Audi's A5 replacement due in 2017

Audi Australia will have to wait until midway through next year to replace its aging A5/S5 line-up. But the good news is the new coupe will feature a unique body when it does arrive.

As already outlined from the Inglostadt A5 and S5 reveal earlier this month the new mid-size coupe shares the B9 A4’s MLB Evo platform, powertrains, technology and interior components but goes its own way with a body that shares nothing with its counterpart.

In Europe, the A5 will be offered with three engines, the 140kW 2.0 TDI, the 2.0 TFSI (in 140kW or 185kW versions) and the 3.0 TDI (in 160kW or 210kW versions).

Audi says the powertrains will deliver up to 17 per cent more performance while consuming as much as 22 per cent less fuel.

The S5 has the same 260kW/500Nm V6 single turbo petrol engine, eight-speed automatic and all-wheel-drive powertrain as the new S4 sedan.

Audi says the new S5 3.0 TFSI Coupe can hit 100km/h in 4.7sec, making it two-tenths quicker than the supercharged 245kW/440Nm V6 seven-speed dual-clutch model it replaces and as quick as the outgoing RS 4 V8.

Australian model specs and prices are yet to be confirmed — not surprising given that the new mid-size luxury coupe is almost a year out from arriving.

The outgoing A5 Coupe opens at $68,200 for the 1.8 TFSI auto, and also includes the 2.0 TFSI quattro, 2.0 TDI quattro and 3.0 TDI quattro. RS 5 ($157,510) aside, the S5 3.0 TFSI quattro tops the line-up at $119,510.

Mercedes' new C 200 Coupe now starts at $65,900, so it will be interesting to see how sharply Audi Australia can price the new A5.

The current B8 A5 and S5 models have been onsale in Australia since 2008 and were facelifted in 2013. They have had a long, slow sales decline as they faced much new competition from BMW and Mercedes-Benz. According to VFACTS, last year Audi sold just 651 A5s against 1921 BMW 4 Series coupes and 1409 Mercedes-Benz C-Class two-doors.

The latest published VFACTS monthly figures for May 2016 put the just-released new C-Class at 208 sales, the 4-Series at 160 sales and the A5 at just 29.

Audi Australia Product Communications Manager Shaun Cleary said, “We are taking the new A5 as an opportunity to look at the range as a whole and consider all engine/drivetrain options that are available to us”.

We’re betting the range will open with the 140kW 2.0 TFSI S tronic to replace the outgoing 1.8 TFSI S tronic. Next up is likely to be the 185kW TFSI quattro in six-speed manual or S tronic dual-clutch auto as is offered in the B8 now.

The 210kW 3.0 TDI tiptronic quattro is shaping up to be only diesel in the local lineup after Cleary stated the 2.0 TDI is the model most likely to face the chop in the new range.

Key local specs will likely follow those of the A4. So expect the new technology we’ve seen in new A4 such as adaptive LED headlights (incorporating fog lights), LED tail lights, the 7.0-inch MMI infotainment system, pre-sense city (AEB) with pedestrian detection, exit warning system, cross traffic assist, side assist and pre-sense.

The A5 and S5 will also have the A4’s high-end tech features as options or standard on premium models. So you’ll see the Assistance package (active lane assist, adaptive cruise control with Traffic Jam Assist, turn assist, collision avoidance assist, pre-sense front warning system, predictive efficiency assistant and high-beam assist), Matrix LED headlights and the Technik package (12.3-inch Audi virtual cockpit and the head-up display) on the menu.

Audi’s roll out of quattro with ultra technology, which began with the 2.0 TFSI A4 allroad quattro, continues with A5 — but for now, only in manual 2.0 TFSI form.

The new two-door mid-sizer presents a sleek roofline, long bonnet, short overhangs and sharp shoulder crease, but this time the latter bulges around more prominent front and rear wheel-arches.

It also links more aggressive versions of the A4's slimline headlights, which go without the latter's lightning bolt motifs and feature more prominent LED running lamps.

A flatter bonnet with extra contour lines helps the A5 to achieve a class-leading aerodynamic drag coefficient of just 0.25Cd, while Audi's trademark single-frame grille is lower and wider.

The A5 sits 23mm lower than the A4 on standard 18-inch wheels. The A5 also gets stiffer springs and altered damping.

Boot space is up 10 litres to 465 litres and will be augmented by a 40/20/40-split folding rear seat, plus the option of gesture-controlled power boot opening. Once again there are electrically extending and retracting seat belt feeders.