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By
ALISTAIR KENNEDY
23 June 2008
Audi
Australia has taken the third step in the progressive launch of
its A5 and S5 two-door coupe range with the release of a 3.2-litre
quattro (all-wheel-drive) variant of the A5.
After years of being perceived in Australia as the poor relation
to its rival German luxury car makers, Mercedes-Benz and BMW, Audi
has been steadily increasing its share of the local market as well
as expanding its range of vehicles. Indeed, Australia is currently
the fastest-growing country for Audi worldwide.
The
A5/S5 is Audi’s first entry into the grand tourer segment where
it competes against the well-established BMW 3 Series coupe and
Mercedes-Benz CLK models. In line with the Audi naming style, the
A5 is a luxury cruiser while the S5 is the sporty version.
The
looks of the big Audi coupe are stunning and turned many a head on
our introductory test drive of the A5 quattro in the southern
suburbs of Sydney. The single-frame grille that’s a feature of
all new Audi models dominates the front of the car and works well
with the car’s strong shoulder line. The sweeping roof-line is
long and low giving the car a smooth, sleek profile.
The
interior is equally stylish. The front sports seats are
comfortable and supportive although, despite being just over 4.6
metres long, there is limited legroom for rear seat occupants.
This restricted rear space is offset by a large, well-shaped boot,
a practical compromise given the likely buyer profile of a grand
touring car.
In
an aggressive marketing move Audi chose to release the sportiest
variant, the S5 FSI 4.2-litre quattro with manual transmission, in
October 2007, several months ahead of the launch of the first A5
model. That initial A5, released in December 2007, is powered by a
3.2-litre petrol engine mated to Audi’s multitronic continually
variable transmission (CVT) and with front-wheel drive.
The
new A5 quattro shares the same engine but with a six-speed torque
converter automatic with tiptronic overrides. Drive is to all four
wheels.
The
3.2-litre V6 direct-injection petrol engine is smooth and refined
and all but inaudible from inside the car. As part of Audi's new
Modular Longitudinal Platform (MLP) the engine is mounted further
back than in previous cars to provide better balance. It uses
Audi's all-wheel drive quattro system for superior traction in
hard driving conditions, as well as on roads made wet by rain.
Unfortunately
time constraints and Sydney traffic combined to prevent us from
getting clear of the suburbs and giving the Audi a serious test.
However, in the real world many coupes do spend a lot of their
time in traffic, and in those conditions we found A5 to be smooth,
powerful and comfortable. And the lack of a serious drive at first
acquaintance gives a perfect excuse to book our normal one-week
test as soon as possible. We’ll provide a more comprehensive
report following that.
The
next A5/S5 model to arrive will be an automatic S5 due in
mid-2008, followed by a 3.0-litre turbo-diesel A5 late in 2008.
The final model, the entry level A5 1.8T 1.8-litre petrol will be
released here sometime in 2009.
The
full Audi A5 and S5 range, both current and upcoming models, with
prices (excluding on-road costs) is:
A5 1.8T FSI multitronic CVT: approx. $70,000
A5 3.2 FSI multitronic CVT: $91,900
A5 3.2 FSI quattro tiptronic: $95,900
A5 3.0 TDI quattro tiptronic: $96,900
S5 4.2 FSI quattro manual: $131,900
S5 4.2 FSI quattro tiptronic: $131,900
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Marque Publishing Company
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