Audi Confirms A5 Sportback, Q5 Hybrid, RS5 Engine & New A8 November Unveiling

The wolfs are hunting in packs.

The rest of the model offensive I understand....but an A5 Sportback? So where does that leave the A4 Avant?

the A5 sportback has less space than an A4 Avant in the back. it is principally like an A4 sedan with a hatchback and made for those who like the looks of a coupe but want great versatility as well.

Hang on, "the sportiest luxury sedan in its class - and set new standards with regard to interiors"? So it'll be more fun to drive than a 7 Series and more luxurious than an S-Class? Good luck mate. Saying you'll beat arguably the two biggest names in premium automotive at their own respective games... it'll be one hell of a car, then, if they manage it.

As for the A5 Sportback, I've heard someone successfully explain the point of a 5 Series GT, so can anyone manage that with the Sportback? I can't see a wagon's main selling point over say, the A4, being aesthetics, especially since the A4 Avant isn't exactly ugly, even if it is just an A6 Avant on a shorter wheelbase. I'm lost with the Sportback, can anyone enlighten me?

The A5 sportback looks like a coupe-ish A4 with a hatch. here is a spy pic from the back:

http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/5148/a5sportback.jpg

so the WCF larson rendering above, which looks like an A5 Avant, is nowhere near the production form

Its a more coupy looking wagon, basically. Very much like the 3 series GT.

i think u mean the 5-series GT, anyway much more beautiful than the BMW.

I like how lately "sport" has become used is everything but sports cars. We have "sportsbacks, sportwagons, sports utility vehicles, sports activity vehicles, etc. Basically everything without a clear purpose is "sports" now!

I believe that the A5 Sportback is going to be Audi's 4 door coupé, in a lower class than an hypothetical A7... And look to the "other" Sportback from Audi! The Audi A3 Sportback isn't exactly a wagon (OK, it isn't also a coupé, but I don't think that Audi will put on sale three different wagons with almost the same engines, size, etc...) So, I really don't think that the A5 Sportback is going to be an "A5 Avant"...

I think everyone has been mislead by the "sportback" being used. Audi is calling all of its four door coupe's "sportbacks" (A5 and A7). The A3 started it, but they are using the name to differentiate themselves from the growing number of four door coupe's. Essentially the A5 sportback is a mini A7 as well, its not an avant in any way, its a four door coupe' with a back end that completely lifts up, that is, the rear glass pane and all, a bit like how the Aston Martin V8 Vantage's entire rear opens, for example.

that´s rite, the A5-sportback is like a smaller version of the upcoming A7 which has been shown as the "sportback concept" this year. The next generation A3 will feature a really coupeish version as well, so the next A3 sportback in 2011 might look similar to the upcomin A5, A7 sportback versions.

Coupé-ish with a hatch says it all. It's like, say in a bit smaller, remembler the old Volvo 480ES And even better as it'll get 2more doors, I'm really looking forward this A5 SB

I hate WCF for attaching those inaccurate CGI rendering of the A5 Sportback. There is no need for that shit, production ready models are already on the street and beeing photographed since weeks, but never shown over at WCF ...

Posting this immaginations let people give commentaries like "A5 Sportback is same as A4 Avant..."

Correct, it will be a 5-doors "coupé", not a 5-doors wagon nor a 5-doors hatchback, if we dare call it a "coupé"...

IMO it is only a 5-doors sedan version of the A4, the normal A5 is an A4 coupé...

ShinyG, I'm fully with you, let's call a cat a cat, not a lion! For 10 years they're calling "Sport xxxxxx" whatever is not a sport car, now since 3 years we're calling "coupé" sedans that should have look like that on standard models.

In the end we cannot find any decent sport car (i.e. weighting less than 1250kg) except the extreme and expensive Lotus Elise.

Maserati Quattroporte anybody?

SHINYG IS RIGHT ! whats up with calling a 4 wheel drive a sport utility coupe for example ? while it isnt exactly sporty and isnt exactly coupe with these 4 doors ! it was kinda cool at the beginning when mercedes came out with the CLS as the first four door coupe and yea it looked really nice ... but now this is going way too far ! a 5 series has always been a sedan ... whats that 5 series GT !!! why change the whole point of a 5 series ?! I am not talking about the model itself being good looking or bad looking .... I am just commenting about the naming !! Calling that car a 5 series GT is like calling the X6 "X5 CC" for example !!

RS5 sounds good, Mercedes C63 AMG also sounded good, than the E92 M3 came!

you think that E92 M3 is best in class??? well what about CLK63 AMG Black Series??? ever heard of CLK-DTM-AMG??? Well let me tell you that Bimmer has nothing to show against those two!!!

Black Series and DTM aren't direct competitors to the M3 -- they'd be competing with the CSL, only BMW canned it.

A lot of talk about all these other models, but I have not been hearing about the new upcoming RS4 of late.... So is it deleted from the line up or something? I need to know if it's worth waitng around for it, or should I direct my intrests elsewhere.

goooood nneeeeeewwwssss finallllyyyy. check it out guys. the rs5 wil have a NATURALLY ASPIRATED 4.2 which cranks 450 bhp. so it is not a biturbo. nice audi, very nice. i was starting to have nightmares. you must have read my comments, and felt my suffering. all nice and beautiful.

an a5 sportback? say what? audi, do you really have to take one step back after taking 2-3 steps forward. pls, think of it.

Uhhh.... Sure it dose, that's what the above article mentioned.

Hey and what about-new Audi A7 ????? (killer of CLS - class)???????

I really hope this new A8 will deliver. I really like the current generation but it's starting to seem ever so slightly dated. And I hope they don't scrap the 6.0 W12 or the S8.

Congratulations to Audi on its 100 years "celebs" coming up this July. From "Horch" to "V16 Auto Unions" to "NSUs" to "Quattros" to "the quest for lower aerodynamic drag" to "best quality interiors" to "individualism across the range", it has been one beautiful journey of "vorsprung durch technik". Result? Audi sits up there alongside Mercedes-Benz and BMW. I cant wait for the new Audi "Ah-Acht" - A8. Should be a "thing of quality".

Happy Birthday Audi!!

I love how some people are experts yet they've never driven audis, bmws, or mercs. Best case scenario, they drove one and they make a conclusion for all. I've had the opportunity to drive a few audis, bmws and mercs in my life. I drive on the autobahn everyday and I had a very shocking experience with Audi. Sunny day, 25 degrees, autobahn towards Koblenz, driving a nice TTs, 220 km/h, and , in a right turn, on the lane towards the wall, the rear started behaving fancy and the dashboard lit up like a christmas tree. ESP, all that whatknot kicked it. I controlled the car, not my first BBQ but I was shocked. I drive often on that highway and at greater speeds, sometimes in worse conditions and my 335i never behaved like that. There is a very clear difference between BMW and AUDI. BMW will always handle better. People who say Quattro rules, they've never driven a 535 xd to see what all wheel drive is all about. A merc I love is the C63 AMG. That thing flyes like a rocket but it is very docile. For my character and personality it is not aggressive at all :(. I want something to keep me active and alive at high speeds. The c63 AMG, is so comfy and well built that, you don't feel a thing. You see the tacho, 180, 220, 270 km/h and it feels like a bed on 4 wheels ;). When I am in my 50s I will look for a merc ;). Bottom line, people prefer audis because of FWD mostly. Many have this disgust for RWD because they heard from the neighbour, dog, poodle, etc that RWD is bad. If they heard from some dude who has tried RWD 100 m, never drove more than 100 km/h, that RWD is the enemy then it is the enemy.

No i dont like the idea of an A5 Sportback, its all wrong... Are they trying to do a BMW and great new sectors??

Lots of pointless models,there are allready enough models to cover up the needs of the users.... No need to have the same model in 3 or4 sizes (Q7,Q5,Q3...) .... Lte the A5 be as a sport coupe and stop production of an variant A5,there's allready tha A4 variant to cover this type of byers!!!

I welcome the coming expanded Audi lineup. If Audi can afford to run a wider product line then more power to them. It should increase their chances of earning "Audi drivers for life." The variety within the Audi lineup really makes it possible to stay with Audi despite changing needs, wishes and taste that come with changing life circumstances, and without having to make much compromise. I think it's a very smart move. Choice is good.

Based on the vehicles that we have owned thus far, had we been an Audi family, our route through the Audi lineup thus far would have involved going from an A3 (moving up from a 2-door+hatch) to an A4 (less need for the hatch, and wanted something more sporty) and then either to an A5 Sportback or a Q5 (had our first child and wanted more space for people and cargo). Should we have more children, the Q7 might become an attractive option, and then as they grow and we need to carry less stuff around with us (portable crib, strollers, toys, etc.) then the larger sedans such as the A6 and A8 would be reasonable options. Sure you could make other vehicles work (compromise), but it's nice to not have to do that.

i think they may have abandoned the A7, havent heard from it since December last year.

the sportback concept (which represents the upcoming A7) received a great amount of positive reactions. no reason to forget about it.

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