By Ian Strachan
The beautifully-styled Audi A5 Coupe is now even more striking. The A5 Coupe has always been a looker, with its dramatically sloping rear screen and narrow windows. Now a sharper design and new headlight clusters flanking the A5’s long bonnet have given it extra appeal.
My test car was fitted with meaty 19 inch alloys which added to its already striking appearance.
Despite the sloping rear screen there’s still plenty of room for four adults in this car, and its extra-long wheelbase means the boot is cavernous. That’s something you don’t get on a lot of modern coupes.
Be in no doubt, this aristocrat of the coupe market is refined, oozes style, is very comfortable and comes with a host of extras you don’t expect to find on a standard-spec German car. And tall backseat passengers won’t end up with a cricked neck.
Standard equipment includes satnav, RAD radio with full connectivity and Bluetooth, leather upholstery, front sports seats, electrically operated heated door mirrors, front and rear fog lights, acoustic parking system, Xenon headlights, three zone climate control, and multi-function steering wheel . You also get keyless ignition, folding rear seats, anti-theft system and chromed exhaust pipes as part of the standard package.
So straightaway you’re getting lots of car for your money. And the car is further enhanced by high quality trim materials used throughout the interior, giving it a little more class and style.
Stowage space for a coupe is impressive, making this an excellent tourer. As well as its 465-litres of boot space the rear seats fold to provide extra luggage space.
The A5 Coupe which I drove has a silky 190 horsepower two litre turbo-diesel engine which is light, lively and well balanced with great power delivery. You really won’t know you’re driving a diesel. It will get you from 0-60 in about seven and a half seconds, and has great mid range power, always feeling as if it has more to give. Despite its power, fuel consumption in mixed driving is good at 67.3 mpg. The 19 inch alloys take a couple of miles to the gallon off this.
Handling is excellent. The car felt in total control throughout, including in wet weather. Road and wind noise are kept to a minimum and despite the low profile tyres the ride is smooth and unfussed.
My test car came with a slick seven-speed S-Tronic automatic gearbox. But if you think you can perform better than the auto box, there’s gear change paddles on the steering wheel.
The automatic Audi A5 2.0 TDI S Line trim will cost you £37,445. It’s highly specified, but my test car with almost £5,000 worth of extras including attractive Scuba Blue metallic paint (£645), driving assistance pack (£1,400), those 19 inch alloys (£900), privacy glass (£375) , a technology pack (£1,100) and a flat-bottomed three-spoke leather steering wheel (£100).
This is a stylish and roomy coupe that sets very high standards. It’s an attractive, well specified, high-performing car which doesn’t make compromises. I was sorry to see it go.
