Audi reinvents the old station wagon A4 as this A5 Avant. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

Ten Second Review

This Audi A5 Avant is the Ingolstadt maker's new offering to the mid-sized executive estate market that used to be served by the long-running A4 Avant model line. It's luxurious, well engineered but, unlike its rear-driven premium station wagon rivals, still front-driven in its most affordable forms. If you like the Audi brand and want a car of this kind, you'll be tempted.

Background

It's hard to be successful in the compact executive market sector without a credible estate body style - ask Jaguar or Lexus. That is, after all, what a huge proportion of customers in this segment want. Since 1994, Audi reckons to have nailed exactly what they need with their A4 Avant, sold across five generations and three decades until it was replaced in mid-2024 by this car, the A5 Avant. We've never before had an A5 Avant; previously, the A5 badge was limited to Sportback, Coupe and Cabriolet models. But all that's now changed, Audi having rebadged the A4 model range 'A5' in line with its new policy of mainly keeping even-numbered monikers for its EVs. Aside from the new bodywork, much might seem familiar here if you previously had some sort of A4 Avant on your driveway. Even maybe the evolved look, which remains very 'Audi'. As before, the core engines are 2.0 TFSI and 2.0 TDI petrol and diesel units, mated to the usual Stronic dual clutch auto, with quattro 4WD if your chosen variant has more power. But as we're going to see, much else is different, making this a useful step forward to build on thirty years of A4 Avant sales success. Let's take a closer look.

Engines and Tech Spec

The engine redevelopment here applies almost completely to a cleverer 'MHEV plus' upgraded mild hybrid system, added to the V6 petrol and four cylinder diesel variants that only a relatively small proportion of customers will choose. But the 'PPC' ('Premium Platform Combustion') architecture which replaces the 17-year-old MLB chassis of the old A4 Avant model really is new from the ground up; almost revolutionary in an era where many other volume brands stopped developing combustion platforms some time ago. Audi thinks that was premature. And feels the same about the deletion of diesel from so many competing model line-ups. So the VW Group's familiar 2.0 TDI unit (which can be had paired with front-wheel or quattro drive) continues here with 204PS; aided by the aforementioned 'MHEV plus' mild hybrid system, which is different from the old MHEV set-up in that in addition to the usual system-integrated starter-generator, there's also a second centrally-mounted powertrain generator. The result is dramatically increased levels of regenerative braking - and consequently, a bit more of a positive impact on efficiency. The frugality benefits though, are still relatively marginal. As is also the case with the 'MHEV plus' system that features on the top S5 variants, where the 3.0-litre V6 powerplant in use has now switched from diesel to TFSI petrol power and develops 367PS. Disappointingly, there's no sign of electrification for the volume engine that for the time being most A5 customers are likely to choose, Audi's familiar 2.0 TFSI petrol unit. This props up the range in 150PS front-driven form. And is also available in 204PS guise also in a front-driven format. That same engine also features in the e-hybrid PHEV version of this model, which uses a 142PS electric motor energised by a 25.9kWh (20.7kWh net) battery that can take the car up to 67 miles without troubling the engine. This e-hybrid model's total output is 299PS, 0-62mph takes 5.9s and there's standard quattro 4WD. The front-driven format of mainstream A5 models continues to set this Audi apart from its key segment rivals, the Mercedes C-Class and the BMW 3 Series (both rear-driven). But Audi says it's worked to make this car more driver-focused, with stiffer suspension mounts, a more rigid front axle and more connected, progressive steering. Plus, there's a wider 'Audi Drive Select' mode spread between 'Comfort' and 'Dynamic'. The S5 gets an electronic differential and torque vectoring.

Design and Build

You'd know this new A5 Avant as an Audi, but a rather more modern one. Slim LED headlights with customisable OLED technology sit above contrasting corner outer vents and flank the familiar Audi Single Frame grille. The long bonnet flows into a steeply raked windscreen with A-pillars shifted back by designer Jacob Hirzel to well behind the front wheels. The roofline dips away past the B-pillar and there's more fancy optional OLED lighting tech at the back, where the rear clusters can be made up of 364 segments offering a total of eight configurable lighting signatures. Key to the profile perspective are flared arches the designers refer to as 'Quattro muscle'. And the dimensions here are slightly bigger than before, the A5 Avant a little longer and 13mm wider than the old A4 Avant. Inside of course, it's the usual modern screen fest, with a higher-set curved free-standing MMI infotainment display comprised of an 11.9-inch virtual cockpit instrument cluster and a 14.5-inch central touchscreen. Options include a head-up display and a smaller 10.9-inch screen for the passenger side, which has a clever polarised filter so the driver can't be distracted by what's on it. This extra monitor could be used by the passenger to, say, set the sat nav or watch movies. There's certainly quite a feeling of luxury, embellished by a 'Softwrap' fabric panel that flows across the dashboard into the doors, both back-lit with subtle ambient lighting. The doors also get 'Smart Door Panel' controls which gives access to things like seat and mirror settings. And sustainable and vegan materials feature throughout. It'll feel roomier in the back than the old A4 Avant, thanks to 80mm of extra wheelbase length. Which now means that a couple of six-foot adults can sit on the more heavily bolstered rear seats more comfortably. Aided by a lower hip point for the seat base and a slightly raised position over the front seats that offers a better view forward. Out back, the Avant model's 476-litre boot (31-litres more than the 'Saloon') is down on the 500-litres of a rival BMW 3 Series Touring. The PHEV drivetrain reduces that figure to 361-litres.

Market and Model

Let's get to the pricing, pitched from launch at around £45,000 for this A5 Avant estate - around £1,900 more than the equivalent five-door 'Saloon' version. That's about the same level as a rival BMW 3 Series Touring but significantly cheaper than a rival Mercedes C-Class Estate. Expect the usual range of trims - 'Technic', 'Sport', 'S line' and 'Edition 1'. The S5 Avant starts from around £72,000. Even entry-level A5 Avant variants will be well equipped, with features like navigation, a powered tailgate and a wireless smartphone charger. For those wanting to spend more, 'Tech', Tech Plus' and 'Tech Pro' option packs will bundle together key extra features. Only the priciest variants will get things like the digital OLED lights and adaptive damping. Desirable options include a panoramic roof with Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystals, which can transform itself from translucent to opaque at the touch of a button. 'Edition 1'-spec will include the optional 10.9-inch MMI front passenger display. This new A5 has an optional, configurable head-up display that has been further developed compared to its predecessor (and is standard on the S5). For the first time, drivers now have the option of controlling vehicle and infotainment functions via the head-up display. All the usual camera driver assistance safety systems you'd expect are of course included.

Cost of Ownership

Let's get to the figures. Both the 2.0 TFSI petrol models manage up to 42.2mpg on the combined cycle and up to 154g/km of CO2. That matches the class standard. A BMW 320i Touring manages 43.5mpg and 147g/km, while a Mercedes C 200 Estate manages 45.6mpg and 142g/km. we'd hoped that the 2.0 TDI diesel variant might have done a bit more than merely match the class standard. After all, this engine now features Ingolstadt's much-trumpeted 'MHEV plus' mild hybrid system which adds a clever powertrain generator (the 'PTG') which can feed up to 24PS of electric power to the output of the combustion engine. When decelerating, the PTG feeds energy back into the battery at up to 25kW. As a result, purely electric manoeuvring and parking are possible to a limited extent. As usual with these things, it all sounds very good but when you drill right down to the figures, it turns out that all the 'MHEV plus' system has done is not-quite bring the readings of this VW Group 2.0 TDI engine up to match the class standard. This front-driven A5 TDI manages up to 58.9mpg on the combined cycle and up to 126g/km; for comparison, a rival Mercedes C 220 d with its more straightforward mild hybrid tech manages up to 62.8mpg and up to 123g/km. For reference, an A5 TDI quattro is rated at up to 55.4mpg and up to 134g/km of CO2. For some reason, Audi's decided that the top petrol S5 should also have the 'MHEV plus' mild hybrid system and, so-equipped, this flagship model manages up to 36.2mpg on the combined cycle and up to 176g/km of CO2. For a really efficient A5, you've to look to the petrol PHEV e-hybrid version. Here, the efficiency figures here aren't as outlandish as they usually are with Plug-in Hybrids, but they're probably a great deal closer to stats you might get somewhere near in day-to-day motoring when fully charged; 134.5mpg on the combined cycle and a 47g/km of CO2. The e-hybrid's charging power is much better than the old TFSI Plug-in Hybrid system could provide, increased from two-phase 7.4kW to three-phase 11kW (if you can use that). With a three-phase supply, you could completely re-charge this A5 e-hybrid model's battery in 2.5 hours.

Summary

Here's a mid-sized executive estate model created by a brand that knows its customers. The magazines might tell Audi to bring us futuristic looks and an uncompromisingly dynamic drive but Ingolstadt knows that buyers in this segment really value comfort, class and quality. All three attributes are prioritised in this very advanced A5 Avant. It stacks up in the showroom just as well as it does on the balance sheet, with 'MHEV plus' and TFSI e models offering running cost returns that should please your company accountant. Audi knows this car's front wheel drive / quattro 4WD drivetrain format isn't going to make it the segment choice for handling response, but compensations should come with refinement and ride quality. In summary, it's hard not to see this station wagon A5, like its A4 predecessor, selling strongly amongst the best mid-sized executive load luggers. It's very thorough. Very elegant. And very Audi.

Body Glass

Rear wash/wipe

Privacy glass

Front and rear electric windows

Windscreen with acoustic glazing

Acoustic glass for front door windows

Rear and side windows with heat insulating glass

Brakes

Red brake calipers

Hill hold assist

Front emergency brake assist

Carpets/Rugs

Front and rear floor mats

Chassis/Suspension

S sports suspension with damper control lowered by 20mm

Communication

Audi smartphone interface

Audi connect emergency call and service

Audi application store

Driver Aids

Audi drive select

Top view camera

Camera based traffic sign recognition

Park assist plus

Lane departure warning with emergency assist

Swerve assist and turn assist

Intersection assist

Advanced driver attention and fatigue montior

Lane change assistant with exit warning system, rear cross traffic alert and rear turn assist

Traffic sign based speed limiter

Audi assistant

Adaptive cruise assist plus with steering intervention

Progressive steering with servotronic

Parking system plus with 360 display

Driver Convenience

Garage door opener

Automatic start/stop system with coasting functionality

Driver Information

MMI navigation plus with high resolution 14.5" OLED touchscreen colour display

Audi virtual cockpit plus with 11.9" OLED colour display

MMI 10.9" front passenger touch display

Driving Mirrors

Automatic dimming rear view mirror

Door mirrors - electrically adjustable, heated, folding and auto dimming on both sides

Aluminium door mirrors

Embellishment Trims

Black dashboard with contrast stitching

Upper and lower interior elements in dinamica microfiber

Accents in the interior in vanadium look

Softwrap in Dinamica with contrast stitching

Inlays in carbon micro twill structure

Entertainment

DAB digital radio reception

Smartphone compartment with wireless charging

2 USB-C ports in both the front and rear

Exterior Body Features

Aluminium roof rails

Body coloured door handles

Rear side wing doors

Aluminium window trims

Front door sill trims with aluminium inlays, illuminated with 'S' logo

Red S rhombus badging with S lettering on rear

Chrome plated tailpipe trims

S bumpers, radiator grille and diffuser in titanium matt black and diffuser insert in matt silver

Exterior Lights

LED daytime running lights

High beam assist

LED third brake light

Headlight cleaning system

Digital OLED tail lights including communication light

White rhombus logo projection light in exterior mirrors

Matrix LED headlights with eight light signatures selectable via the MMI or the myAudi app

Logo projection light in exterior mirrors (white and red rhombus S logo)

Heating/Cooling/Ventilation

3-zone automatic climate control

Interior Features

Fine Nappa leather upholstery

Heated steering wheel

Electric steering wheel adjustment

Comfort front centre armrest

Stainless steel pedals and footrest

Luggage compartment lid, electrically opening and closing

Steering wheel grips in perforated leather and shift paddles

3 spoke leather steering wheel with multi-function buttons with touch control, flattened on top and bottom, with S badging and contrast stitching

Headlining in black cloth

Packs

Sound and vision pack - A5

Black styling package plus - A5

Safety

Driver airbag

Front passenger airbag

Front passenger airbag deactivation

Acoustic vehicle alerting system

Tyre pressure loss indicator

3x3 point rear seat belts

First aid kit with warning triangle and vests

Convenience key with safelock

Proactive passenger protection system for front, sides and rear

Electric child safety locks

Seat belt monitoring with rear seat occupant reminder

Side airbags in front and rear with head airbag system and front interaction airbag

Occupant detection in rear seat area

Seats

3 rear headrests

Electrically adjustable front seats

Heated front and outer rear seats

3 seat rear bench

Memory function for driver seat

Single front passenger seat

pneumatically adjustable lumbar support

Ventilation seat and massage function for the driver and front passenger

i-Size child seat mounting on the front passenger side and i-Size and top tether on the outer rear seats

40:20:40 split folding rear seat bench with centre armrest and cup holders

Front sport seats plus with integrated headrest and S embossed logo

Security

Anti theft alarm

Anti-theft wheel bolts

Keyless Go

Transmission

Quattro with sport differential

Wheels - Alloy

20" 5 twin spoke design Audi Sport alloy wheels in metallic black and gloss turned finish

Wheels - Spare

Tyre repair kit

Emissions - ICE

WLTP - CO2 (g/km) - Comb - TEH: 178

HC+NOx: N

Particles: N

Standard Euro Emissions: EURO 6

WLTP - CO2 (g/km) - Comb: 178

WLTP - CO2 (g/km) - Comb - TEL: 178

Engine and Drive Train

CC: 2995

Camshaft: DOHC

Fuel Delivery: TURBO DIRECT INJECTION

Catalytic Convertor: No

Transmission: SEMI-AUTO

Gears: 7 SPEED

Cylinder Layout: IN-LINE

Fuel Consumption - ICE

WLTP - MPG - Comb - TEH: 35.8

WLTP - MPG - Comb - TEL: 35.8

WLTP - MPG - Comb: 35.8

WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Comb: 7.9

WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Comb - TEL: 7.9

WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Comb - TEH: 7.9

EC Directive 1999/100/EC Applies: 0

General

Badge Power: 367

Did at least one aspect of this vehicle's safety give cause for concern?: 0

Special Edition: No

Special Order: 0

Based On ID: 106383

Insurance Group 1 - 50 Effective January 07: 42E

Alternative Fuel Qualifying: 0

Badge Engine CC: 3.0

Vehicle Homologation Class: M1

Generation Mark: 1

Coin Description: TFSI Quattro

Coin Series: S Launch Edition

Performance

Top Speed: 155

0 to 60 mph (secs): 0

Engine Power - PS: No

Engine Power - BHP: 367

Engine Torque - MKG: 56.1

0 to 62 mph (secs): 4.5

Engine Power - KW: 270

Engine Power - RPM: 5500

Engine Torque - RPM: 1700

Engine Torque - NM: 550

Engine Torque - LBS.FT: 406

Test Cycles

RDE Certification Level: RDE 2

Emissions Test Cycle: WLTP

Tyres

Space Saver?: 0

Tyre Size Spare: TYRE REPAIR KIT

Tyre Size Rear: 245/35 R20

Tyre Size Front: 245/35 R20

Wheel Type: 20" ALLOY

Wheel Style: 5 TWIN SPOKE

Alloys?: No

Vehicle Dimensions

Wheelbase: 2902

Width (including mirrors): 2099

Length: 4835

Height: N

Height (including roof rails): 1476

Weight and Capacities

Fuel Tank Capacity (Litres): 56

Max. Towing Weight - Braked: 2100

Max. Towing Weight - Unbraked: 750

Max. Loading Weight: 555

Luggage Capacity (Seats Up): 448

Gross Vehicle Weight: 2520

No. of Seats: 5

Turning Circle - Kerb to Kerb: 12.1

Luggage Capacity (Seats Down): 1396

Minimum Kerbweight: 1965

Exterior Body Features

Metallic paint

Special metallic paint

Pearl effect paint

Paint - Metallic

Metallic - Mythos black

Metallic - Firmament blue

Paint - Pearlescent

Pearl - Daytona grey

Paint - Special

Special metallic - Ascari blue

Service/Warranty

Audi warranty - 4 years or 75000 miles

Audi warranty - 5 years or 90000 miles

Trim - Leather

Fine Nappa leather with diamond stitching and S embossed logo - Black with Steel grey stitching