The new Audi Sportback, Coupe and Cabriolet models have the potential to reach 60mpg, with just 122g/km of CO2 emissions.
After extensive re-engineering the latest Sportback, Coupe and Cabriolet A5 cars from Audi are now significantly cleaner and more fuel efficient, and also benefit from a minor makeover with subtle styling refinements.
The new A5 and S5 models, which can be ordered from this September with the first deliveries going out to customers in December, will be priced from £25,540 OTR and boast CO2 emission reductions of up to 22% due to the new engines, as well as improved infotainment systems and chassis modifications to go with the new, refined styling.
When Audi set out to update its cars for 2012 the overriding priority was to deliver improved efficiency without making any compromises on performance. In order to do this they have introduced two new engines, as well as undertaking a complete redesign for the others.
The old 3.2-litre FSI engine has been replaced in the Coupe and Cabriolet models with a new 276bhp version of Audi’s supercharged 3.0-litre TFSI petrol engine, whilst the V8 engine which was being used in the S5 Coupe is to be replaced by the 338bhp version currently used by the S5 Sportback and S5 Cabriolet.
In the front-wheel-drive A5 Coupe the 2.7-litre TDI engine is to be replaced with a 207bhp 3.0-litre V6 TDI, which brings the CO2 emissions for this car down to 129g/km, while the 2.0 TDI previously available for the A5 Coupe is being replaced by a new 179bhp 2.0-litre TDI which reduces CO2 emissions to 122g/km and manages 60.1mpg.
Other technical improvements aimed at increasing efficiency include the extension of start-stop engine technology across the whole range, and the replacement of the old hydraulic power steering system with an all-new electromechanical unit, which does not take any power from the engine when the steering wheel is in the straight-ahead position.
The new S5 Coupe, which now also features an S tronic twin clutch as standard, and can accelerate from 0-62mph in 4.9 seconds, which is a 0.2 second improvement on the previous V8 version, and can reach a top speed of 155mph, proving that performance has not been compromised by the new focus on efficiency which takes fuel consumption to 34.9mpg on the new model, compared to 26.4 for the older V8.
Inside the cars, styling features include new colour schemes and trims, revised switchgear, and a new option for online services which offers in-car internet access and Google Earth mapping. There are also new steering wheels with the option to have a flat-bottomed wheel, new steering column stalks, and narrow chrome clasps which frame the control elements, amongst other refinements.
For Quattro equipped models the 2012 updates include the crown gear centre differential previously seen in the RS5, which features torque vectoring for more effective torque distribution. The Quattro system is available as an optional extra on the 2.0-litre TFSI 211PS petrol and 2.0-litre TDI 177PS units, and is included as standard in with the 3.0-litre TFSI 272PS and 3.0-litre TDI 245PS engines.
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