The New Audi A5 Is Also The New Audi A4

This is the new Audi A5. That might come as a surprise if you’ve seen the past two generations of A5, which were swoopy, coupe and convertible versions of the sensible A4 saloon, but there’s a reason for that.

As it seeks to electrify more of its lineup, Audi has switched up the naming strategy of its core range of A-badged cars. Even-numbered names will now be reserved for electric cars, while combustion cars will get an odd number. Hence this, the combustion version of Audi’s long-running compact executive saloon and estate, is now the A5, rather than the A4 – that’ll be the electric version that arrives later.

With that out of the way, are we just looking at more of the same here? It’s the first car to be based on Audi’s new Premium Platform Combustion (PPC) underpinnings, which will form the basis for its next generation of petrol, diesel and hybrid cars. As was the case when it was the A4, it’s available as a four-door saloon or five-door ‘Avant’ estate, although both cut a lower, sportier silhouette than before.

The saloon also technically isn’t a saloon anymore, either – it’s a liftback akin to the Peugeot 508 or Volkswagen Arteon, with the entire tailgate now opening up including the rear screen. Audi also loves some good lighting tech, and there’s plenty of it here: the S5 gets fancy digital OLED rear lights that can display different patterns when locking and unlocking the car.

There’s no shortage of powertrain options on offer. A 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol four-cylinder offers either 148 or 201bhp, in both cases driving the front wheels. There’s also a 2.0-litre diesel four-pot, offering 201bhp and 295lb of torque. That can be paired with either front- or four-wheel drive and gets a 48v mild hybrid system.

Top of the tree for now is the S5, which uses a 3.0-litre turbocharged V6, also in conjunction with a 48v electrical system, for a total of 362bhp. That, naturally, gets a quattro four-wheel drive system too. All engines are coupled to a dual-clutch automatic.

Inside, there’s the latest version of Audi’s ‘Virtual Cockpit’, which pairs an 11.9-inch digital instrument cluster with a 14.5-inch central screen. There’s also the option of a third screen, just for the passenger, and a configurable head-up display, which the S5 gets as standard. Lower-end models get some rather nice-looking cloth upholstery, which is refreshing to see in this segment.

We know what you’re really wondering, though: is there a new RS5 coming? Almost certainly. It’s been spotted testing and is expected to use a further beefed-up version of the S5’s V6 as part of a plug-in hybrid setup.

What about the coupe and convertible versions which, let's not forget, are what the A5 began as? Things look less rosy for those: we contacted Audi for a statement, and were told that while there's no official word on the future of the two-door A5, the new model will be "saloon and Avant only." Pricing for those will be announced in August ahead of the car launching in various European markets in November.