2025 Audi A5 First Look: Don't Call It a Sportback
With gorgeous proportions and a positively practical hatchback cargo area
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00:00This is the new Audi A5.
00:08Now, Audi is combining the A4 and A5 model lines into one great-looking car.
00:14Sedans are getting less popular, and SUVs are on the rise, but models with a liftback,
00:19like this, are becoming increasingly popular.
00:21Now, you might be asking, oh, where's the A5 Sportback going?
00:24Audi is just simplifying the name of this car because we're only getting one body style,
00:28and they're making sure that they're going to capture buyers from the A4 and A5 product
00:32lines, and hopefully that all those buyers are going to go to this car.
00:35Now, what makes this car so special, and how does it combine those design accents from
00:40the prior two models?
00:41Well, let's start with the grille.
00:44Like other Audi models, this A5 has Audi's single-frame grille and its new interpretation
00:49of the four-ring logo.
00:51It also has these really cool pass-throughs that give some real credence to its aerodynamic,
00:56sporty-looking profile.
00:57Now, the hood is also really notable for these deep creases that give it a powerful bulge
01:03over the top, and this big surface really emphasizes the car's sleekness and luxuriousness.
01:10Coming around to the side, we have these beautiful quattro muscle bulges, is what Audi calls
01:15them, and these gorgeous wheel designs that are fresh for the new model.
01:19It also has flush door handles that you just reach your hand in, and it'll open the door
01:23with the push of a button.
01:24So, this car really is trying to look more aerodynamic and slimmed down from prior versions
01:30of the A4 and A5.
01:31Now, like the other Audi models that are coming out, and are going to continue to come out
01:35over the next few years, this A5 has a wraparound rear lighting accent that bulges out from
01:41the rear of the car.
01:43That allows Audi to do a flush decklid down here with no recess for the license plate,
01:48which I think helps make the car look a lot more sophisticated and elevates it above the
01:52more mainstream models.
01:54Now, this car has an S-line badge because it uses the S-line trim, which gives it sportier-looking
01:59accents, and if we click the automatic trunk latch, the trunk opens on its own, and you
02:05can see that you have a lot of cargo volume for bikes, luggage, moving, you name it.
02:10Like, this car will pretty much swallow most of the stuff that you ever need to carry.
02:14So once you get settled inside the A5's interior, you'll notice the cockpit feels very open
02:19and spacious, and that's because Audi has this wraparound design that extends from one
02:24door to the other by way of the dashboard with this really nice soft material.
02:27Now, other accents that have changed since the prior versions of the A4 and the A5 are
02:32this new steering wheel.
02:33The entry-level car will have a four-spoke style, whereas this one has a sportier-looking
02:38three-spoke style.
02:39There's also two large displays under one piece of curved glass, and that uses a silhouette
02:45of Audi's single-frame grille, and then there's an available display for passengers that they
02:49can use the infotainment system from where they're sitting.
02:52Your passenger can operate as your co-pilot, too, with a map, and your passenger can add
02:56directions and make changes that you then confirm as a driver.
03:00So Audi's making all of these really cool design choices in the interior that are combining
03:04the physical shapes of everything inside the car with what's on the screens, making it
03:08a much more interactive in-cabin experience.
03:11There's also a lot of customization that you can do inside the A5.
03:14For example, you can change the lighting accents with a touch of a button, so there's lots
03:17of different ways to use lighting to customize how your A5 looks.
03:21Now, you may notice that there's a bar running across the dashboard right under the glass.
03:26That bar is used both for style, but it's also used to communicate things.
03:30For example, if you hit the hazards button, that turns on hazard lights on the dashboard.
03:35If you turn on your turn signal, that shows a light on the dashboard, too.
03:39So this car has a lot of thoughtful touches that make it feel special and differentiated
03:43from its competitors within the compact luxury car segment.
03:47Audi offers its new A5 body style with a choice of two engines.
03:50The first engine is a 2.0-liter turbo that makes 268 horsepower.
03:54That's sent to the wheels by way of a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
03:58And all A5 models make use of Audi's quattro all-wheel drive system.
04:03Those that want more power should choose the S-Pipe, which makes 362 horsepower with a
04:073.0-liter turbocharged V6 engine.
04:10Like the 2.0-liter model, it uses a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and quattro
04:15all-wheel drive.
04:16This car gets key upgrades, though, like sport suspension, better brakes, and a cooler-looking
04:21exterior design.
04:22I think Audi's done a great job combining the A4 and A5 lineup with this exterior design
04:27and its powertrain offerings.
04:29I'm Billy Raybach, and this is Motor Trend.