Audi A5 Coupe Range Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Car: Audi A5 Coupe range
Prices: £24,095-£39,655 - on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 15-19
Emissions: 134-288g/km
Performance: [S5] 0-60 4.9s Top Speed 155mph (electronically limited)
Fuel Consumption: [2.7 TDI] (urban) 34.4mpg / (extra urban) 48.7mpg / (combined) 42.2mpg
Safety: Twin airbags, side & curtain airbags, ABS, stability control
Dimensions: length/width/heightmm 4625/1854/1372

AUDI’S COUPE DE GRACE

Our Rating: 7.6 / 10

Having finally developed a bigger coupe than the TT, Audi, with its two-door A5, has all the tools to take on BMW’s 3 Series Coupe. Andy Enright reports

Audi is getting serious about building drivers’ cars. The Ingolstadt company’s RS4 and R8 models were first evidence of this, as was the second generation TT. All these models however, were very much niche-marketed. Only with the launch of the A5 coupe has the German marque’s latest philosophy filtered down into a car that more mainstream buyers can both conceivably justify and afford.

There will be many potential buyers who look at the A5 and mistake it for a swoopy two door version of the A4. Understandable but flat wrong. The key is what Audi call the MDS platform, and it forms the underpinnings of the A5 as well as the next A4, A6 and A8 models. The significant thing about this chassis is that Audi’s engineers have shifted the front axle as far forwards as possible and shunted the engine and gearbox as far back as they can. For years, chassis engineers have known that bringing weight to the centre of the car improves its responses and agility, which is why Formula 1 cars and all serious supercars have their engines mid-mounted. More recently, engineers have explored the concept of the ‘front mid-engined’ car, that is, a car with the engine ahead of the driver but behind the line of the front axle. It might sound techy but it offers real benefits.

As the company that popularised four-wheel drive sports cars, Audi has developed a reputation for innovation and design. Therefore, it was imperative for it to start divorcing itself from what was seen as a rather old-fashioned and suboptimal chassis layout. The A5 has finally broken that mould. The steering system has been redesigned to offer better feel, five link front suspension helps optimise balance and a there’s the familiar quattro drive system. This abandons the stodgy old 50:50 distribution in favour of a sportier 40 per cent front and 60 per cent rear torque split. It’s just another example of the way Audi really is getting serious.

There are three diesel engines offered, a 170bhp 2.0TDI, a 190bhp 2.7 TDI teamed with a multitronic gearbox and a manual 3.0-litre TDI that can manage 240bhp, resulting in a 0-60 time of just 5.7 seconds. Opt for petrol power and the choice is mouth-watering. There are 180 and 211bhp 2.0 TFSI engines which sit under a 3.2-litre V6 with a hefty 262bhp and 330Nm of torque. This model will hit an electronically-limited 155mph top speed and jet to 60 in 5.9 second

Leaving aside its radically improved chassis, the most significant factor for most buyers will be the simple fact that here at last is an Audi coupe that real people with legs and a head will be able to sit in the back of, something that could never really be said of the TT. Despite the attraction of the TT’s styling, this one caveat was enough to send many potential buyers down the road, only for them to return with Mercedes CLKs or, more frequently, BMW 3 Series coupes. The A5 will seat four adults in reasonable comfort and still leave room for 455 litres of boot space.

The styling is reminiscent of the Nuvolari concept car, first shown in 2003, albeit with a good deal more shape in its flanks, the wavy beltline that runs from the headlights right back to the tail lights being the car’s most distinctive feature. The interior is cleanly styled too, with the fascia looking a lot cleaner than some contemporary Audi models, the cowled dash now neatly incorporating the centrally mounted display screen. As with all Audi models, build quality seems peerless with beautifully damped controls and top-drawer materials used throughout. Expect a convertible version to follow.

The A5 range is now very close to being a model for model rebuttal of the 3 Series coupe. In it’s favour is the fact that it looks a little longer and appears a bigger, more substantial car. Cabriolet versions are also available and Audi can offer customers seeking extra practicality a five-door Sportback version.

A5 models include as standard 17-inch alloys, Milano leather upholstery, an MP3 compatible CD stereo, acoustic parking sensors, xenon lights, light and rain sensors and an automatic opening boot. Go for the S5 and it comes with 18-inch rims, S sports suspension and nappa sports seats, bigger brakes, carbon fibre interior detailing and an S body styling pack. Options include a revised Multi Media Interface with DVD satellite navigation and a smart key that can store servicing information.

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