Audi has been at the forefront of the luxury car sales in India since its arrival ten years ago. But since then, Audi has been rather conservative in terms of their Indian portfolio. For example, Mercedes-Benz has introduced every possible body-style in both performance and everyday versions which in a way has helped it edge past Audi to claim the top spot. But that is set to change after the introduction of the Audi A5. This time, Audi is bringing the entire range of the A5 – the four-door sportback, the two-door coupe and the cabriolet.
Design and styling
The Audi A5 sits between Audi A4 and the Audi A6 globally and ideally it should be the same in India as well. That is because the A5 Sportback measures 4733mm in length, just seven more than the A4 but almost 100mm more than the BMW 3 Series and about 50mm more than the C-Class.
In terms of styling, it has the typical Audi fascia with the hexagonal grille, swept back headlamps and chiselled body-lines. The A5 stands out after the B-Pillar with its sloping coupe-ish roof. While the Sportback is a full-size four-door, the Coupe and the Cabriolet are almost a 100mm shorter and have only two doors but with two seating rows. The Cabriolet comes with a soft top which gets folded electrically at a flick of a switch.
From the rear three-quarter, the Audi A5 reminds you of the A7 and knowing how good the A7 looks in person, it is certainly a compliment for the A5.
Interior, features and Equipment
The Audi A5 aims to hit the sweet spot for someone who is looking for a little more than a luxury sedan but not something as big as today’s executive luxury sedans. Being a luxury car, all the three iterations of the Audi A5 are loaded to their gills with features and equipment.
For comfort, you have electrically adjustable front seats with adjustable lumbar support. The cabin is wrapped in leather and the dashboard as well as the trims get soft touch plastics for the premium feel. Of course it gets an electric power steering, all-four auto windows and a dual-zone climate control with AC vents for the rear passengers as well. Additionally, cruise control, steering mounted audio controls, power mirrors with auto dimming interior mirror are all standard.
In terms of equipment, you will get the latest touchscreen infotainment system dominating the centre console of the dashboard. Another 12.3-inch TFT display replaces the instrument cluster and beams all the information that you need along with navigation. The top-spec technology pack will offer individual screens for the rear passengers as well for the four-door A5.
To cover safety concerns, all three body styles will offer a cocoon of airbags to protect you from any eventualities. Also, to avoid the eventualities altogether, you have a safety net of ABS, EBD, ESP with traction control, skid control, hill-hold function et al.
Engine and gearbox
The Audi A5 is built on the same MQB platform as the A4 and the A6 and it will also get similar powertrains as its siblings. You will be offered the 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel engine developing close to 180bhp of power, mated to a seven-speed DSG gearbox and most probably powering all-four wheels. The 1.4-litre TFSI engine which debuted with the Audi A4 in India will also be present but there is a chance that it might also get the larger 1.8-litre or the 2.0-litre turbo-petrol mills for the performance versions of the Coupe and the Cabriolet.
Competition
The Audi A5 Sportback will compete against the highly successful BMW 3 Series GT while the Audi A5 Cabriolet will have its hands full competing with the Mercedes-Benz C300 Cabriolet. As of now, there is no real competition for the A5 Coupe, but if priced high, it might go against the likes of the Ford Mustang or the Audi TT.
