2017 Audi A5 Coupe first drive review
Design hasn't always been core to the Audi brand.
You could argue it wasn't a top priority for the former champion of boxy sedans until the original Audi TT Coupe arrived in the 1990s, establishing the manufacturer as a genuine leader in the style stakes.
The brand went on to establish one of the most recognisable faces on the road, placing the bold "shield" vertical grille on every model in the range including its groundbreaking R8 supercar.
Critics could argue it then took a conservative approach - the Audi range has been likened to a single style of shoe available in various sizes - leaving rival marques to push style boundaries a little further.
It was important, then, that the new A5 Coupe looked right.
The original A5 was one of the most handsome cars in its class, with elegant proportions, clean lines and unmistakably Audi details that made it a winner at home and abroad.
Audi's new coupe follows its example with bolder bodywork - exaggerated Coke-bottle hips, a muscular stance and a facial expression described by its design team as confident, but not aggressive.
The proportions are timeless, and there are clever details everywhere you look.
A power dome over the engine flows out and back from the Audi badge like the wake from a yacht, while the bonnet's shutlines integrate neatly with a deeply sculpted character line flowing down the side of the car. The taillights use an intriguing blend of positive and negative space, while that trademark grille is both lower and wider, inspired by the latest R8 V10 coupe.
Photos don't do the car justice; the new A5 is a stunner.
It's a credit to young exterior designer Jakob Hirzl; replacing the arse end of Skoda's Rapid Spaceback was the highlight of his portfolio before this.
It's pretty on the inside too, building on the A4's clean design language and widescreen virtual cockpit display with clever air-conditioning controls that feature digital displays inside the dials.
There are new seats, more room than before, and better materials that conspire to make the A5 a special place to be.
On the tech front, the coupe benefits from the A4 sedan's suite of driver aids that includes autonomous emergency braking, active cruise control, self-driving traffic jam assistance, lane keeping assistance and blind spot warning systems.
European customers also benefit from an optional tour assistance package that works with the cruise control, sat nav and front camera systems to automatically match the vehicle's velocity to prevailing limits while also taking into account traffic and topography. The system saves fuel by coasting on long downhill sections, reducing consumption significantly.
Naturally, there are plenty of luxury touches throughout such as heated leather seats, an optional flat-bottomed steering wheel with shift paddles, a large infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity as well as an inductive charging pad, head-up display and an optional 19-speaker Bang & Olufsen stereo.
Hirzl says the A5 spent years in the gym, becoming leaner in some areas and more muscular in others, honing its physique to seduce customers.
Those efforts have been echoed under the bonnet, where the A5 range is both more efficient and powerful than before.
Audi's Australian arm hasn't locked in final specifications for the A5, which will arrive locally in the first half of 2017.
The entry point is likely to be served by a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine that offers 185kW of power and 370Nm of torque along with fuel economy of about 6L/100km. Driving all four wheels through a seven-speed dual clutch automatic transmission, the A5 2.0TFSI can reach 100km/h in 5.8 seconds en route to a top speed of 250km/h.
Those numbers translate to effortless performance on the road, imbuing the coupe with flexible, easily tapped performance that should exceed what is offered by entry-level rivals.
Confusingly, Audi offers two different types of all-wheel-drive system for 2.0-litre petrol and diesel models. Customers who opt for an automatic transmission get a full-time all-wheel-drive system that usually sends 60 per cent of drive to the rear wheels, though it can shuffle power back and forth through a centre differential capable of sending 30 to 85 per cent of torque to the back axle.
Manual customers receive a new system Audi calls "quattro with ultra technology", a setup that sends drive to the front wheels during urban or economy driving, kicking up to 100 per cent of power to the rear axle as required.
The latter eschews a centre diff in favour of clutch packs on the front and rear differentials, quickly distributing power throughout the car. Audi is set to roll out the new system across many other models as it looks to boost efficiency while retaining its quattro USP.
Audi Australia plans to offer the new system in combination with a six-speed manual transmission in the 185kW A5 2.0TSFI.
Petrol options sit at the top and bottom of the range, which is crowned by a new S5 coupe that implements a turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 engine with 260kW and 500Nm outputs.
Other engine options are likely to include a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel motor that uses about 4.4L/100km to make 140kW and 400Nm, and a powerful 3.0-litre V6 turbo diesel that uses 4.7L/100km to make 160kW and 400Nm - a figure restricted by the torque limit on Audi's dual-clutch auto.
The brand is also preparing a performance diesel V6 with a whopping 210kW and 620Nm that should have plenty of range as well as the ability to frighten V8s, while a successor to the RS5 high performance coupe will eventually go on sale with significantly more than 300kW of power.
While customers will no doubt enjoy the family of models set out before them, the options are a little unnecessary as the basic A5 is all the coupe you could need.
It's a brisk, efficient and flexible motor - and probably the driver's pick.
While it lacks the effortless torque advantage of six-cylinder diesel models, the 2.0TFSI has a weight advantage of more than 100 kilograms, giving it a significantly lighter and nimbler feel through the front end. The entry-level A5 coupe is less likely to push its nose wide during spirited driving, helping drivers place the car with confidence when pressing on.
The A5's standard suspension setup is lower and firmer than that of a regular A4 sedan. It feels tauter and more purposeful than the sedan, but a little less refined on the road.
Our test cars went further, combining optional variable-ratio dynamic steering, with driver-adjustable dynamic suspension that contributes to the coupe's techy outlook.
The dynamic steering minimises effort at the wheel, though purists may prefer to go with a conventional, linear steering rack.
Audi's latest car feels friendly on the road, a confident and predictable car with strong reserves of traction and grip. There's the precise, if aloof, steering and slightly fussy ride often associated with the brand, as well as the crisp driveline refinement you expect from anything with four circles on the grille.
Though it has refined its seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, the car is still capable of the odd dorky moment, jerking sharply when the transmission second-guesses itself.
While it doesn't come up often, the issue is a reminder of the flawed brilliance inherent in the dual-clutch transmission design.
There's really not a lot wrong with the A5. Audi has nailed its brief once again, creating a car the blends the new A4's cutting-edge tech with a dash more dynamism and genuine beauty.
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2017 Audi A5 coupe specifications
Price: From $75,000 (approx)
On sale: First half of 2017
Engines: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol, 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel, 3.0-litre V6 turbo diesel.
Power: 185kW (2.0TFSI), 140kW (2.0TDI), 160kW (3.0TDI)
Torque: 370Nm (2.0TFSI), 400Nm (2.0TDI), 400Nm (3.0TDI)
Transmission: Six-speed manual or seven-speed dual clutch automatic, all-wheel-drive
Fuel use: 5.9L/100km (2.0TFSI), 4.4L/100km (2.0TDI), 4.7L/100km (3.0 TDI)