The Design
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More radiant than ever: the exterior
Sporty harmony and dynamic elegance – even the first-generation Audi A5 from 2007 impressed with a modern design. The second generation from 2016 featured a significantly tauter and honed look. The current update brings additional distinctive accents to the exterior.
The new look of the A5 is much sportier. The Singleframe gets a thicker frame and a honeycomb insert. The ventilation slits above the grille are reminiscent of an Audi icon, the Sport quattro from 1984. A bold blade forms the lower edge of the bumper, which features larger air inlets. Vertical bars divide the inlets into two zones. The air stream flows through the outer zone into the wheel arches, where it is flows past the wheels with little swirl. A redesigned sill that tapers toward the middle makes the car appear slimmer when viewed from the side while also underscoring the highlighting of the wheels. The rear appears wider than before thanks to the new diffuser insert, which encloses the two trapezoidal exhaust tailpipes. A chrome strip above the insert extends over the entire width of the rear end.
New lines, new colors: attachments and paint finishes
The updated A5 family features new equipment lines. Customers have the choice of the basic version, advanced and S line for the exterior. These are freely combinable with not just the basic interior but also the design selection and S line interior packages. With the basic exterior, attachments are painted matt black. The elegant advanced exterior features aluminum silver and titanium black accents on the border of the Singleframe and air inlet frames, the blade at the front and the clasp above the diffuser insert. Upon request, Audi will supplement the advanced exterior with the black styling package and door handles with chrome inlays. The same packages are also available for the sporty S line exterior.
The air inlets, in particular, accentuate the front end. Divided into three segments by thick, silver frames and filled with honeycomb grilles, they come across as independent geometric bodies. The border of the Singleframe is chrome, the insert titanium black. The bold blade is painted in the body color and accented with S line badges. Framed by a circumferential strip in matt aluminum silver and featuring a honeycomb strip, the diffuser insert is even more distinctive.
The Audi A5 Sportback and the Audi A5 Coupé are available in a choice of 12 colors. The solid paint finishes are brilliant black and ibis white; the metallic and pearl-effect choices are district green (new), floret silver, glacier white, Manhattan gray, Navarra blue, mythos black and tango red. The shades Daytona gray, quantum gray and turbo blue are reserved exclusively for the S line exterior package and the S models.
Top version with laser technology: the lighting design
The updated A5 offers a choice of three different headlights. Even the basic version uses almost all LED technology, with the only exception being the turn signals. Matrix LED headlights are the first option. LEDs mounted behind a lens emit fully automatic high and low beams. The control unit, which works together with the onboard camera, can switch the individual LEDs on and off or dim them as necessary. The Matrix LED headlights always illuminate the road brightly without blinding other road users. They also feature a characteristic daytime running light signature and functions such as dynamic turn signals, turning light and cornering light.
The top-level option in the Audi A5 are Matrix LED headlights with Audi laser light. The lower segment includes the laser spot and a large, X-shaped metal aperture with an exposed blue light guide. The laser spot is activated at a speed of 70 km/h (43.5 mph) and further extends the range of the high beam, which already boasts particularly high performance. When the car is locked and unlocked, dynamic light sequencing plays in the headlights and rear lights: Coming Home and Leaving Home.
LED rear lights are also standard equipment in the Audi A5. Turn signals and taillights are located in the upper zone; the brake lights in the lower. The first optional upgrade includes dynamic turn signals. The high-end version adds the Coming Home and Leaving Home animations.
Lean and clean: the interior design
The interior design of the updated Audi A5 is spacious and generous. It is sharply focused on horizontal lines, exemplified by the wide band of air vents and the large application surface below it on the instrument panel. At its center is the standard MMI touch display, the control center of the new operating system. With a depth of only 13 millimeters (0.5 in), it is extremely slender. On the wide, asymmetrical center console, a storage compartment occupies the position of the previous MMI control terminal.
Audi offers four choices for the front seats. Besides the standard seats, there are sport seats or sport seats with ventilation. Topping the line are the S sport seats (only for the S line interior and S model). They offer a wide range of adjustments – power and pneumatic –, seat side bolsters, integrated head restraints, S embossing and a rhombus pattern. Another highlight of the S sport seats is the pneumatic massage function (optionally available for the standard and sport seats).
The steering wheels in the updated Audi A5 feature a three-spoke design and multifunction buttons (including in an extended plus version). Shift paddles for the automatic transmission are standard; heated and flat-bottomed rims round out the program.
Freshly selected: colors and materials
The palette of interior colors offers new shades and combinations. With the basic option and the design selection, the instrument panel can be divided into two color zones. There is a choice of black and granite gray for the dark, upper area and atlas beige, rock gray and black for the lighter, lower section. With the exception of granite gray, these colors are also available for the seat upholstery. Additional choices are okapi brown, cedar brown, manganese gray (new), rotor gray and magma red.
There is also a wider choice of upholstery materials. Cloth is standard. The design selection offers a leather/artificial leather combination with contrasting stitching. The S line interior package includes a combination of cloth and leather, likewise with contrasting stitching plus S embossing. Above that Audi offers the combination of leather and Alcantara for the basic option and the S line interior package. Fine Nappa leather upholstery, the top variant, is reserved for the two lines. The design selection offers additional features besides the seat upholstery. It adds contrasting stitching on the center console and the armrests (both trimmed with artificial leather). The door sill trims have aluminum strips and are illuminated. Edging lines the floor mats. Inlays are Aluminum Ellipse, gray supplemented with elements in black panel look, including a cover over the storage compartment in the center console. The contour/ambient lighting package adds highlights in the dark. Black and gray tones dominate throughout the S line, including the headlining. Pedals and the footrest are made of stainless steel, the inlays of matt brushed aluminum.
Contrasting stitching adorns the steering wheel and floor mats; the illuminated door sill trims sport S logos. The decorative trim comes standard in the diamond paint finish, silver gray. Alternatively, there are embossed Aluminum Ellipse, gray or silver, matt brushed aluminum (for S line or S model), natural gray oak, walnut brown and exclusively for the S models carbon Atlas. The Audi exclusive range from Audi Sport includes additional upscale materials, such as piano black and carbon twill, a fabric that features a special weaving of the individual fibers. There are two alternatives to the standard interior lighting. The first is the ambient lighting package with standard white LEDs; the second is the contour/ambient lighting package (standard with the design selection). It can be set to one of several profiles and any of 30 colors in different zones. Narrow light guides in the door trims and knee pad radiate dramatic contour lighting.
Space concept and body
The A5 Sportback and A5 Coupé each grew in length by 24 millimeters (0.9 in) with the update and now measure 4,757 and 4,697 millimeters (15.6 and 15.4 ft), respectively. The A5 is unchanged with respect to width and height. The Sportback is 1,843 millimeters (6.0 ft) wide and the Coupé 1,846 millimeters (6.1 ft). For vehicle height, these figures are 1,398 millimeters (4.6 ft) and 1,371 millimeters (4.5 ft) for the A5 Sportback and A5 Coupé, respectively. Wheelbase is also unchanged at 2,824 millimeters (9.3 ft) for the A5 Sportback and 2,764 millimeters (9.1 ft) for the A5 Coupé. The Audi A5 Coupé has a luggage compartment volume of 450 liters (15.9 cu ft). In the Sportback, it is 465 liters (16.4 cu ft) – 1,280 liters (45.2 cu ft) with the rear seats folded down.
The Audi A5 is a lightweight car. With the entry-level TFSI, the Coupé (without driver) tips the scales at just 1,455 kg (3,207.7 lb). A structure of hot-formed steels, which combine extreme strength and low weight, forms the strong backbone of the passenger compartment. They are the foundation for the high rigidity of the body, the superior crash safety and the quiet interior free of intrusive noise. The updated A5 models are also excellent performers with respect to aeroacoustics and aerodynamics. The Coupé with the 2.0 TFSI has a cD value of just 0.27.
Price and market launch: sales in Europe beginning fall 2019
The Audi A5 models and the S5 models with a TDI engine and sporty new look can be ordered in Europe from fall 2019. The models will be with dealers starting in early 2020. The base price in Germany for the A5 Coupé 40 TFSI with 12V MHEV and 140 kW is 42,900 euros (combined fuel consumption in l/100 km*: 5.9 – 5.8; combined CO2 emissions in g/km*: 136 – 131). The S5 Coupé (combined fuel consumption in l/100 km*: 6.2 – 6.1; combined CO2 emissions in g/km*: 161 – 160) and S5 Sportback (combined fuel consumption in l/100 km*: 6.2 – 6.1; combined CO2 emissions in g/km*: 162 – 160) start at 66,500 euros.
The S5 Coupé comes standard with popular options from the Audi A5 Coupé valued at approximately 7,700 euros when compared with the A5 Coupé 45 TDI quattro tiptronic with 170 kW (231 hp) (combined fuel consumption in l/100 km* 5.4 – 5.1; combined CO2 emissions in g/km*: 142 – 134). These include Matrix LED headlights with dynamic rear turn signals up front and in the rear, S sport suspension with tautly tuned suspension and damping, 18-inch wheels, power-adjustable front sport seats with Alcantara leather and S embossing, and sportily contoured bumpers.
* Information on fuel consumption and CO2 emissions as well as efficiency classes in ranges depending on the tires and alloy wheel rims used.
All terms marked in the text are explained in detail in the technology lexicon at www.audi-mediacenter.com/en/technology-lexicon.
The equipment, data and prices specified in this document refer to the model range offered in Germany. Subject to change without notice; errors and omissions excepted.