Audi Significantly Updates the A5/S5 and A5/S5 Sportback

Audi A5/S5 | The Audi A5/S5
Audi A5/S5 Sportback | The Audi A5/S5 Sportback

Audi Significantly Updates the A5/S5 Sportback and A5/S5 Coupe

Audi Japan announced on January 7th that the mid-size four-door coupe A5/S5 Sportback and the two-door coupe A5/S5 Coupe have been significantly refreshed and will go on sale from January 13th (TDI models are scheduled for February or later).

Text by HARA Akira

Exterior Design Greatly Updated with New Powertrains

With this model change, the exterior design has been significantly updated, and the grade structure has been set as Advance/S line.

Audi Significantly Updates the A5/S5 and A5/S5 Sportback | Audi — Audi A5

The exterior features a honeycomb mesh grille, bonnet slits reminiscent of the classic "Audi Sport Quattro," and body-integrated side skirts on all grades. The Advance trim is positioned as even sportier than the previous S line, equipped with large front blade lips and matrix LED headlights as standard. The S line incorporates design elements from the powerful RS 5. Furthermore, a laser light package, a first for Audi in this class, is available as an option for all A5/S5 grades.

The interior debuts the latest MIB 3 infotainment system. The central touchscreen is a 10.1-inch unit, enhancing operability and achieving a simple, clean cockpit design. The S line/S5 models feature a new black glass look console panel and artificial leather (center console/door armrests), further elevating the sense of quality. Advanced assistance systems supporting driver safety and comfort have also been enhanced, including standard Audi pre sense city with pedestrian detection and adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assist.

The powertrains have also been renewed. The 45 TFSI quattro features a 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder direct-injection turbo engine combined with a 12V mild-hybrid system (MHEV). It utilizes an enhanced AWD clutch quattro all-wheel-drive system and a 7-speed S tronic transmission. This configuration improves energy recovery efficiency and achieves fuel economy while maintaining comfortable driving by completely shutting off the engine during coasting.

Additionally, clean diesel engine models are now available for the A5 series for the first time. The Sportback offers the A5 Sportback 35 TDI, a front-wheel-drive model equipped with a 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder direct-injection turbo diesel engine and a 12V MHEV. Furthermore, the 40 TDI quattro, featuring a high-output 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder direct-injection turbo diesel engine with quattro all-wheel drive, is available for both the A5 Sportback and A5 Coupe.

The powertrain for the S5 Sportback and S5 Coupe, high-performance versions of the A5 series, combines a 3.0-liter V6 turbo engine producing 260 kW (354 ps) and 500 Nm of torque with an 8-speed Tiptronic transmission and quattro all-wheel-drive system to deliver its full performance. The damping control S sport suspension ensures agile handling. The exterior features S model-specific honeycomb mesh singleframe grille, front and rear bumpers, air inlets, and newly designed 19-inch alloy wheels. The interior comes standard with S sport seats (with massage function) in Alcantara/leather (diamond stitching).

New exterior colors for the A5/S5 series include District Green metallic, and for the S5 and S line exclusively, Quantum Grey and Turbo Blue.