Audi revolutionised the B-segment in 2007 with the introduction of the Audi A5 Coupé – regarded widely as a work of art that took the world by storm. Ten years later, Audi South Africa is proud to present the second generation – now with a new, honed look and packed with the latest technology. The new generation of the A5 Coupé is athletic, sporty and elegant, while its design goes hand-in-hand with sophisticated aerodynamics. Under the skin the Audi A5 impresses with an all-new chassis, powerful engines, and innovative infotainment features and driver assistance systems.
The Audi A5 Coupé was launched in South Africa in 2008 and was followed by the 5-door Audi A5 Sportback and the Audi A5 Cabriolet in 2010. To date, 9,800 of the Audi A5 range has been sold to South African customers. With the new generation, the question widely has been around how Audi would make the previous generation design masterpiece even more beautiful? The new Audi A5 Coupé sports a fresh and modern look. It is nevertheless true to its DNA with the sporty and elegant character being passed down to the new generation. The best example is the now three-dimensional wave-shaped shoulder line that already characterised the previous model. The precisely sweeping line with pronounced bulges over the wheel arches emphasises all four wheels
– a cue to the quattro all-wheel drive.
The perfectly balanced proportions with a long engine hood, the stretched wheelbase and short overhangs underscore the sportiness of the new A5 Coupé. The sculpted Singleframe grille is significantly flatter and wider than in the previous model. The LED rear lights and optional LED or Matrix LED headlights with dynamic turn signals make high-end technology visible even after dark.
The new Audi A5 Coupé will launch in southern Africa with three engines: two TFSI and one TDI unit. Their power output has increased considerably and is now between 140 kW and 185 kW. Compared with the previous model, they offer up to 17 percent more performance while consuming as much as 22 percent less fuel. All the engines combine high efficiency with sporty power development and smooth running.
There will be a four-cylinder 2.0T FSI engine producing 140 kW and 320 Nm of torque, accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.7 seconds. This engine has a claimed combined fuel consumption of 5.1 litres per 100 km, while being exempt from CO2 tax with an emissions figure of 117 g/km.
The other petrol engine on offer is also a four-cylinder 2.0T FSI engine producing 185 kW and 370 Nm of torque, however it is couple with quattro all-wheel drive. This variant will complete the 0-100km/h sprint in 5.8 seconds while consuming 5.9 litres of fuel per 100 km in a combined cycle.
The sole TDI engine on offer will be in the form of a four-cylinder 2.0 TDI producing 140 kW of power and 400 Nm of torque. This highly efficient diesel engine has a claimed consumption of 4.1 litres per 100 km, while also being exempt from emissions taxation with a figure of 107 g/km. This engine will be available in front wheel drive and quattro, in both cases the customer may choose from a base specification or a Sport specification.
The new Audi A5 Coupé comes with a drivetrain solution tailor-made for each engine variant. The seven-speed S tronic transmission is used with all the engines, while the Audi S5 features the eight-speed tiptronic gearbox with quattro all-wheel drive. Audi also offers the optional rear-axle sport differential for even more dynamic driving and precision on the Audi S5.
The all-new chassis is among the strengths of the Audi A5 Coupé. It offers the driver optimal comfort combined with a high degree of agility. The A5 thus handles narrow, winding mountain roads and long trips with equal aplomb. Audi offers a suspension with damper control as an option, which is integrated into the dynamic handling system known as Audi drive select, which enables the driver to modify the basic characteristic in multiple steps.
The electromechanical power steering is also
a new development from Audi. It adapts according to
the vehicle’s current speed and provides highly precise road feedback. Optionally available is the dynamic steering, which varies its gear ratio depending
on the speed and steering angle.
The Audi A5 Coupé is significantly more efficient than its predecessor. This is due in large part to a reduction in weight as well as sophisticated aerodynamics. The engineers were able to trim the curb weight by as much as 60 kilograms. The body is the lightest in the competitive field thanks to an intelligent mix of materials and lightweight design. With a drag coefficient of 0.25, the A5 Coupé is also the segment leader with respect to aerodynamics.
The interior benefits from the increased dimensions and longer wheelbase. Space for driver and passengers is more generous. The horizontal architecture of the instrument panel and the continuous air vent strip create a wide sense of space. As is typical for Audi, interior build quality is uncompromisingly high. High-quality materials in a wide range of colors provide for a particularly pleasant ambiance and underscore the premium character of the mid-sized model. Optional ambient lighting highlights the interior with a choice of 30 adjustable shades. The new A5 Coupé also redefines the class benchmark for aeroacoustics. The acoustic comfort is almost that of a luxury-class model.
The luggage compartment offers a volume of 465 litres, 10 liters more than with the previous model. The rear seat has a 40:20:40 split and can be easily folded forward using levers in the luggage compartment. Audi also offers the two-door coupé with optional gesture control for opening the luggage compartment lid via a foot motion. The optional trailer hitch is electrically released at the press of a button.
The A5 Coupé is now available for the first time with the optional Audi virtual cockpit, a 12.3-inch TFT display with a resolution of 1,440 x 540 pixels. Together with the MMI navigation plus including 8.3-inch monitor on the centre console, it forms the central information unit. The focal point of the MMI terminal is the round rotary pushbutton. Its surface is home to the touch-sensitive touchpad which is used to input characters and also for multi-finger gestures, enabling the driver to zoom in on the map, for example.
The whole MMI control logic is similar to that of a smartphone, including the intelligent free text search function. The new, more natural voice control system can recognise input made using everyday language.
Customers choosing MMI navigation plus automatically also get the hardware module Audi connect which allows the vehicle to be a Wi-Fi hotspot for up to 8 devices, while also accessing Google Earth Navigation and Google Street View.
With the Audi smartphone interface, Apple Car Play and Android Auto bring the familiar smartphone environment to the car, if desired. The optional Audi phone box with wireless charging in the centre armrest uses near-field coupling to link smartphones wirelessly to the vehicle’s antenna and enables inductive charging according to the Qi standard. For very discerning hi-fi fans, the Bang & Olufsen sound system with its innovative 3D sound is also available.
The new Audi S5 Coupé combines dramatic design with the performance of a sports car. The completely redesigned, turbocharged 3.0 TFSI engine for the Audi S5 Coupé offers powerful performance: high power, ample torque, spontaneous response and a sonorous sound. All of that paired with a new level of efficiency.
From its 2,995 cc of displacement, the V6 TFSI produces 260 kW, which is 15 kW more than the previous engine. A constant 500 Nm of torque is available from a low 1,370 all the way to 4,500 rpm. In its combined cycle, the new 3.0 TFSI in the S5 Coupé consumes just 7.3 litres per 100 kilometres – a CO2 equivalent of 166 grams per kilometre. Fuel consumption has dropped by five percent compared with the predecessor engine.
The decisive success factor for the efficiency of the V6 3.0 TFSI is the new combustion process from Audi. It is based on what is known as the B-cycle, which utilizes the high-pressure injection valves that are arranged centrally in the combustion chambers. The shortened compression stroke of the updated combustion process enables the use of an engine process with a significantly higher geometric compression ratio in the V6 TFSI. Combined with a power stroke that, while normal, is longer relative to the compression stroke, this allows for more efficient combustion and increased engine efficiency.
The quattro permanent all-wheel drive system with its asymmetrically dynamic layout makes a major contribution toward sporty and stable handling of the new Audi S5 Coupé. During normal driving, its all-mechanical centre differential directs 60 percent of the torque to the rear axle and 40 percent to the front. If slip occurs at one axle, most of the forces are rapidly redirected to the other axle – up to 85 percent to the front or up to 70 percent to the rear axle. These high locking figures enable a clearly defined torque distribution and precise interplay with control systems.
Wheel-selective torque control – an intelligent software function – complements the work of the quattro drive system. In dynamic cornering, it applies minimal brake interventions at the wheels on the inside of the curve before they begin to spin. These interventions are made even if the driver does not press the accelerator pedal. The difference between propulsive forces at the wheels makes the car turn into the curve ever so slightly – making handling even more precise, agile and stable. – autoworld