Having spied the second-generation A5 coupe, Cabriolet, Sportback and hotter S5 coupe before, here’s our first glimpse of the new Audi S5 Sportback. The four-door coupe was snapped touring public roads in Germany, camouflaged from head to toe.
The prototype of the B9 A4-based S5 Sportback’s exterior appears to be almost identically equipped as the other A5 family models we’ve spied before. There are very similar bumpers, headlamps and tail lights across the mules, while the A5/S5’s overall look appears to be a simpler evolution of the current model’s design.
However, if you look closely, this S5 Sportback prototype does have a few traits that set it apart from the rest. The quad exhaust tips we saw on the pre-production S5 coupe are present, along with the apparent rear doors and door handles that give it away as the Sportback.
As previously reported, the next-gen A5/S5 range will be based on the Volkswagen Group’s new MLB Evo platform – first underpinning the Audi Q7 SUV, and more recently, the Audi A4. As such, do expect the new A5/S5 to shave off a lot of weight against its predecessor.
Just like the new Audi S4, the next-gen S5 and S5 Sportback will exchange its previous supercharged 3.0 litre V6 and seven-speed S Tronic dual-clutch transmission for a new 3.0 litre turbocharged V6 and ZF-sourced eight-speed torque converter automatic. The new mill delivers 349 hp and 500 Nm of torque in the S4, and should do the same for the S5. Typically, quattro all-wheel drive is to be expected.
The second-generation Audi A5 is expected to make an appearance later this year, with its hotter S5 siblings rumoured to debut only in 2017.
GALLERY: Audi S5 spyshots
GALLERY: Audi A5 Sportback spyshots
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Once the A5 comes out from the oven we all can pretty much guess how the sportback will look like anyway and to a certain extend the S models too.