SLEEK AND STYLISH The Audi A5 and S5 are the best looking coupes to hit the market of late

By Justin Lee

AUDI LAUNCHED THE A5 and the sportier S5 on 27 June to the media and invited guests. This coincides with the delivery of 12 cars to the first batch of customers who have made bookings a year ago.

The cars sport a sleek silhouette inspired by the Nuvolari concept study showcased at the Geneva Motor Show in 2003. At the front, there is a sleeker version of Audi’s trademark single frame grille and slim rectangular headlamps which incorporate LED daytime running lights. The rear has stylish tail lamps that look similar to those on the A4 sedan, a spoiler moulded into the boot lid, a rear diffuser and dual exhaust pipes. The S5 is differentiated from the A5 by aluminium side mirror housings and a slightly different grille.

Inside, the dashboard is largely similar to that of the A4 with slight design variations such as the omission of a trim panel above the glovebox. The door panel design is the other difference between the sedan and coupe models.

The A5 will come with either 1.8 TFSI or 3.2 FSI engines. The former is mated to Audi’s multitronic CVT transmission with seven preset ratios while the latter is coupled to a six-speed automatic gearbox. The S5 is equipped with the 4.2 FSI engine and six speed automatic transmission. The A5 3.2 FSI and S5 also come with Audi’s quattro four-wheel drive system.

Power output for the A5 1.8 TFSI is 170bhp with 0-100km/h achieved in 8.4 seconds along with a top speed of 228km/h.

The A5 3.2 FSI weighs in with 265bhp with an electronically controlled top speed of 250km/h and 0-100km/h timing of 6.1 seconds.

The hardcore performance oriented S5 has 354bhp with 0-100km/h timing of 5.1 seconds and an electronically governed top speed of 250km/h.

Equipment levels are high for the 3.2-litre A5 and S5 with many items fitted as standard. These include the Audi dynamic steering system, a Bang & Olufsen sound system, a navigation system and adaptive headlights.

Audi Singapore managing director Reinhold Carl believes the A5 and S5 models will build up the image of the brand in Singapore.

“The A5 and S5 combine all the strengths of Audi such as quality craftsmanship and design. The cars have the spirit of a classic grand tourer and are a spiritual successor to the quattro coupe. The 1.8-litre A5 has been completely sold out while the sales of the 3.2-litre have been promising. I believe the 3.2-litre A5 is selling well because of the high level of standard equipment and is a good choice for those who do not want something so sporty like the S5. It represents the best balance in terms of performance and standard equipment. Starting from next year, the combined sales target for the A5 and S5 is set at around 200 units a year,” he said.

Prior to the official launch more than 70 orders have been made for the A5 and S5 with the latter taking up 48 percent of total bookings as of now.

Pricing for the A5 and S5 is as follows:

A5 1.8 TFSI – Price on application
A5 3.2 FSI – $205,600 with COE
S5 4.2 FSI – $245,000 with COE