2009 Audi A5 - Design of the Year winner

Last year, after disputing Volkswagen Group design chief Walter de'Silva's assertion that Audi's A5 is his best-ever design, we went on to confirm that he had indeed created a beautiful car. Just how beautiful has been clarified by seeing A5s on the road, but no one really fully appreciates the quality of its total design before driving it.

The first point of appreciation comes when you approach the car, finding it bigger and more substantial than it seemed in static auto-show conditions. The second comes when you open the door to find one of the best interiors offered today, for any car at any price. Audis have had excellent interiors for many years, but the A5 surpasses previous models. A driver senses that a special effort was made just to please him, yet passengers, too, are flattered by the seating comfort and the obvious care in assembling the details. This is clearly a car made for going places, a true grand tourer.

Everything one touches feels good to the fingers. Tactile response is too often ignored in car design, but while traveling in an A5, one could spend hours gently caressing its controls, its armrests, even its voluptuous seat contours. It helps that actuating the knobs and buttons is smooth, precise, and physically satisfying. The only other car as tactilely pleasing is an older pre-German Rolls-Royce, with its few but perfectly finished organ-stop vent knobs and polished black steering wheel.

All U.S.-spec A5s feature Quattro all-wheel drive, so they're particularly good in bad weather situations, making them excellent choices in much of the United States, not to mention northern Europe. Whether facing snow and ice or not, the elegance, stability, and sheer visual presence of the A5 are pleasing to owners. For us, it is a clear Design of the Year winner.

© Source: automobilemag
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Audi A5 2.0 TDI

Audi's A5 is already available in a wide variety of petrol and diesel engine options, but not until now has it included a four cylinder diesel variant. And so it is with a 2.0-litre TDI engine that the A5 becomes even cleaner and efficient, boasting an impressive 53 miles to the gallon on the combined cycle - most importantly whilst remaining uncompromising on performance.

Priced at £28,485 and £30,010 on the road for front-wheel-drive and quattro versions respectively, the new A5 2.0 TDI will reach the first UK customers next March, coinciding with the launch of an even more striking S line trim priced at £2,250. Available across the range, the new trim includes exterior and interior styling enhancements, 18-inch S line alloys, sports suspension and xenon lamps with LED daylight running.

The new A5 TDI model adopts the most powerful version of the 2.0-litre powerplant, producing 170 PS and first seen in the A4 range. Utilising a Piezo injection system, the unit generates 350 Nm of torque at an impressive 1,750 rpm.

Pitting the new A5 model against its 2.7-litre TDI sibling and there's little in it for the figures - at least bar efficiency. The 0-62 mph sprint is reached in 8.3 seconds (7.4s for the 2.7) and a top speed of 140 mph is only just short of the higher model's 144 mph. Pulling away from its higher-powered siblings is the fuel consumption figure, the 2.0-litre model offering a 20 percent or 9 mpg (combined) advantage over the 44 mpg-achieving 2.7-litre TDI. CO2 output is 140 g/km - now the lowest in the A5 range.

© Source: worldcarfans
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2009 Audi A5

If you're in the market for a luxury sport coupe and your primary goal is to stand out from the crowd, look no further than the curvaceous 2009 Audi A5. This is a car whose luscious lines will quicken the pulse of even the most jaded valet. And unlike rival models sporting blue-and-white propeller badges and three-pointed stars, an A5 can't be seen every day. The A5 is a highly capable car with a finely wrought interior, but it's also rather pricey compared to some competitors.

Underneath the A5's slinky sheet metal, it's basically a two-door version of the A4 3.2 Quattro sedan, save for its low-slung seating position. As such, it shares with the A4 a direct-injected 3.2-liter V6 that pumps out a healthy 265 horsepower, as well as the Quattro all-wheel-drive system and a choice between a manual or automatic transmission. The V6 isn't blindingly fast, but it provides the sort of refined yet authoritative acceleration that shoppers in this segment will appreciate. When the going gets twisty, the A5's impressive composure belies its nose-heavy weight bias -- unlike the boulevard-cruising Mercedes-Benz CLK350, say, this Audi is a willing dance partner in tight corners.

The 2009 Audi A5 is also a bargain compared to the Benz, undercutting the latter's base price by a few thousand dollars. Relative to the rest of the field, though, the Audi costs a pretty penny. For example, Infiniti's G37 handily outperforms the A5 for thousands less, and BMW's AWD 328xi coupe splits the difference between the Audi and the Infiniti price-wise, while offering the best handling of all. Moreover, if you can do without AWD, the rear-wheel-drive 328i coupe is cheaper still, and the crushingly quick 335i coupe is only marginally more expensive than the A5.

But curb appeal is often what draws shoppers to luxury sport coupes in the first place, and the A5 is easily the class leader in this regard. That may be enough to tip the scales in its favor, regardless of its performance or value for the dollar. Those who do choose an A5 based on its seductive looks are unlikely to be disappointed by how it drives. If you'd rather be thrilled than ogled, however, there are better -- and cheaper -- choices.

© Source: edmunds
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2009 Audi A5

- Base Price: $41,600
- Body Style: Coupe
- Performance & Efficiency: 3,197 cc 3.2 liters V 6 front engine with 84.5 mm bore, 92.8 mm stroke, 12.5 compression ratio, double overhead cam, variable valve timing/camshaft and four valves per cylinder. Premium unleaded fuel 91. Rebates & Incentives:
36 Month Finance Rate: N/A; 48 Month Finance Rate: N/A

New Audi Q5 combines Audi's trademark single frame grille with clean surfaces. Subtle fender flares hint at the A5 from some angles, and the roofline is one of the lowest in the segment. The Q5 is built off the same architecture as the new A4 sedans and wagons and the A5 coupes. That means longitudinal engines, and a Quattro drive system with 60 percent of the torque directed to the rear wheels in normal driving.

The longitudinal engines bit is important because that means the Q5 can run anything from an inline-four to a V-8 under the hood, like the A4/A5. For the U.S., however, the Q5 will initially be available only with Audi's 3.2-liter direct-injection V-6, driving through a six-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission. With 265 hp and 243 lb-ft of torque, the FSI V-6 provides grunt enough to propel the Q5 to 60 mph in 6.8 seconds.

The Q5 features extensive use of high-strength steel in the body structure. The hood and tailgate are made from aluminum to reduce weight, and aluminum is used extensively in the suspension. The compact trapezoidal-link rear-suspension layout allows a low floor in the rear cargo area. The Q5 will come standard with 18-inch alloy wheels, but wheels up to 20-inch diameter will be available as options.

Though basically a soft-roader, Audi claims the Q5 is reasonably adept off the tarmac, capable of climbing 31-degree slopes, with a break-over angle of 17.5 degrees. Ground clearance is almost 7.9 inches, and Audi says the Q5 can handle water up to 19.7 inches deep.

The Q5 will be available with the usual array of Audi features, including the latest-generation three version of the MMI computer interface, power tailgate, keyless entry, Bluetooth hands-free phone, a Bang & Olufsen 505-watt 14-speaker sound system, and even a heated and cooled cupholder.

© Source: motortrend
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2008 Audi A5 Review

Introduction
Passion over practicality? When one is shopping in the luxury sport coupe segment, most definitely. Luxury sport sedans provide virtually identical performance and comfort plus extra practicality, but sometimes the passionate pull of a coupe's swanky body style is too strong to resist. And when it comes to style, not much else in this class can match the 2008 Audi A5 coupe.

All-new for this year, the A5 (as well as its high-performance sibling, the S5) is instantly desirable thanks to its curvaceous sheet metal, which performs the rare task of being both elegant and muscular. Backing up this bionic Jaime Summers-like bod is Audi's direct-injected V6 that makes 265 horsepower, a six-speed transmission (manual or automatic) and Quattro all-wheel drive.

Although much of the A5's platform is shared with the A4 sedan, there are a few key differences that further the coupe's sporting intentions. Among those tweaks are a new front suspension design, a longer wheelbase and a repackaging of the engine, transmission and steering rack. The result is improved weight distribution and handling, for more precise steering feel and action. These upgrades are slated to make it on the next-generation A4 sedan as well.

A key advantage for those who live with slippery weather conditions is the A5's all-wheel drive, a feature shared only with the BMW 335xi. With a 40/60-percent front-to-rear power split, the Quattro system provides a rear-wheel-drive car's crisp handling dynamics along with the extra grip of all-wheel drive. Other Audi assets include an expectedly handsome cabin filled with luxury features such as triple-zone climate control and finely finished leather and wood trim.

The 2008 Audi A5 faces some tough competition, however, in the form of the BMW 335i coupe, Infiniti G37 and Mercedes-Benz CLK350. The G37 is the bargain of the group, with its class-leading power and low price tag, though it lacks the warm cabin and overall polished demeanor of the A5. The Audi's countrymen rivals tend to be more expensive -- especially the Benz, which starts out at six grand more than the A5. Really, there's not a bad one in the bunch. Just as long as you know you're choosing passion over practicality.

What's New for 2008
The 2008 Audi A5 is an all-new midsize luxury sport coupe. Based on the Audi A4 sedan, the A5 promises more engaging handling than any recent mainstream Audi and comes wrapped in seductive sheet metal.

© Source: edmunds
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Audi A5 - Drive more !

The Audi A5 is growing on us. When we first saw the 3-Series rival, we weren't quite convinced by the styling, and an early drive of the S5 revealed it be, well, a bit lifeless.

But we've had the 3.0-litre TDI A5 in this week, and it's doing a sterling job in converting the office to the charms of the Audi coupe.

It looks good in the flesh - a lot better than in photos - and feels sturdier than a New Zealand prop forward.

And all those good portents just get better with the news that Audi is adding another couple of engines to the A5 line-up: a 3.2 FSI petrol and 2.7 TDI.

The 3.2 FSI is the same unit found in the A4 and A6, but with a power boost to 261bhp and 243lb ft of torque. That'll see the A5 to 62mph in 6.6 seconds and on to 155mph, with consumption in the region of 32mpg.

The 2.7-litre turbodiesel should be a tidy option, too. Once again, power is up over the A4 iteration of the engine, with 178 horses hauling the A5 to 62mph in 7.6 seconds while returning a highly respectable 42.2mph.

Both engines are available with Audi's CVT automatic transmission, but given the precision of the six-speed manual we've been testing this week, we can't see why you'd bother.

The A5 2.7 TDI starts at £31,640, while the 3.2 FSI weighs in at £33,230, and both should be in the UK by the end of October.

© Source: topgear
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