This is the first official picture of Audi’s sleek five-door coupe, the A5 Sportback. The car is designed to cash-in on the growing popularity of this segment and is expected to arrive in the UK in October.
Joining the coupe and cabrio A5s in the line-up, the Sportback is likely to fit above the A4 range, which it is based on, at a price premium.
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The entry-level A5 Sportback will be fitted with a 168bhp 2.0 TDI engine, with a price of around £27,000.
There is also a 3.0-litre V6 TDI with 237bhp, the 2.7 TDI with 187bhp, and two petrol units, the 208bhp 2.0 TFSI and 261bhp 3.2 V6. All engines are direct injection.
Audi has hinted that a cheaper model, possibly the 141bhp 2.0 TDI, will be joining the range in 2010.
There could even be an RS5 version with an updated version of the last RS4’s 4.2-litre V8, retuned to give more power with fewer emissions.
This model would use a quattro drivetrain with Audi’s double-clutch S Tronic transmission, the first time an Audi RS product has featured twin-clutch technology.
The Sportback is testament to Audi’s uncluttered design philosophy and takes the idea of a five-door coupe literally.
The front and rear of the car are closely related to the A5 coupe, with an extended middle section for the two extra frameless rear doors.
The Sportback has a coupe-like silouette with a lower roofline than the A4 with a steepily tapering hatch into a neat rear spoiler.
Despite this Audi says the car will have comparable head and legroom. The C-pillar of the Sportback differs from the coupe, with a dramatic kink at the back.
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