Drive review: Audi A5 Sportback TFSI Quattro

The striking new five-door A5 Sportback TFSI Quattro is now available for sale with immediate delivery (pending colour choice) from OTR RM340,000, RM19,000 lower than the precious A5 Quattro that was launched in 2013.

The new design subtly blends additional doors into the sweeping curves that are instantly recognisable hallmarks of the A5 Coupé, and fully justifies its presence through an extended chassis that enables it to run the spacious A4 saloon close on rear head and leg room.

Seven years after the birth of the Audi A5 Sportback, this new version blends elegant, emotional design with high functionality and abundant interior comfort.

This family-friendly, second generation car is perfectly connected and offers the latest infotainment features. Plus, there’s a completely reengineered suspension, high-performance powertrain and innovative driver assistance systems.

The silhouette

At 4,733 mm in length, a 2,824 mm wheelbase, 1,843 mm wide and 1,386 mm high – the new Audi A5 Sportback displays sporty, balanced proportions.

In nearly every way, it is larger than the previous version but surprising, is slightly narrower without reducing cabin space. Clever packaging from Audi cabin designers!

Audi’s designers have combined dramatic lines and athletically taut surfaces in this new design. The stretched wheelbase, the short overhangs and the long, wraparound front lid with power dome emphasise the model’s dynamism.

Another distinguishing feature is the sporty front end. The three-dimensionally modelled Singleframe grille is significantly flatter and wider than on the previous model.

Depending on specification, the radiator grille comes in subtle black matt. On the sport trim line, its basic colour is twilight gray matt with horizontal slats in aluminium silver matt.

In the design trim line it is in elegant dark titanium black with horizontal slats in chrome.

The side air intakes have bold edges and optionally – with the S line exterior package – honeycomb grilles and a sporty, horizontal trim strip in aluminium silver matt extending across the entire front end.

The wave-pattern shoulder line imparts the Audi A5 Sportback with emotional elegance. The characteristic design feature, already present on the previous model, is now even more striking with its three-dimensional character.

The interplay of light and shadow becomes all the more alluring. The long sweeping wave with the pronounced bulges over the wheel arches underscores the quattro DNA.

At the transition from the front wheel arches to the doors, a three-dimensional chrome trim element highlights the sporty ambitions of the new A5.

From the A-pillar, which has been shifted far to the rear, the roof extends over the athletic body with its frameless doors as a flat, flowing dome. The front and rear side windows are given emphasis by a trim strip in aluminium silver, matt.

The sportback

The rear end exhibits clearly horizontal and three-dimensional styling. The stretched luggage compartment lid in aluminium terminates with a striking spoiler edge that also enhances the aerodynamics.

Separate reflectors in the lower section of the rear apron, painted in the body colour, emphasise the width.

The slim, three-dimensionally shaped rear lights come in LED technology as standard, and an LED lighting signature underlines their sculptural geometry.

The delicate brake light sits below the luminaries, and the dynamic turn signal (with LED headlights and higher) forms a precise strip in the upper section. The third delicate brake light on the upper edge of the rear window spans its entire width.

The drive

It is comfortable, sure footed and a nice car to drive, and gives one the impression that it was carefully engineered and constructed. In short, it exudes a veritable aura of high quality. It has the solid feel of a big car, even though its just slightly more spacious over the current A4.

The all-wheel-drive Quattro should be a great advantage on the wet and uneven tarmac conditions in our cities. It is not an all out off-road vehicle (some might think so since it has Quattro drive), however, because it is low to the ground, the Quattro system should be great in the rain and for outstation fast driving along tight JKR roads.

On-road manners are difficult to fault, and as a relaxed cruiser, this A5 is pretty hard to toss.

In keeping with its limousine image, the ride is wonderfully balanced and compliant – absorbing road imperfections and hollows without wallowing or being skittish unnecessarily.

The long wheelbase means that even larger imperfections in the road surface barely register inside.

Around town, thanks to a good turning circle, the A5’s easy manoeuvrability around car parks and narrow laneways belies its “large-car” dimensions. The steering is quick and relatively direct and torque steer is barely evident, even in the wet.

The well-tuned 7-speed semi-auto gearbox transmits power effortlessly and seamlessly to the rear wheels. With 7-well-spaced gear ratios to pick from, the TFSI engine can be kept singing at its best for most situations.

The biggest surprise with the TFSI is what happens when the accelerator is given a decent prod. There’s a surprising amount of urge on tap.

However, the 2-litre TFSI lacks vocal grunt to excite. Maybe the vocals have been saved for the S4 and RS versions.

Steering feel on city roads is light and when you take to the countryside, the steering feel in “Dynamic” mode comes alive under your palms. This is however not RS like feel, but impressive enough to put a smile on your face at every corner executed at even higher speeds.

Yes, the Quattro returns surefooted and precise handling on the tight corners and the tail stayed tucked in tight when “pushed”. All this and still, no “pounding” and “crashing” of the suspension as it hit the ruts and dips on Malaysia’s “well maintained” city roads.

The Quattro suspension setup was impressive and even more rewarding on high speed runs on selected open highways as the car moved in and out of traffic with little effect from the uneven tarmac.

Attacking corners fast needs good brakes and the Audi callipers and discs worked admirably at all times with no fade or hesitation even when slammed on.

The rivals

This fully-imported (CBU) A5 Quattro (with a five-year unlimited mileage warranty) competes with the locally assembled high specification Mercedes C300 at RM304,000 and the fully-imported BMW 330i at RM328,000.

The A5 may be a touch more expensive, but it has Quattro all-wheel drive, and a sportback profile which extends its ability to carry diving-gear, golf-bags and a folding bike.

The rivals however carry a little more brand knowledge over Audi but the luxury image of all three brands are somewhat equal in Malaysia.

It is just that BMW and Mercedes-Benz sell more than 11,000 units a year each and Audi in Malaysia sells less than 1,000 units a year.