Audi A5 2.0 TFSI S tronic Coupe 2017 Review

Oscar Wilde famously wrote, "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness".

In an abstract way, the Irish playwright's famous maxim sums up the design of the new Audi A5.

It's a good-looking car, no doubt about it, but its predecessor still sets the visual benchmark – this is merely paying homage.

Both the original A5 Coupe and the new model were lined up side-by-side during the second-generation A5 Coupe's national launch in Tasmania. And you know what? The original A5 Coupe design by Walter de Silva is as elegant and sporty as Aussie surf goddess Sally Fitzgibbons.

It's athletic, it's sexy, it's strong. It's also one of the few 10-year-old car designs that still looks ultra-modern today and still turns heads on the street.

The new model retains its predecessor's attractive silhouette but adds more angles and creases, drops the bonnet lower, raises the headlights and has a more severe aesthetic. Granted, it's more appealing in the metal than on the computer screen but I agree with de Silva, who said the original A5 was "the most beautiful car I've ever designed".

Many of the small details on the new A5 Coupe are fetching, from the ultra-thin LED brake light strip above the rear windscreen, to the new "tornado line" that runs along the car's flanks. The wider, bolder grille is boss and the way the indicators pulse is pretty special too.

The frameless door windows are a nice touch and the mirrors on stalks as well, but the "power dome" on the bonnet should have been reserved for the S5 and upcoming RS 5 if you ask me, not standard on all models. There's something not quite right about the front-end design too... It's doesn't have the elegance of its predecessor.

You can drive it as well as look at it
Once inside the car, however, you feel pretty special. Spoiled even. The entry-level front-drive 2.0-litre turbo (or A5 Coupe 2.0 TFSI S tronic in Audi-speak) models' leather appointed power-adjustable sports seats are welcoming, and an electric arm that automatically proffers the seat belt so you never have to reach back over your shoulder is a nice touch.

Fire up the engine and the car's two large high-definition screens pulse into life, the so-called Virtual Cockpit providing heaps of eye-candy but also versatility, displaying information such as Google Earth navigation directions, to road speed and various fuel consumption and trip computer features.

If you've sat inside the new-generation Audi A4, the layout will be very familiar, with a stylised marine-inspired automatic gear shifter surrounded by a small number of buttons, including an electric push-button park brake and auto-hold function.

The controls have been condensed and simplified and the set-up is more intuitive. You can navigate menus quickly, stream Bluetooth music over SoundCloud or Spotify easily and hook-up Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, and it's all effortless.

Everything looks and feels great, from the aluminium accents to the soft-touch dash materials to the door inserts and general fit and finish. This is one of the prettiest car interiors you can get today and also one of the most advanced.

Back seat space has increased significantly for leg room and slightly for head room and delivers relative comfort for two adults, but if you have a choice the front seat is where the party is, especially in the S5, whose sports seats have a massage function.

The boot is larger by 10 litres now, up to 465 litres, and with 40:20:40-split folding rear seats the A5 Coupe delivers a modicum of flexibility. You can read about all particulars, engine types, and standard features of the Audi A5 Coupe.

New engines deliver power and efficiency
There are four engine choices in the Audi A5 Coupe line-up thus far, starting with the 140kW/320Nm 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder unit (2.0 TFSI) which starts at $69,900. It replaces the less powerful – but slightly cheaper – 1.8-litre engine and although it's the only front-drive model in the range it was probably my favourite model.

It looks great on classic five-spoke 18-inch alloy wheels, the engine delivers plenty of mumbo for the entry-level model, the seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch automatic making the most of the engine power. It's fast when it needs to be and very quiet and cool and calm when the times calls for it.

The mid-spec model gets a higher power 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine punching out 185kW/370Nm, and together with quattro AWD it's an absolute rocket. It costs $81,500 but sprints from apex to apex with more vigour than the entry-level model.

Both cars have light, direct steering which makes slow speed driving and things like parking effortless and although it lacks feedback when you find a winding mountain pass, which Tasmania has in abundance, the new chassis is delightful.

There's some body roll as the two cars tip into corners but they load up their suspension quickly and predictably and track through corners with confidence.

There's a good level of compliance too, meaning supple ride comfort, which works on two levels. The car soaks up bumps and lumps when cruising, keeping occupants cossetted in a luxury bubble, but also doesn't upset the car when it hits bumps mid-corner.

We didn't get to drive the turbo-diesel model, a $73,900 quattro proposition, which is a shame because Audi reckons it's the most economical diesel AWD vehicle in Australia, using fuel at a rate of 4.6L/100km.

Turbo V6 Audi S5 Coupe is a missile
The range-topping S5 is a rocket, launching from standstill with gut-wrenching thrust. Its 260kW/500Nm turbo-petrol 3.0-litre V6 engine gives it similar straight-line pace to the outgoing V8-powered Audi RS 4 Avant, and it looks tough too.

The ground-effects body work, quad exhaust tips and big 19-inch alloy wheels add a lot of road presence and although the asking price of $105,800 sounds like a lot but it's almost $17,000 less expensive than its predecessor and on par with rivals such as the Mercedes-AMG C 43 Coupe.

Unlike the other model's seven-speed dual clutch automatic transmissions it gets an eight-speed conventional automatic, and it also features different – firmer – suspension with adaptive dampers. The result of the extra power and new suspension makes the S5 a serious corner carver, able to hunker down and practically rip shreds from the road.

The way it grips up through corners is breath-taking, the quattro system apportioning torque 40:60 front to rear and able to push up to 85 per cent to the rear axle thanks to a mechanical centre diff. You can also option sport rear differential for rear axle torque vectoring which gives the S5 even more attitude through corners. But it adds $2950.

The Audi S5 Coupe is fast and fun and gets the adrenaline pumping, but like its less extreme A5 brethren there's a lack of personality. There's a lack of aural feedback from the engines (at least inside the car) and connection between car and driver isn't as refined as some of its rivals. It all feels a bit anodyne and at the end of my drive I wished there was more feedback.

On balance, however, the new Audi A5 and S5 are well-rounded individuals. With luxurious, quiet and refined cabins along with modern engines that play the power and efficiency game well, not to mention an array of cool – but ultimately useful – tech, and you're looking at a more mature mid-size coupe that doesn't skimp on the extras.

I'm not sure that Oscar Wilde would approve of the design, particularly if he'd seen the original masterpiece. But I reckon he'd be pretty stoked with the elegant, luxurious, high-tech, whisper-quiet and super-comfy interior, and the frugal, spirited performance on offer – especially from the S5.

Now if Audi can inject a little more dynamic and aural passion, we've no doubt the RS 5 will be an absolute firecracker.

2017 A5 Coupe 2.0 TFSI S tronic pricing and specifications:
Price: $69,900 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 140kW/320Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel: 5.5L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 125g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star ANCAP