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Audi A5 Sportback
February 3, 2010
Audi don’t do 5 door hatches. Unless it’s a Sportback.When A3 owners needed an extra pair of doors Audi did more than just redraw the shut lines on the existing 3 door hatch. No, instead they extended the wheel base and re-imagined the rear end. When the A5 needed similar upgrades the solution was the same, except the A5 is a coupe and that meant a much slipperier set of set squares and protractors.
It’s a case of mission accomplished though, just look at how well that curvaceous shape has been retained – imperative when you consider how emotive the original design was. So now you get all the looks with sedan levels of practicality plus hatch-like versatility. Three models are on offer varying from a frugal 155kW 2.0litre turbo charged front wheel drive version to the pair of Quattro-driven brutes, a diesel burning 176kw V6 and a 195kW V6 petrol lump. The Quattro’s drivetrains are serviced by seven-speed S-tronic transmissions whereas the four pot gets a Multitronic CVT. Pace varies but expect blistering sub-six second passes from standstill to 100kph from the six cylinder beasties. All iterations are blessed with 480 litres of bootspace, expandable to 980 by flattening the rear bench. Ingolstadt’s usual complement of LED running lights and bejeweled clusters bookend that sweeping body line with pumped up arches housing a muscular set of 19” alloy hoops, and the general consensus remains – even in five door form, the A5 remains a very handsome Audi.
Pricing
– 2.0T FSI 155 kW multitronic: R 414 500
– 3.2 FSI quattro S tronic: R 503 500
– 3.0 TDI q S tronic: R 511 500
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