Since its debut in 2007, Audi’s A5 and S5 models have received a warm reception in the marketplace, being generally well-regarded by critics and selling in respectable numbers. Now, for the 2013 model year in the United States, the car has undergone a tidy facelift and profited from various technical upgrades, including a change in the engine lineup.
While the base A5 continues to be powered by a 211-hp, 2.0-liter turbo inline-four, teamed with either a six-speed manual or seven-speed S-tronic dual-clutch transmission (or a continuously variable transmission on front-wheel-drive cabriolet models). The S5 gets a new supercharged 3.0-liter V6 good for 333 hp and 325 lb-ft of torque.
The lovely V8 engine that used to power the S5 is now the sole province of the RS5. While Audi offers no fewer than four diesel variants in Europe and elsewhere, we have yet to see what the company’s approach will be to the U.S. market in this regard. What we know for sure is that all new A5-series cars get a new electromechanical power steering with the motor mounted coaxially to the steering rack.
Inside, we find Audi Connect, a feature first noted on the new A6, which provides in-car Internet connectivity via an integral G3 SIM card. This allows the navigation system to use Google Earth virtual-map overlays on the display, letting the driver see the same landscape he or she is traversing. If the connection fails, the display reverts to conventional mapping.
Audi Connect allows owners to visit the my.audiusa.com Web site at home before the trip and download travel plans direct to the car. Other technical upgrades include tweaks to the optional Audi drive select system, adding an efficiency setting that selects high gears, slows throttle rotation and otherwise blunts egregious driver inputs for maximum fuel mileage.
There’s now even a transmission-fluid intercooler to reduce cold-start friction, as well as a start/stop feature across the board in global products. We might not see that yet on U.S. models because of EPA fuel-consumption-testing protocols.
Both the four-cylinder and the V6 cars have abundant torque and feel decidedly sprightly on the road. But the V6 obviously sustains urgent thrust longer and adds speed with greater authority at wide-open throttle and elevated engine revs. Isolation is good in both models, with just a little mirror hiss to remind you how fast you’re going.
The new electromechanical steering assist is pretty close to the feel of Audi’s previous Servotronic system, but since both mechanisms offer precise response and accurate path control rather than unadulterated bionic feedback, it’s hard to say which feels better without a back-to-back test. But the new one is said to save almost 1 mpg, so we’d better get used to it. Plus, it can intervene actively to help correct lane drift and understeer or oversteer slides.
As with other high-performance Audis, the handling is stable, the grip levels high and the ride motions well damped, particularly in models that have the optional drive select set in sport mode. Also typical to the A5 and S5 models is Audi’s stylish interior and high level of equipment. Even the MMI system has been optimized to make navigation among the various features easier.
With even sharper looks and more elegant moves, the reborn A5 series is arguably more desirable than ever. However, none of the models is inexpensive, and although that’s offset to some extent by the car’s comprehensive dynamic, convenience and safety portfolio, one is reminded that this is a pretty indulgent coupe in these tight times.
