Vorsprung durch Technik has been Audi's slogan for as long as I can remember. It means Progress through Technology and it's a very solid slogan, no fault in that. But as with any slogan it has to represent the product which carries the brand name.
What comes to the A5, however, the progress has been slow. The A5 has been with us since 2007 and almost a decade later Audi has finally unveiled its second generation model. Of course the first generation has gone through many changes over the years but I don't count adding two extra doors and calling it the sportback as progress. With this new generation Audi stays with the same recipe as with the first A5. Audi only made it sharper and more elegant. And whose to blame them. The A5 is a big success in the, what should we call it, executive coupé segment.
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| Second generation Audi A5 in (guessing) Manhattan gray. |
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| This was a show car and had only 5 kilometers on the clock. |
I can imagine when this car comes on sale later this year and you catch a glimpse of it in the wild you may not even notice it's the new gen. You may even need to look up again and state to yourself "Oh it's the new A5" and then continue doing your lawful business. Lets say the changes are not revolutionary. But it does follow through with the promise of making the A5 look sharper and more elegant. The lower one piece grille and angular headlights coupled with the longer bonnet it does look sportier than the out going version. The headlights are Matrix-LED lights which are highly advanced and adaptable, but they do not come as standard. The lower and wider stance is achieved with a longer wheelbase and flared wheel arches. I have constantly nagged about Audi never restyling their cars bravely enough and I don't think they've done it here either. Now, however, I accept the direction Audi is going with and it works for their cars especially this and the new A4.
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| The profile stays the same. Sorry for the truly awful picture. |
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| Not a dramatic interior but simple and elegant, I like it. |
Inside Audi has updated it to their current range of cars. It has the new virtual cockpit dashboard but only as an option. The screen in the center console no longer sits in a dark crevice but almost on top of the dash which gives the interior a much more modern and sleeker look. As expected all the materials are top end and expecting nothing to fall off anytime soon.
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| The show car had the top trim specification with the virtual cockpit. |
Since I'm no licensed car journalist I haven't been able to drive the new A5 which means I can only give you technical headlines. The engines available for now are two 2.0 litre TFSI-engines with the top one having 252 hp. The S5 has also been confirmed and it will have the now S-range established 3.0 litre turbo V6 putting out a brisk 354 hp. It seems that the smooth naturally aspirated petrol V6 has been dropped which is sad. And then there are some diesels, but who would want a diesel in a sporty coupé. Apparently many since Audi offers three different diesel-engines. The power goes through a six-speed manual or the optional 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox which is said to be excellent.
Audi has been quite conservative what comes to the new generation A5. The look and especially the profile of the thing is broadly the same. It is more modern for sure which is what we were wanting anyway so who should complain. What was it that Audi's slogan said again...?
