Audi A5 Coupé 40 TDI quattro S tronic: sports car for everyone

Some cars have a silhouette that, with just a few strokes, endures over time, even despite successive evolutions. And that is what happens with the Audi A5 Coupé, whose first generation reached the market in 2007 and underwent a restyling in 2011, until the presentation of the second generation in 2016, which was renewed for the 2020 season… and here it still is, better and more attractive than ever, I would dare to say.

And this is not a good time for this type of bodywork, even more so when even SUVs have multiplied, also offering versions that try to imitate the coupé style. At Audi, to name just one example, we have the Sportback variants of the Audi e-tron, Audi Q3 and Audi Q5. Or the very Audi Q8, which does not carry the Sportback name, but could be considered the sporty version of the Audi Q7.

Elegant and sporty: the design of the Audi A5 Coupé

Even so, there is still room for cars like the Audi A5, which, let us remember, is also offered in Cabrio and Sportback body variants. Although in the latter case the Sportback name carries other connotations, alongside the opposite of what happens with SUVs: it is a coupé that integrates the advantages of a saloon by adding two rear doors. This interesting body version will appear again later.

Continuing with the A5 Coupé, among its most direct rivals we find the BMW 4 Series Coupé, since the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class is for now only offered in saloon and estate body versions. And as one would expect from a coupé, its silhouette exudes sportiness, without needing to go for the top-of-the-range Black Line trim, which is the one fitted to the unit you see in the images, with the black styling pack from Audi exclusive. It is true that the final appearance changes quite a bit depending on the chosen trim line, as well as on the optional personalisation packs, something that also applies to the interior.

Already from the Advanced versions, the equipment line of the same name comes as standard, which includes the front grille in matt black with chrome surround, a rear diffuser in titanium black and trapezoidal exhaust outlets in matt black, as well as the LED headlights and 18-inch alloy wheels with a 5-spoke Y design fitted with 245/40-18 tyres.

As for the body colours, there are 5 solid paints, 8 metallic and one pearl-effect finish, in addition to the custom colours from Audi exclusive. The price of metallic or pearl-effect paints is around 1,250 euros, and the car changes considerably depending on the colour chosen: more elegant with greys and dark tones, sporty with Tango Red or Turbo Blue, and especially eye-catching with Daytona Grey or District Green. The wheels can be up to 20 inches.

A sporty coupé in which you can also travel

Apart from how difficult it is to access the rear seats, which for a coupé are not bad at all in terms of space, the Audi A5 Coupé is a car that allows you to travel with great comfort, though better for two than for four. If you are going to do so frequently with passengers, there is the Sportback version which, with the same engine and equipment, costs the same as the coupé.

Carrying luggage will not be a problem, thanks to the 450 litres of capacity the boot offers. Moreover, it has regular shapes and is therefore very usable. The classic metal anchor points that Audi offers for attaching cargo nets are present, and under the floor you will find the battery and a puncture repair kit.

But where the Audi A5 Coupé is truly enjoyable is from the front seats. In particular, it is one of the few Audi models that has not yet received full digitalisation, with all the good that this entails. For example, control of systems such as climate control or the sound system is retained through physical buttons, which offer an exquisite feel. The classic controls on the magnificent multifunction plus steering wheel, standard equipment, with push or turn functions, I like more than those of, for example, the modern and innovative Audi Q4.

The build quality is magnificent, whichever way you look at it. And you can choose from a wide variety of dashboard inserts that greatly change the look of the interior, with oak or walnut woods, glossy lacquer, carbon or aluminium looks…

The touchscreen is still one of those with a floating layout, rather than those integrated into the dashboard design, and measures 10.1 inches. The short knob of the “by-wire” gear selector also offers a very good feel and allows the sequential manual mode to be used, although it is more comfortable to do so with the paddle shifters behind the steering wheel. In front of this lever there are two cup holders and a small space for, for example, leaving the key. Additionally, there is a storage space under the comfortable armrest.

Equipment and multimedia systems

From the Advanced trim onwards, the standard instrumentation is the Audi Virtual Cockpit Plus, with a 12.3-inch screen, which adds the “Dynamic” and “Sport” display modes. In my view, this instrumentation, even without the plus version, is among the best you can find on the market. And not only for the quality of the graphics, but also for the organisation and presentation of the menus, as well as the customisation options it offers.

The Audi MMI Navigation Plus is also standard on all trims, which, in addition to the aforementioned 10.1-inch multimedia screen, includes voice control using natural language – which, by the way, works quite well –, 3D maps with free updates, a wifi hotspot and the Audi connect services, such as information on points of interest, traffic or hazards and weather, online news and navigation with Google Earth, among many other functions.

As for standard or optional equipment, no one would say we are dealing with a Audi from the latest generation: the A5 Coupé lacks absolutely nothing. Standard equipment includes LED headlights (Matrix LED from the S line trim), and optionally it can even be fitted with Matrix LED headlights with laser light. The Audi connect key, which allows you to open, close and start the engine with your smartphone, is also optional.

However, sports seats are optional, for around 500 euros; and above them are the S or RS seats with integrated headrests (around 1,200 euros), ideal both for driving on winding roads and so that motorway kilometres do not take their toll. The former should at least be standard.

I also think that in a car of this level the complete driver-assistance package should not be part of the optional equipment; but Audi prefer to offer it this way, even on the top-of-the-range versions S5 and RS 5. Its price is around 3,600 euros, and it includes adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go function, the active lane assist system for keeping within the lane, the Audi pre sense rear and basic anti-collision systems, the unintentional lane change warning and traffic sign recognition by camera.

On the road with the Audi A5 Coupé 40 TDI

Following the latest update to the engine range, Audi currently offers four options for the A5 Coupé, two petrol and two diesel, all now with four cylinders, 2 litres of displacement and 12-volt Mild-Hybrid system, and therefore carry the ECO label from the DGT. The gearbox is always the 7-speed S tronic dual-clutch.

The petrol engines are the 40 TFSI with 204 CV and the 45 TFSI with 265 CV, which is paired with quattro ultra four-wheel drive. The diesel range starts with the 35 TDI with 163 CV, followed by the 40 TDI with 204 CV, which can be chosen with front-wheel drive or quattro four-wheel drive. Above them, at another level of power and price, are the S5 TDI with the same 341 CV V6 engine we tested in the SQ5, or the powerful 450 CV RS 5 TFSI.

The well-known 2.0 TDI engine, which in its latest evolution increased its output from 190 CV to 204 CV, as well as incorporating the MHEV system, is a magnificent alternative to the petrol 40 TFSI with identical power. It has the advantage of allowing you to opt for the quattro-ultra four-wheel drive, which carries a surcharge of 2,530 euros. If you want an A5 Coupé with four-wheel drive and a petrol engine, it has to be the 45 TFSI, now with 265 CV.
Compared with the petrol 40 TFSI, the 40 TDI carries a surcharge of around 1,400 euros. It is clear that it is not as refined an engine as the TFSI, especially when you drive pushing through the gears. But in all other situations I assure you it is by no means a lacking in refinement… nor in performance, with a very progressive throttle response and a forceful, very rewarding pull from just over 1,500 rpm.

An engine that works very well with the dual-clutch gearbox, which can be as smooth as it is quick, depending on the mode selected in the Audi drive select. In the mode aimed at achieving low consumption, efficiency mode, it even allows coasting, decoupling the engine from the gearbox in certain situations so the car can roll in neutral.

Since we are talking about efficiency, this is the word that best continues to define the TDI engines. The Audi A5 Coupé with this engine is capable of recording average consumption figures on the trip computer of around 6.8 l/100 km in real-world use without focusing at all on efficient driving. A figure that is not bad at all considering that our test unit had 20-inch wheels with very wide, low-profile tyres in size 265/30.

Quattro ultra four-wheel drive does not mean a significant increase in consumption in this case, as it disconnects when not needed, to improve efficiency. The Audi A5 Coupé does not need this all-wheel drive system to offer impeccable dynamic behaviour and a high cornering speed; but it cannot be denied that with it the car conveys a very high level of confidence and security when driving on winding roads, especially when the tarmac is not dry.

It carries a surcharge of 2,530 euros, less than the cost of the 20-inch wheel option with low-profile tyres, which I do find excessive. It should also be said that I was surprised they do not compromise ride comfort. And our A5 Coupé was equipped with the sport suspension, with a firmer setting than the standard one. An option that would not be missing from my ideal configuration for the A5 Coupé 40 TDI, which I would perhaps fit with less radical wheels and tyres (255/35-19, or even 245/40-18), and I would consider fitting adaptive dampers, above the dynamic steering.

Photo gallery Audi A5 Coupé 40 TDI quattro