2017 Audi A5 and S5 Coupé – all-new under the skin

After a series of odd and confusing GIF teasers, Ingolstadt has finally pulled the covers off the new 2017 Audi A5 and S5 Coupé. Based on the B9 A4, the handsome two-door hardtop – cabriolet and five-door Sportback variants will invariably come later – enters its second generation with a new look, a more technologically-advanced cabin, new engines and a revamped chassis.

The new A5 wears a design that is equally as evolutionary as its four-door cousin. Instead of the A4’s distinctive stepped headlight design, it gets more conventional trapezoidal units – xenons as standard, LED and Matrix LED headlights optional, with twin projectors – that flank a flatter, wider singleframe grille.

The entire front fascia now has a more sculpted three-dimensional contours, giving the coupé a more intense, confident look – one that’s further emphasised by the new clamshell bonnet with a sharply-defined power dome. There are also new fender vents that hide the clamshell’s shutline as it bleeds into the doors.

Along the sides, the previous A5’s unique undulating shoulder line now gets an underside cut for a more defined appearance, while the bulging haunches emphasise the optional quattro all-wheel drive. The rear is much the same as before, with discreet spoiler lip and trapezoidal LED tail lights joined by a horizontal line above the number plate. Drag coefficient is now down to just 0.25 Cd.

Apart from the base model, there are also sport and design lines for added customisation, but the sportiest of the lot is the S5. The most powerful model (well, until the RS5 arrives, at least) gets unique sliver H-shaped front air intake trim, silver door mirrors, deeper side sills and a large rear diffuser with quad tailpipes.

Those familiar with the B9 A4 will feel immediately at home inside. The entire dashboard – with a continuous horizontal air vent strip, freestanding MMI infotainment screen, tall transmission tunnel and optional Audi virtual cockpit instrument cluster – has been lifted almost entirely from the sedan. Our man Danny praised the overall fit and finish of the B9 when he drove it last year, so this should be good news. Here too, the S5 is differentiated though a flat-bottomed steering wheel, S5-badged gauges and sports seats.

An MMI radio plus is standard fit, with a seven-inch display and a touch-sensitive rotary controller; upgrade to the MMI navigation plus and you’ll receive an 8.3-inch display, Audi connect services, LTE connectivity and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. Available as options are data packages that allow for Internet usage for up to eight different devices through a WiFi hotspot, an extended Audi connect safety & service package, an Audi phone box with Qi wireless charging and a Bang & Olufsen 3D sound system.

Passengers benefit from a larger body than the previous A5, granting increased space. The boot is also larger by 10 litres, at 465 litres – this can be expanded by folding down the 40:20:40-split rear seat. There’s also an optional hands-free bootlid opening function – operated through a foot motion – as well as an optional electrically-operated tow hitch.

Engines available include two TFSI petrol engines and three TDI diesel engines likely borrowed from the A4. These produce between 190 PS and 286 PS, and offer up to 17% more higher outputs and up to 22% lower fuel consumption than before. The S5, on the other hand, comes with a new 3.0 litre turbocharged TFSI petrol V6 from the S4 that puts out 354 PS, 21 PS more than the old supercharged V6.

Buyers can choose between a six-speed manual or a seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch transmission for four-cylinder engines and the base 218 PS 3.0 TDI V6 diesel, sending power to the front wheels; quattro permanent all-wheel drive is available as an option. An eight-speed tiptronic automatic transmission is reserved for the most powerful 286 PS 3.0 TDI and the S5, with quattro being standard-fit – there’s also a sport rear differential offered on these models for more dynamic handling.

Under the skin, the new A5 rides on a revamped version of the modular MLB platform, dubbed MLB Evo – the new car is as much as 60 kg lighter than before, thanks to a multi-material construction and lightweight design. The chassis is also all-new, incorporating electromechanical power steering and optional speed-sensitive dynamic steering and adaptive damping – controlled through the Audi drive select system.

GALLERY: 2017 Audi A5

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