Audi A5 Gets Long Needed Update, but Looks the Same as A3, A4, TT, Q7...

Audi seems to be using the same facelift clinic for its range, and to be perfectly honest, I'm already a bit tired of the design. We've already seen the bold design right across the range from the TT to the A4, right up to the Q7. Well, surprise surprise the A5 has joined the crew.

It's not necessarily all that bad - the A5 has been around since 2007 pretty much unchanged. A stretched wheelbase means more room inside, and combine that with short overhangs and you have yourself a more premium looking car. The singleframe grille extends from the end of the bonnet right down to the bumper and certainly gives the A5 Coupé some presence. A set of LED tail lights come as standard, however it's the optional LED headlights (specifically the high-end Matrix LED headlights) that you want!

Audi's engineers have managed to shave, in some cases, up to 60 kg off the A5 Coupé over its predecessor. That's like removing a teenager from the car. The class-leading drag coefficient of 0.25 will also contribute to saving fuel in the long run. In fact, Audi claims that you'll be able to get up to 17% more performance whilst using up to 22% less fuel. It's a win-win situation, or at least it is on paper.

From launch, Audi will be offering two petrol engines and three diesels with power outputs of between 187-282 bhp. The 6-speed manual and 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmissions are available on the 4-cylinder engines as well as the 215 bhp 3.0-litre V6 diesel. The 282 bhp 3.0-litre V6 diesel gets the special treatment with the 8-speed tiptronic automatic, in fact so does the S5 Coupé.

On the subject of the S5 Coupé, its 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine produces 349 bhp (21 more than before), kicking it to 62 mph in 4.7 seconds. The latest quattro all-wheel-drive system with ultra technology will also be available, however only on the 4-cylinder petrol and diesel engines with manual transmission. This is the system that we saw not too long ago debut on the A4 allroad quattro 2.0 TFSI.

Inside, Audi has used the same technique as it has in its other models - horizontal lines create the illusion of more space, particularly a wider cabin. It's no surprise, then, that the Audi virtual cockpit will become an option in the latest A5 Coupé, a 12.3-inch TFT display that replaces the traditional instrument cluster. Nevertheless, its 1,440x540 pixel resolution makes for great viewing with crisp images. There will even be an 8.3-inch infotainment display available. The standard infotainment makes do with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but step it up and you can get luxuries such as wireless phone charging and a Bang & Olufsen sound system! The 465-litre boot gains 10 litres over the old model, but the 40:20:40 split folding rear seats definitely make it easier loading longer items.

Safety hasn't been completely disregarded. Audi has many technologies to its name, just some of which including active lane assist, pre sense, park assist, cross traffic assist rear, exit warning, collision avoidance assist, turn assist and traffic sign recognition. All of which will be available on the A5 and S5 Coupé.

Enough about how the other half live, how about what's included as standard on the base model A5? You'll be pleased to know that xenon headlights are standard as well as LED tail lights, interior lights and daytime running lights. A 7-inch infotainment display with Bluetooth and USB connectivity are also included. As for safety, pre sense city comes as standard as well as Audi drive select.

Order books will not be opening until the end of summer, with deliveries coming in just before the end of the year. There's no mention of pricing yet, but the current generation starts at £29,190 and goes up to £42,990 for the S5 Coupé.

There are two main rivals that Audi has its eyes on, one of which being the BMW 4 Series with a slightly higher price tag of £30,260. BMW offers a lot more in terms of powertrains, with 4 diesels (418d, 420d, 430d and 435d) and 3 petrols (420i, 430i and 440i). BMW's xDrive all-wheel-drive setup is an option on the 420d, 430d and 420i, as well as being standard on the 435d. There's even an M4 to rival a future RS 5 Coupé.

The second rival is the recently launched Mercedes C-Class Coupé with an even higher price tag of £31,585. In terms of engines, there are fewer - 2 diesels (C 220 d and C 250 d) and 2 petrols (C 200 and C 300). All but the C 300 are optionally available with 4MATIC four-wheel-drive. Mercedes will offer you a warm C 43 4MATIC and a bubbling C 63 too.

The S5 Coupé has its eyes firmly set on the C 43 4MATIC (£46,280) which shared its 0-62 mph time of 4.7 seconds. It has nothing to worry about with the 440i (£42,235) though, which is 0.3 s slower.