sedan, since in a sedan you cannot even remove the top cover. For example, you cannot (and of course, shouldn't ) put a dog in the trunk of a sedan. You can do so in a Sportback. Same as with any inanimate object that protrudes beyond the covered dimensions of a trunk. You could lower your seats in a sedan for this, but then you lose extra seating or storage space for other things.

klier said:

^^^ Why should BMW be worried???? They are hard at work with all sorts of projects, and the competion is still reacting to the normal 335i, a car BMW stopped working on years ago.

Click to expand...

Because the differences are getting blurred. The next 3 series arrives 2012 or 2013. The FL has come and gone and the rear differential is still not being offered as an option. Maybe it will on the coupe. I hope so. Because even though I am a BMW fan (I own a 3 series, after all), if Audi approaches (or by some accounts surpasses) the segment leader in handling, then my next car is an Audi.
They might play it safe with their design language, but in most cases it works. BMW is more daring, but I can find more little things that bother me than on Audi at the moment.

Wow, that looks pretty hot. I'm definitely hopeful about this car. I like the regular A5, but find something of a let down in its green-house shape, this might fix that.

To note, and I'm surprised nobody's noticed this yet, but that kinked C-Pillar looks IDENTICAL to the Accord Coupe's, like as in, I though to myself upon first view "why the hell does GermanCarForum have an Accord Picture up"?

All brand stuff aside, the Accord Coupe has a great looking greenhouse and C-Pillar IMO, kind of BMW'esque, so my eyes can't say it's a criticism.

The A5 is not on the same level as dynamically as the 3er.

T. has seen this car when they were "queueing up" to use the Photovoltaic Pergola in Barcelona ,

Audi with the A5 Sportback , R8 Spyder , Mercedes-Benz with SLS , Volvo with the updated C70 , And BMW with something that will not be seen until September.