Test Drive Audi A5 since 2007 coupe

Audi A5 Sportback

Ingolstadt brand bypassed competitors: Two other German premium stamps in segment d do not have models possessing as Audi A5 Sportback, expressive coupe, comfort of sedan and utility utilization
Even returned from the dynamic presentation of this car from Italy, I did not decide for myself, the Germans guess with the venue of the test drive or not. On the one hand, we presented a beautiful, elegant, complete advantage of the car. On the other hand, the 39-degree heat turned the surrounding landscape into something later: the scorched grass, white from the heat of the sky, stuck bushes in dust, why even the vintage estate and Tuscany castles at this time of the year look like something sad.
Or another angle: To fully feel this car, the corresponding tracks are required - wide and high-speed, in combination with some deserted serpentine. But our routes mostly ran through narrow two- and four-band provincial roads, where either accounted for half a dismantle, painfully crawling behind the tractor carrying hay, or move in a dense stream, almost passing into traffic jams. And only after noon, in the clock sacred for Yuzhan Seside, there was an opportunity to cut down on the empty highway and finally damage the car, which is a semi-moving mode of movement of contraindicated. Nevertheless, over two days, the kilometer allowed to make some conclusions about this novelty.
Enough from the back
In the hall for a briefing dedicated to the Audi A5 Sportback, the car unexpectedly for journalists was turned to the wall before, and to the hall beside. In order not to offend the press, the representative of the company hurried to justify: our main pride in this model is its aft part. Take a look as far as it is good! This focus on the bodie arrow is not accidental, since the fighting machine is simply identical to brethren on the A5 family and Convertible. This once again happened to make sure the highway: looking into the rear-view mirror, you will not understand for anything, which from the Trinity sat on your tail.
But in the profile, everything falls into place: Sportback is clearly different from A5 Coupe, although the Germans are trying to call a novice with a 5-door coupe (for all the rules of the coupe, this is a 2-door car). It is clear that this is a marketing stroke, designed for customers who do not want to ride as everything - on the usual sedans, universities and hatchbacks. Hence and tricks in the exterior like a frameless door, an elongated body silhouette and a shoulder sports line, coming from a flat hood through the entire car to its back. The latter is clearly performed in the style of the classic coupe: due to the horizontal lines of the LED headlights, the spoiler and the bumper it looks very wide, but dynamic. To strengthen this image, the designers put a small third side window in the back rack, slightly blasting upwards, the same as it was on Audi 100 Coupe S, which first appeared 40 years ago - in 1969
Still, at its essence, A5 Sportback is a typical hatchback, although unusual outwardly. And so unusual that it was impossible to choose a direct competitor to him. By the way, even the Audi engineers themselves could not do in conversation with us.
Family ties
But it is clear, with whom the novice needs to be compared inside the ingolstadt brand itself. This is the A4 sedan and the A4 AVANT wagon, which gave their platform as a family. So, the dimensions of the machines, the level of their comfort and practicality can be compared. In particular, inside A5 Sportback is unexpectedly spacious. As it turned out, the length and width of its cabin in the shoulder region only on the county millimeters less than in the A4 sedan, but much more than in the A5 coupe. And although the novelty is lower than the same sedan on good 36 mm, it does not affect the comfort of the rear passengers: it is not enough that for their knees there is more than enough, so also a man with a rise of over 190 cm in the second row of the chairs does not even concern Ceiling.
This was achieved thanks to two moments: first, all four chairs (and the car is calculated on four) are located quite low, secondly, the rear row of seats is slightly shifted forward. But all this is done so subtly that any discomfort on any of the places there is no speech. On the contrary, in each version of the car, whether it is a top package with leather sports seats, stuffed with electrical settings, or basic, with tissue upholstery and manual adjustments, you can easily choose the optimal landing. Of course, the comforts of the back and in front, side support, three-zone climate control, luxury audio system with 14 speakers are promoted.
At the same time, a new utilization is compared with A4 AVANT. Here, first of all, we are talking about a huge trunk: its volume in the A5 Sportback is 480 liters - almost as in the universal. And you can also fold the rear armchairs and thereby more than double the container of the compartment, bringing it to 980 liters. At the same time, the trunk is comfortable in everything: the width of the opening is exactly a meter, the walls are flat with hooks for bags, the side of the pocket under the smallest. There is also a grid for fastening cargo, and the lower edge protects the steel pad: even dropping on it, say, skis, you do not damage the body.
Another nice innovation is a trunk curtain, divided into two parts. One of them adjoins the backs of the seats, the second is longer - fixed on the back door and when opening rises with it, immediately freeing access to the compartment. Standing the door to slam down, as both parts are joined, hiding the contents of the trunk from the views from the outside. And only the spare wheel you will not find here - under the floor instead there is a battery. So designers sought the optimal distribution of the load on the axes.
Sport and Sport again
In every way culturing your sports image, Audi invariably focuses on innovation and dynamic quality vehicles. Being a brand premium, the company invests significant forces and funds to these directions. As a result, any new model from Ingolstadt becomes one of the world leaders in everything related to the chassis, engines, transmissions, security systems.
Audi A5 Sportback confirms this rule: the car is literally styling with electronics, the latest technology and materials. To tell about all of them in this article - the idea is unpromising: there is not enough place. Here and the hard body combined from alloy steel and aluminum, and the high-tech Audi Drive SELECT system, which allows you to independently configure the suspension parameters, and the system of course stability with the new electron differential electronic function (thanks to it, the car is unnoticed by the driver slightly unfolding inside the turn path ).
When you first get acquainted with the car, it was possible to estimate the dynamic steering system installed on the A5 Sportback. According to constructors, it allows you to vary almost all over the range the gear ratio of the steering in accordance with the speed and mode programmed in Audi Drive SELECT. In practice, this means (and this I can confirm) that at high speeds the steering wheel is heavier, which facilitates the actors of the driver while driving on direct highways. And vice versa, when you are moving hardly (for example, choosing a parking place), the rabble immediately becomes sensitive and easy, which allows you to safely maneuver.
Motor abundance
And what is the line of engines! There are already six of them now (porovina gasoline and diesel), and in 2010 three more will appear, including the youngest 160-strong 1.8 TFSI and, on the contrary, the most powerful 333-strong 3-liter turbine. During the test, I managed to experience two gasoline engines: turbocharged 2-liter TFSI (180 hp) and the strongest of the current - 3.2 FSI with a capacity of 265 hp The first is designed for versions with front-wheel drive and combined with a 6-speed mechanic or multitronic box; The second implies the four-wheel drive Quattro and works with a sequential 7-speed transmission of tronic, which can be controlled differently: manually (using a selector or steering key) or automatically.
I can not say that one or another liked less - both are nice! Of course, 3.2 liters are power capable of overclocking the car to hundreds for some 6.6 s. On the highway, it constantly had to restrain himself, kneading about the limitations of speed and Italian drivers, then the business of knocked out from the neighboring strip, without even turning the turn signal. In this case, the machine acted immaculately: neither delay, nor jerks. Here it is - the celebration of technology! The tronic box consists of two parts and two clips, including different transmissions - even and odd. When there is an overclocking, say, on III gear, IV is already selected in the second part, and it turns on exclusively at the right moment with an electromechanical module.
At the same time, the 6-speed MCP was not disappointed at all: the short course of the lever, the excellent accuracy of all switching. The engine is also very elastic - on the III gear, I drove a long time on a machine, having grown in turns, rising into the mountains and going down with them. On the same motor, the motor easily accelerated the car to a decent speed of speeds - 150-160 km / h (alas, more winding narrow roads did not allow). Well, it's not by chance that the car with this power unit has already chosen 1.3 million people around the world, and recently he was named the engine in his class for the fifth time in a row.
Sorry, I did not have time to try out another modification - 211-strong Audi A5 Sportback 2.0 TFSI Quattro. In it, a smaller motor can be aggregated with one of three transmissions: mechanical, multitronic (on the front drive) or with the same 7-speed S Tronic. True, in the latter case, in contrast to the 3.2-liter version, where the speed is limited to 250 km / h, the car develops 241 km / h.
Dealers at Start
Safety and comfort in this car provide a variety of modern systems: cruise control with the function of a brazing, parking sensors and a rear view camera, motion sensors in dead areas, a set of frontal and side inflatable pillows, traumatic head restraints, MMI multimedia center. A few more devices and options are offered additionally. Moreover, judging by their list, the choice may be limited only by the fantasy of the client and the thickness of his wallet (there are even roof trunk and a device for towing a 2-ton trailer).
However, in some cases other factors will play their role. For example, in Russia, it is still decided to supply only one (170-strong) diesel version of the car, while seven gasoline options will immediately. As for the start of sales, we will start in October in October - about a half months later than in Western Europe. That's just at the time of delivery of this room in the printing house for the Audi A5 Sportback for the Russian market were not defined.
Specifications Audi A5 Sportback
Dimensions, mm 4711x1854x1391
Base, mm 2810
Trunk volume, l 480-980
Curb weight, kg 1650
Engine type gasoline V6
Working volume, cube. See 3197.
Max. Power, hp / rpm 265/6500
Max. Moment, nm / rpm 330/3000-5000
Transmission Robotic 7-speed
Corner full
Max. Speed, km / h 250
The acceleration time is 0-100 km, from 6.6
Fuel consumption (medium), l / 100 km 9.3
Tank volume, l 64
 
Andrei Bezverkov
Photo by the author and manufacturer firms

 
 
 

A source: Magazine "Autopanoram"