Audi A5 Sportback 45 TFSI quattro 2020 Review

If competition truly improves the breed, then there’s a welcome sibling rivalry transpiring over at Audi.

Not content with its own trademark A4 sedan and wagon – Audi’s answer to the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class, all of which have long been institutions for the established German triumvirate – the Ingolstadt car-maker is now making big inroads with its mid-size five-door liftback spinoff, the Audi A5 Sportback.

Ten years on from the debut of the original Audi A5 Sportback, its slightly unconventional approach has yielded huge sales; so much so that it now outsells the A4 sedan locally.

For 2020, Audi has updated the second-generation A5 Sportback, along with its more conventional two-door A5 Coupe and A5 Cabriolet siblings.

We jumped behind the wheel of the updated five-door model this month to see if it lives up to the sales hype.

Entry into the Audi A5 range starts at $71,900 for the A5 Sportback 40 TFSI S Line – a circa $15,000 premium over an entry A4 sedan, albeit one justified by additional equipment.

In terms of spec, the entry-level 40 TFSI S line incorporates Matrix LED headlights with dynamic indicators, 19-inch alloy wheels, digital radio, leather-appointed upholstery, electric front seats with four-way lumbar support, electric tailgate, ambient interior lighting, keyless entry and start and three-zone climate control.

Inside resides a new 10.1-inch centre display that uses touch-screen capability in favour of the predecessor’s MMI rotary dial. The change has liberated more storage space in front of the gear shifter.

There’s also Audi’s ‘virtual cockpit’ digital instrument display, wireless phone charging, two USB ports and a 10-speaker audio system.

Next in Audi’s A5 Sportback line-up is the $79,900 plus ORCs 45 TFSI quattro S line driven here.

Its $8000 price premium over the entry car brings head-up display, 19-inch alloy wheels with five-spoke cavo design, heated front seats and sports steering wheel.

The Audi A5 boasts a five-star ANCAP safety rating (tested in 2015). The 2020 model features a full complement of airbags, 360-degree camera, adaptive cruise control with stop&go and traffic jam assist, exit warning, rear cross traffic assist, adjustable speed limiter and lane change warning detections, hold assist and Audi pre sense city (AEB) and Audi pre sense rear notification systems.

The A5 range wouldn’t be complete with optional accessory packages.

For 2020, all models can be bundled with a Premium Plus package (priced between $2450 and $6200 depending on variant), which adds a sunroof, laser matrix headlights and a Bang & Olufsen sound system.

The S line sport packages (priced between $6050 and $6250 depending on variant) adds 20-inch alloy wheels, Nappa leather upholstery and contrasting stitching.

The Carbon and black package (priced at $3500) brings a carbon spoiler, carbon mirror caps, black exterior styling and carbon interior inlays.

The new Audi A5 Sportback, A5 Coupe and A5 Cabriolet are offered with a sub-par three-year/unlimited-kilometre factory warranty, as well as Audi’s service plan package, which is priced at $1800 for three years or $2820 for five years.

A space-saver spare tyre is standard fitment.

The new Audi A5 models are visually differentiated from their predecessors with a larger single-frame grille, bigger front air inlets and a more bulbous-looking rear-end headlined by a new diffuser insert which incorporates two trapezoidal exhaust outlets.

According to Audi, the A5 Sportback and A5 coupe have grown 24mm each in length, to 4697mm and 4756mm respectively.

The Audi A5 Sportback 40 TFSI S line employs a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder with 140kW/320Nm outputs, shuffling drive drive to the front wheels only via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

The 0-100km/h sprint takes a claimed 7.5 seconds.

The 45 TFSI quattro S line brings into play a sportier 183kW/370Nm tune of the 2.0-litre turbo four and Audi’s venerable quattro all-wheel drive system.

The extra mumbo brings a hastened nought to 100km/h time of six seconds in the A5 Sportback 45 TFSI quatrro S line.

Both petrol models incorporate a 12-volt mild-hybrid (MHEV) system which is claimed to save up to 0.3L/100km in fuel consumption. In the 40 TFSI that translates to 6.5L/100km combined, with the 45 TFSI slightly thirstier at 7.1L/100km

Running off a separate lithium-ion battery, the MHEV system restarts the engine after coasting at speeds above 55km/h, and also enables a stop-start function at speeds below 22km/h, restarting the engine upon taking off again.

The Audi A5 Sportback rides on five-link suspension front and rear that is largely wrought from aluminium components.

In the metal, there’s a certain presence about the Audi A5 Sportback that begins to explain why buyers are choosing it over the more conventional three-box A4.

A sporty, sophisticated theme permeates the exterior and interior, with a muscular stance and sculpted lines for the former, and a slick, tech-savvy layout for the latter.

Inside, Audi’s latest MMI infotainment layout imbues the Audi A5 Sportback with a clean, minimalist layout; one which preferences odds and ends space and screen displays over rotary dials and conventional switchgear.

As ever, Audi’s ubiquitous virtual cockpit display is a winner in this application, offering seamless navigation of the A5 Sportback’s key functions as well as a neat aesthetic element to the interior.

Spatially, the A5 Sportback generously accommodates adult passengers up front. Cavernous door pockets and two USB-C ports complement the mix.

Further back, the Sportback’s raked roofline does impose minor compromise in terms of headroom – though occupants shorter than six foot won’t have any major complaints.

Otherwise, there is ample shoulder room and knee room on offer, while two USB ports and face-level air vents ensure strong passenger amenity on longer journeys.

Our only real gripe in the bleachers is limited toe room under the front seats, and a sizeable transmission tunnel.
The A5 Sportback offers ISOFIX attachment points and top-tether anchorage points.

The biggest boon is further back. The liftback design facilitates a huge opening aperture for the 480-litre boot, which comes with a luggage net to keep items in check.

While the visual focal point of the Audi A5 Sportback might be its raked roofline, it’s what’s underneath that bodes best for the road.

The advertised 2824mm wheelbase is longer than the traditional A4 sedan’s, even though the A5 Sportback is officially shorter in overall length. Similarly, its front and rear track measurements both exceed the more conventional sedan sibling’s, giving it’s a broader footprint with shorter overhangs.

Those measurements translate to a more composed and surefooted on-road experience, to the point where the Audi A5 Sportback almost feels a segment up in terms of roadholding and composure.

Similarly, the 2.0-litre engine belies its small displacement with accessible power and torque across the dial, the former materialising over 5000-6500rpm and the latter over a broad 1600-4500rpm.

When all is said and done, the diminutive four-pot pushes the A5 Sportback to 100km/h from rest in six seconds flat – making only 1.2sec slower than Audi’s hotshoe S5 Sportback.

The 2.0-litre’s small capacity isn’t infallible, however: out of tight corners and on a mountain ascent, for instance, you will feel the weight of the circa 1800kg A5 Sportback, particularly around the middling revs.

And at low speeds, the four-cylinder is prone to oft-referred to low-speed hesitation – a symptom of turbo lag and the matching seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.

Unlike the turbo V6-powered Audi S5, the A5 Sportback’s engine acoustics aren’t the most exhilarating for a car targeted at sporty types either.

And while the powertrain’s MHEV tech is most effective around town and at middling road speeds, during our spirited time with the A5 on mostly open roads we averaged 9.1L/100km – a full two litres more than the claimed average figure.

In chassis terms, our test car – fitted with the quattro all-wheel drive system – marches on confidently through soggy testing conditions, using all-paw grip, sticky Continental rubber and quick-thinking electronics to instil driver confidence.

Optional $2340 adaptive dampers do their bit in taking the edge of bumps compared with fixed-rate suspension, too. Even so, the ride and handling balance errs on the sportier side of the ledger, occasionally thudding over road joins, cat’s eyes and broken bitumen. But importantly, it is quick to recover.

The Audi A5 Sportback uses its relatively big footprint to good effect on the open road, with a stable and surefooted approach to highways and backroads alike.

The latest Audi A5 Sportback isn’t exactly the fastest way to the boardroom meeting, but it ably combines clever tech, first-rate safety, first-class build and finish quality and undeniable opulence with a strong degree of on-road competence.

More than anything, though, it leaves you walking away feeling smart and sophisticated – which is arguably the entire point of this slightly left of centre luxury liftback.

How much does the 2020 Audi A5 Sportback 45 TFSI quattro cost?
Price: $79,900 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 183kW/370Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel: 7.1L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 163g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2015)