The premium coupé market will see a new four-ringed
contender enter the ring with the new Audi A5, which finally makes its way to
Malaysia. The second-generation model is being previewed in showrooms in
five-door Sportback form, offering plenty of swish for your cash.
Available in a sole sport 2.0 TFSI quattro trim, the
fully imported A5 Sportback will retail at RM 339,900 on-the-road without
insurance, together with a five-year, unlimited-mileage warranty. By
comparison, the BMW 430i Coupé and Mercedes-Benz C 300 Coupé, both two-door
only, are priced beyond the RM 400k mark, although they both come in the
desirable M Sport and AMG Line trims respectively.
On the outside, this new model is still recognisably
an A5, retaining the svelte roofline and wavy shoulder line of the Satoshi Wada-penned
original. It’s been modernised somewhat, with a flatter “singleframe” grille,
trapezoidal head- and tail lights and a clamshell bonnet with twin strakes.
Full-LED headlights with two-pronged daytime running lights come as standard,
along with 19-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels.
Inside, the A5 gets the same full-width air vent
design as the B9 A4, plus the full suite of Audi’s latest technologies. These
include the 12.3-inch Audi virtual cockpit digital instrument display as well
as the MMI navigation plus infotainment system – the latter adds an 8.3-inch
freestanding screen and the MMI touch rotary controller ahead of the gearlever.
The interior is dressed in leather and leatherette
upholstery with Silver Aluminium Ellipse trim and black fabric headlining.
Other standard features include keyless entry, push-button start, triple-zone
automatic climate control, power-adjustable sports seats with driver’s side
memory, adaptive dampers, a 10-speaker, 180-watt sound system, a reverse camera
and a powered tailgate. No autonomous emergency braking, unfortunately.
Power comes from a 2.0 litre turbocharged
four-cylinder petrol engine that produces 252 hp at 5,000 to 6,000 rpm and 370
Nm of torque from 1,600 to 4,500 rpm, paired to a seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch
transmission and quattro permanent all-wheel drive.
