- Olga Kokorina
- Translated by Olga Apetenok
- Ru He Fr
Audi A5. Treat yourself
The Audi A5 is a family of sports cars, including a classic coupe, a four-door Sportback coupe and a convertible. The A5 is developed on the basis of the Audi A4 sedan and belongs to the luxury market segment. In the first generation, such models as BMW 4 Series, BMW 3 Series Coupe (until 2013), Mercedes E-Class Coupe and Mercedes CLK (until 2010), Infiniti G Coupe and Q60 competed with it. The A5 series models marked the long-awaited return of the German brand to the mid-size coupe market, in which Audi was represented until 1996 by the Audi Coupe (B3/B4) based on the legendary Audi 80.
The austere charm of the Audi A5 attracts the attention of movie makers. The car was featured in many TV series: the Eighth Sense, Shameless, Cool Dudes, Widow, Karma, Cape Town and others, as well as in such action movies as the Bourne Ultimatum, Transformers: Age of Extermination, the Tracker (2019, with Dolph Lundgren) and others.
In our humble opinion, the Audi A5 is one of the most beautiful cars in the history of Audi. Before its birth, the Germans could only offer an Audi TT to those who were looking for a practical but stylish sports coupe, while its competitors, BMW and Mercedes, had several interesting options. As a result, the A5 has turned out to be powerful, sporty, dynamic and sophisticated.
The first generation
It was produced from 2007 to 2016. The first Audi A5 is built on the new Audi MLP (Modular Longitudinal Platform) for the next A4, A6 and A8 generations. The nice thing about that platform was that now the engine was located behind the front axle, and not in front of it, which provided a more even weight distribution between the front and rear axles (52:48). The car could be a liftback, a coupe or a convertible. The five-door liftback was 4,712 mm long, 1,854 mm wide and 1,391 mm high. The wheelbase was 2,810 mm, the ground clearance did not exceed 120 mm.
The first A5 borrowed a number of elements from the Nuvolari quattro concept and debuted with a 3.2-liter FSI V6 engine producing 265 hp. The car featured new technologies of that time: variable valve timing in the 3.2 FSI engine, multimedia information system, quattro all-wheel drive, LED daytime running lights, xenon headlights, premium Bang & Olufsen sound system, etc.
The range of engines included petrol and diesel engines. Thus, the cars could be equipped with the 1.8 TFSI turbocharged in-line 4-cylinder direct injection petrol engines with 170 hp, 2-liter TFSI 180 and 211 hp engines and two atmospheric V-shaped engines (6-cylinder 3.2-liter 265 hp and 8-cylinder 354 hp). The cars could also come with a 2-liter 168 hp engine, two 2.7-liter 6-cylinder V-shaped engines with 187 hp and a 3-liter engine with 237 hp.
The Audi A5 is one of the most beautiful cars in the history of Audi.
The model was also produced in a front-wheel drive version, with a 6-speed manual or Multitronic CVT and 1.8 and 2 liter engines. Multitronic is notable for the fact that the drive in it was controlled by a more reliable chain, and not by a belt. The versions featuring more superior engines, starting from a 2-liter one, were equipped with an S tronic dual-clutch transmission. All-wheel drive was installed by default on powerful modifications, and with a 2-liter engine it was an option. The basic equipment included an intelligent climate control system, an audio system with a CD player and 8 speakers, 17-inch alloy wheels, electrically adjustable and heated door mirrors, disc brakes on both axles, 6 airbags, heated front seats and much more.
In 2011, the car was restyled. Equipment and engines were upgraded and improved. The models acquired a more attractive exterior.
The second generation
It has been produced from 2016 to the present, and was restyled in 2019. The second generation Audi A5 is also available in three bodies.
On September 7, 2016, the online presentation of the five-door A5 Sportback coupe took place. The whole world saw the car with a new, ‘sharper’ exterior, a new interior, modernized equipment and modern expanded functionality. The new Audi A5 turned out to be sporty, energetic and exquisite. It still belongs to the European D-class. The liftback is 4,733 mm long, 1,843 mm wide and 1,386 mm high, with a wheelbase of 2,824 mm. The interior of the A5 Sportback is dominated by purity of lines, which combines excellent build quality and high-class finishing materials (expensive plastics, wood, leather, Alcantara and aluminum inserts). Needless to say, the ergonomics are impeccable. The trunk has a volume of 480 liters.
The second generation cars offer two petrol and two diesel engines. Thus, they can be equipped with a 2.0-liter turbocharged TFSI engine with 190 hp or 252 hp or a 2 and 3 liter TDI diesel engine generating from 190 hp to 286 hp. All 2-liter units can be paired with a 6-speed manual transmission (in select markets) or a 7/8-speed S Tronic/Tiptronic, which is standard on the 3.0 TDI. Factory option for the A5 is the S line package, which consists of a sportier front bumper, a diffuser on the rear bumper and S line badges on the front fenders. Depending on the engine power, the maximum speed of the second generation Audi A5 Sportback is 235-250 km/h, and it takes 6-7.4 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h. The petrol versions consume 5.6-5.9 liters of fuel in the combined cycle, while diesel ones consume 4.4-4.6 liters per 100 kilometers.
The famous quattro all-wheel drive is combined with a Torsen center differential, designed to share traction. In normal mode, 60% is given to the rear axle, while the remaining 40% is transferred to the front axle. If necessary, up to 75% of the thrust is transferred to the front or up to 85% to the rear. The modernized MLB platform, known as MLB evo, has an independent suspension scheme: a double wishbone at the front and a five-link (!) suspension with four upper levers at the rear.
2019 restyling
In 2021, Israeli buyers have a chance to purchase the Audi A5 after the 2019 restyling. The car has a retouched exterior, featuring new bumpers, a wider radiator grille with a ‘honeycomb’ structure, modified lighting technology. The basic headlights are now LED, and there are optional matrix optics and even laser-phosphor high beam sections. The virtual instruments on the 12.3-inch screen are now standard. The new MMI media system with a 10.1-inch touchscreen is more advanced. The control unit with the washer was removed from the central tunnel (there is a compartment for small items instead of it), so from now on you can control the multimedia system through the touchscreen or by giving voice commands. As for equipment changes, basic 150 hp engines have been removed from the range.
