German trip at the wheel of the Audi A5, the new A4

Audi isn't making our job easy at the moment with its naming conventions. So, the Audi A4 became the A5 with the new generation. A car with preserved style but completely reimagined. We wanted to test it in its country of origin.

Germany has motorways where it's sometimes possible to push cars to speeds that are otherwise forbidden. An ideal testing ground to feel the Audi A5 with its "small" 2.0 TFSI petrol engine producing 150 hp under the bonnet of the A5 110 kW. The successor to the A4 has done more than just move to an odd number. The saloon (and consequently the Avant estate) benefits from a new architecture. A renewal operation that lengthens the car by 5.7cm and the wheelbase by 6.8cm. This delighted the rear passengers during our road trip to North Rhine-Westphalia heading towards Wuppertal and the Upper Berg. However, they were less pleased with the speakers installed at the foot of the door. They struggled to hear the music when the pace quickened, despite good soundproofing with optional acoustic glazing.

Autobahn

And precisely, when the horizon of the Autobahn opened before us, it was possible to push the variable geometry turbo 4-cylinder engine paired with a 7-speed S-Tronic robotic gearbox. As soon as we crossed the border, the punch on the accelerator was accompanied by a rising engine sound proving that there's no hybrid assistance here. It’s 100% pure petrol. The 150 hp doesn’t give the A5 wings, claiming a 0-to-100km/h time in 9.8 seconds. Therefore, the pace very rarely exceeded 170km/h, due to a lack of punch on restart and needing a long clear path. Despite the near absence of trucks in Sunday traffic, we regularly had to slow down on the route, first due to regularly imposed limits, notably in the omnipresent construction sites, and then out of respect for other road users present.

Headlights on the door

Firmly planted on its wheels in Dynamic driving mode, the A5 is not completely free from the bounciness linked to the German roads that are no longer as flawless. The Comfort mode eases the vertebrae a little, but I preferred to adapt the car to my habits via Individual mode. This also allows you to choose the design of the instrument cluster indicators. The test model we had didn't have the head-up display offered as an option. The cockpit has two screens. The touch interface is almost mandatory for comfort and infotainment. There are no real buttons on the steering wheel either, so when you touch the control pad, you might accidentally activate a "button". Oddly, Audi chose to install the headlight controls... on the door. This also applies to headlights and fog lamps. A strange idea. However, on this same panel, it's possible to lower the left mirror to avoid damaging the rims during parallel parking. Still, for the cruise control, it’s a good old stalk, very convenient, on the left of the steering wheel.

Suspended

The stop in Wuppertal allowed for the discovery of the Schwebebahn suspended railway, which has been gliding over the streets of this city for over 120 years. The current carriages offer real comfort during this amazing journey over the city. It’s much smoother than the suspension of the A5. After doing our good deed using public transport, we hit the road towards the countryside this time. In the bends which you can take at 100km/h (even if German authorities often now impose 70km/h as soon as it bends a bit), the Audi demonstrates stability. The car steers with precision. In manual mode, the paddles allow you to juggle with the gears. I also downshifted to enjoy engine braking when descending a hill. The driver assistance systems are quite benign. There are few untimely alerts. Especially as by correctly programming the "*" touch button on the steering wheel, you can disable the speed warning in one go, based on signage and mapping imposed by European laws. Apart from the limited power for real sporty sensations, this 110 kW A5 isn't sluggish. It must be said that it benefits from a weight advantage: its mass of 1,620kg!

Complaints and satisfactions

Audi A5s like 5 door, because, in the manner of a Skoda Superb, the 417-litre boot is accessible via a tailgate. It’s obviously more convenient than a boot lid, especially when the seats are folded down. Even if scrutinising the saloon, the separation lines somewhat alter the aesthetic viewpoint. A minor issue compared to the practical benefit of this opening. On the other hand, where is the keyless system? Well, you can get it as an option! Being accustomed to this comfort, I almost forgot to lock the car. And when it's necessary to go into the boot, it's imperative to have the remote control in hand.

On board, there may be a lack of storage compartments and a more generous storage bin. It's also a shame about the black plastic strip on the dashboard. Why? Admittedly, by selecting the correct option, part of this strip can be replaced by a third screen for the passenger. But not in this car. Moreover, even though it's classy, the all-black Luxury pack is a bit gloomy. And a few lines of customisable ambient lighting won't exactly bring us boundless joy. On the other hand, it's worth noting that the induction charger didn't falter. The smartphone is perfectly positioned and secured in a 'phone box'. The USB-C reader is capable of reading a high-capacity MP3 key. The shuffle mode does however tend to repeat the same sequences of tracks too often. With Spotify via Android Auto, however, it worked perfectly.

Budget

Before talking about the overall price, let's go back to our journey with fuel consumption. By letting loose on the unrestricted sections across the Rhine, the average consumption of our 700km trip was 7.6 l/100km, with almost 400km in Germany. By staying in Belgium and the Netherlands, we could have achieved the official standardised consumption of 6.6 l/100km. But like any 100% petrol car, the SP95 E10 requirements depend largely on the driver's right foot and the type of journey. Forget anticipatory driving in the city and pushing the car hard on the Autobahn will come at a cost.

The Audi A5 1.5 TFSI 110 kW starts at €40,950 in Belgium. The Advance finish of our test model is priced at a minimum of €42,350. But with a few packs and options, despite the shortcomings, this rises to over €54,500, of which €6,000 is a premium for the business pack. In France, the Audi A5 starts at €45,500, and for a similar model with equipment like the reversing camera and the 'phone box', it costs over €52,000. In Switzerland, prices for the A5 110 kW saloon start at over CHF 61,000.

(Olivier Duquesne – Source: Audi – Pictures: © Olivier Duquesne)