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By
EWAN KENNEDY
12 March 2006
Audi Australia was proud to host the world launch of its new A5
and S5 coupes at the 2007 Melbourne International Motor Show on March
6th. The event was held simultaneously with that at the Geneva Motor
Show in Switzerland, Geneva being arguably the most prestigious place of
all to unveil stunning new automotive shapes.
Audi made a big occasion of the Australian event, inviting many
special guests, including Ian Thorpe and Cathy Freeman, taking the
point of view that this is a coupe that will appeal to proven
winners. Your humble reporter was invited to be part of the gala
occasion.
It comes as no surprise that Audi's concentration on high
technology saw the event being broadcast live on the internet. And
that podcasts are available for download from www.audi.com.au/mims2007/.
As befits Australian drivers’ love of performance, the
vehicle flown here was the high-performance Audi S5.
The new Audi A5 and S5 are in a different class to any in which
the German marque has competed in recent times. A large sporting
coupe with lots of style, particularly in the latest treatment of
the ‘single-frame’ grille theme that has been progressively
introduced to all Audi models over the last couple of years.
The styling of the new S5 follows cues given by the Audi
Nuvolari concept car that has been admired at various motor shows
in recent years. There are also strong cues to the theme of the
recently launched Audi TT, a smaller brother in the new coupe.
The cabin of the Audi S5 is every bit as stylish as the
exterior. We loved the driving position, though we haven’t yet
had an opportunity to take one for a test run. The big instrument
layout is angled towards the driver, making this very much a
personal car.
Audi S5 uses the same 4.2-litre V8 engine that we have raved
about in the Audi RS4, but in a slightly detuned format. It still
manages a healthy 260 kW and 440 Nm, figures that seem to back up
Audi's acceleration claim of just 5.1 seconds from zero to 100
km/h.
At this stage only a six-speed manual is offered in the S5.
This could slow sales here, though driving purists are likely to
form a long queue to get into one.
Audi's new A5 will be powered by a range of petrol and
turbo-diesel engines, details of these are still to be finalised
for the Australian market. Drive will either be to the front
wheels, or use Audi's quattro all-wheel-drive setup for superior
traction in tight conditions.
Prime competitor for the new Audi A5 and S5 coupe will be the
BMW 6 Series and Mercedes-Benz CLK, though Audi in Australia says
it wouldn’t mind taking a few sales from Porsche as well.
The new Audis are expected to go on sale in Australia in the
final quarter of the year. Prices are still to be announced, but
expect the S5 to begin somewhere around $125,000. It’s too soon
to speculate on the A5 until there's a decision on which models
are coming.
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Marque Publishing Company
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