The new Audi A5 range - what it is and what you can expect

Driver Guides  New Launches 

If you’ve decided to lease your next car you’ve already made a sensible decision. In which case, maybe you could have a word with Audi about its naming policy and see if you can get that to make sense too.

It used to be easy to identify a particular model, then it became complicated and made no sense, and now it’s changed again. Which begins to explain why the new Audi A5 is actually the new Audi A4. In case you’re not sure what on earth we’re talking about, there is a perfectly logical explanation to the confusion.

A few years ago, Audi changed its model designations to reflect which power band a particular engine option sat in. The problem was, unless you were a student of Audi engines, it didn’t really make a lot of sense. Audi has now switched its model designations back to the old format, but with a few minor tweaks to encompass the brand’s growing range of EV options.

So, from 2024 onwards, all new Audi models will be given an even number if they’re electric and an odd number if they’re petrol or diesel powered.

Which means, after 30 years as the Audi A4, the recently unveiled next generation of Audi’s best-selling mid-size model will now be…the new Audi A5.

In all honesty though, the name is largely irrelevant because the new models promise to offer so much more than before. Think of it as compensation for all the confusion.

The new Audi A5 family has been completely updated with a new design, completely new interior, and future-proof electronic architecture. Longer, wider, and offering more equipment as standard, as well as advanced mild-hybrid technology that enables partially electric driving to give you even more efficiency from the new range of engines. With the debut of the latest generation, the old A4/new A5 range will be offered in four new variants: the A5 and S5 Saloon and the A5 and S5 Avant.



The completely redesigned A5 family has a new, clean design with modified proportions, a long wheelbase, large wheels, and low, sporty body. The new front end is dominated by the wide grille featuring Audi’s three-dimensional honeycomb structure and slim LED headlights. The rear features a three dimensional, offset light strip for added presence and visual dynamism, and a new bumper design with a dark diffuser and rectangular exhaust tips.

In the Saloon, the sporty lines stretch to the rear in a sweeping arc that ends in a coupé-like shallow rear window and short tailgate with a striking spoiler lip. The newly-designed rear hatch opens with the rear window and its size makes access to the luggage compartment considerably easier. In the Avant, the roofline merges into a seamlessly integrated roof spoiler that spans the flat rear window.

Inside the new A5 there’s space, comfort and clarity

The interior of the new Audi A5 has also been updated to create a generous sense of space with a high level of comfort, a clear layout, and easy operation. No mean feat considering Audi could already boast one of the nicest, most comfortable, and most well-equipped interiors around.

New features include the slimline Audi MMI panoramic display with its curved design and OLED technology for a clear display that consists of the Audi virtual cockpit with a 11.9-inch screen and the 14.5-inch central touch display. Some models also offer front passengers a separate 10.9-inch display integrated into the dashboard.



Other options in the new A5 range include a configurable head-up display that allows drivers to control some vehicle and infotainment functions, a smart panoramic roof that can switch between clear and opaque at the press of a button, and a Bang & Olufsen premium sound system with integrated headrest speakers.

Even entry-level variants of the new A5 feature Audi’s voice assistant, wireless phone charging, heated front seats, three-zone climate control, multi-coloured ambient lighting, reversing camera, adaptive cruise control, and a parking assist system with 360° display that can do the job of squeezing into a space all by itself. Moving up the range just makes the new A5 even more desirable.

More comfort…and more sport modes

Beneath the skin, the new Audi A5 sits on a new platform that features an advanced chassis tuned for precise and controlled handling. It has also undergone extensive work on the suspension and steering for precise, effortless handling. The adaptive suspension with adjustable dampers (standard on S5 versions) has also been tweaked to offer more differentiation between comfort and sport modes.

The new powertrain options also cover a wide range: from the conventionally powered entry-level model to the comfortable long-distance runner and the dynamic sports car.

If you opt for a petrol engine in your new A5, you’ll get a turbocharged four-cylinder 2.0-litre TFSI, available in two variants - offering 150bhp and 200bhp - with a dual-clutch seven-speed gearbox and front-wheel drive.

Diesel variants feature Audi’s 200bhp 2.0-litre TDI with MHEV plus technology that adds a slice of extra power, increases efficiency, lowers emissions, and gives the driver a more responsive feel from the car. As well as improving efficiency, the extra 20bhp or so you get from the MHEV system should also allow you to manoeuvre and park the new A5 using electricity alone, albeit to a limited extent.



The new Audi A5 2.0 TDI is fitted with the same seven-speed transmission and dual-clutch and can be specified as either front-wheel drive or four-wheel drive quattro ultra.

And if neither of those two engines tick your boxes, there’s always the new S5.

Powered by a 3.0-litre V6 TFSI engine, S5 variants are turbocharged sports cars that also feature the MHEV technology for the first time. The result is a power output of 360bhp, 0-60mph times in the region of 4.5 seconds, and emissions that are reduced by up to 17g/km. A revised dual-clutch transmission capable of handling the extra torque also helps reduce weight over the front axle for improved agility, and the standard quattro sport differential ensures stability and control at the highest level.

The new Audi A5 range is available to order now ahead of its official launch in November. In the UK, all A5 variants will initially be available with a choice of Sport, S line and Edition 1 specification, while the S5 Saloon and Avant will be offered exclusively as Edition 1 models.

While the name change may be slightly confusing at first, there’s nothing confusing about the new A5 range itself. It’s elegantly designed, impressively equipped, comfortable, powerful, economical, and practical. In other words, the new Audi A5 is exactly the sort of car you should be thinking of leasing.

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