In addition to the earlier revealed Audi A5 and S5 Coupe, Audi have now taken the wraps off the new 2017 Audi A5 and S5 Sportback. The second generation Sportback – the five-door version – is one of the four major releases of Audi at the 2016 Paris Motor Show.

Dynamic photo, Color: Scuba Blue
Dynamic photo, Color: Scuba Blue

Key aspects of the new A5 Sportback is a completely reengineered suspension and a range of innovative driver assistance systems. The S5 gets a brand new six-cylinder turbo engine with 354 hp and 500 Nm of torque. What’s interesting in regards to cleaner driving is Audi’s A5 ‘G-Tron’ offering, which customers can run on either Audi e-gas, natural gas or gasoline.

In terms of design the recent exterior trends have also found their way to the new A5 Sportback meaning minimal change and a slight refinement of the car’s edges and main design lines. It looks closer related to the Audi A4 than ever before with minor space improvements for passengers on the inside.

Detailed information says that the Sportback’s interior length has grown by 17 mm, the shoulder room for both the driver and front passenger has increased by 11 mm, and the rear knee room is more royal by 24 mm. The fresh interior design looks more neat and clean, adopted from the A4 with Audi’s latest digital and infotainment tech such as the virtual cockpit.

Interior
Interior

Like the new Q5, the A5 Sportback also comes with the optional ambient lighting letting customers choose from 30 different interior colors. Additionally there is 480 liters of luggage space available, a clear premium over the space available in the Coupe version.

The comprehensive package of driver assistance systems combines different technologies that enhance safety, comfort and efficiency. Part of this package are adaptive cruise control, Stop&Go including traffic jam assist, the predictive efficiency assist, collision avoidance assist, turn assist, park assist, cross traffic rear asist, active lane assist and Audi side assist.

The Sportback’s new suspension features a redesigned five-link construction replacing the trapezoidal-link rear suspension that formed the suspension’s base in the A5 Sportback predecessor. The new electromechanical power steering module first introduced on the A4 also makes its way to the new A5 Sportback with dynamic steering remaining an option.

Under the hood we can find two TFSI and three TDI engines at the introduction of the A5 and S5 Sportback. The line up of engines have a power range of 190 hp (140 kW) to 286 hp (210 kW). This reflects an overall power increase of 17% compared to the outgoing model, while reducing the car’s fuel consumption by an average of 22%.

Available transmissions are the six-speed manual, seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch and eight-speed tiptronic automatic transmission. Completely in Audi fashion power is diverted to the front wheels as standard, with Quattro all-wheel drive technology available as an option in both standard disguise and with new ‘ultra’ technology. Quattro AWD comes standard with the 3.0-liter TDI six-cylinder (286 hp).

Performance-wise the S5 Sportback impresses with a 0-100 km/h speed of 4.7 seconds. The powerful turbo-charged V6 tops out at an electronically limited 250 km/h (155.3 mph). The S5 comes at a significant premium but features plenty of equipment as standard that is marked optional for the conventional A5 Sportback. This equipment includes Quattro AWD and the eight-speed tiptronic gearbox.

From a zero-emission perspective the introduction of the g-tron powertrain to the A5 Sportback is interesting. It comes with a 2.0-liter TFSI four-cylinder engine that develops 170 hp (125 kW) and runs on either Audi e-gas, natural gas or gasoline.

We will see the new Audi A5 and S5 Sportback appear in showrooms in Germany and the rest of Europe by the start of 2017. The new A5 Sportback starts from €37,800 in Germany while the base price tag of the S5 Sportback reads €62,500. If you are interested in reading about our experience with the 2017 Audi A5 and S5 Coupe, make sure to go here.

Static photo, Color: Ara Blue
Static photo, Color: Ara Blue

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