2017 Audi A5 Coupe and 2016 Audi S5 Coupe revealed

The 2017 Audi A5 Coupe will be in showrooms mid next-year with the sporty S5 variant available at the same time. The A5 is the fastback version of the popular Audi A4 sedan, and will use the same new architecture and engines as the A4, which was released in Australia earlier this year. It’s a direct rival for the BMW 4 Series as well as the Mercedes C-Class Coupe and Lexus RC line-up.

The A5 looks very similar to the Audi A4, but has its own styling tweaks to distinguish it as the five-door variant, including unique LED headlights. It also takes some visual cues from the latest Audi TT sports car, but more importantly it sits on a longer wheelbase than the current model A5, which has been on sale since October 2007.

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That spells more space inside, with its 465-litre luggage compartment making it 10 litres larger than before, and access to the boot via 40:20:40 split-fold rear seats. Audi will also offer a motion detector so that you can open that A5’s hatch by sweeping your foot beneath the rear of the car.

The interior should be the new class leader if the A4 is anything to go by. Options will include the excellent ‘Virtual Cockpit’ instruments; an LED display replaces the conventional gauges for the speedometer and sat-nav can be displayed in the instrument cluster.

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Like the A4, there’s Audi’s 7.0-inch colour centre display as well, with Bluetooth and USB standard, as well as LED interior lights.

Safety is also a strong suit for the A5. As well as its Active Lane Assist and Adaptive Cruise Control, there are some new features on offer including Park Assist, Cross Traffic Assist Rear, and in a nod to cyclists, an ‘exit warning’; a flashing red light lets the occupant know if there is an oncoming obstacle – like a cyclist – on a trajectory towards the door.

Under the A5’s bonnet for its European launch will be two petrol engines and three diesel variants. With a weight reduction of up to 60kg over its predecessor, Audi claims that fuel efficiency has improved by as much as 22 percent despite boosts in power and torque. The line-up for Australia will likely include 1.4-litre, 1.8-litre and 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engines, with a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel also available.

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The sports model – the S5 – will be powered by a supercharged 3.0-litre V6 with 260kW, making it the most potent in the line-up. Its 4.7sec 0-100km/h time is 0.4sec faster than the outgoing S5, and although that mightn’t sound like much of an improvement, it’s a significant achievement.

A convertible model, as well as a five-door ‘Sportback’ version, will follow the arrival of the three-door A5. Prices are yet to be announced for the 2017 Audi A5; however we don’t expect much of a change from the current starting price of $68,200 when it arrives in Australian showrooms in mid-2017.