If looks count - and they certainly do - Audi's new A5 Sportback is a sure winner.
Priced from $78,400 the glorious 'five-door coupe' is now on-sale in Australia.
Locally, A5 Sportback customers can choose between two engines - the 2.0-litre TFSI petrol or 3.0-litre V6 diesel. The petrol powerplant delivers 155kW/350Nm while the diesel is good for 176kW/500Nm.
Both drive all four wheels via Audi's seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch automatic and Quattro all-wheel-drive system. The 2.0l petrol covers zero to 100km/h in 6.6 seconds while the diesel sprints through a bit quicker in 6.1 seconds.
Recuperative braking - which recovers energy during braking for storage in the battery - is standard in both models.
The petrol engine returns fuel consumption of 7.5l/100kms while the diesel is frugal at 6.6l/100kms which makes it the 23rd Audi model eligible for reduced LCT tax because of its fuel efficiency.
Styling inside and out is magnificent and the long, tapered rear hatch plus relatively flat C-pillars provide the A5 Sportback with comprehensive luggage space - 480 litres with the rear seat in place or 980 litres with the seat folded.
A subtle hatchlid spoiler and rear underbody diffuser give the A5 Sportback a sports car look from the rear. Petrol models run 17-inch six-spoke alloy wheels while the diesel gains 18-inch 10-spoke wheels.
Inside are the usual array of Audi luxury, safety and convenience features including Milano leather seats, three-zone climate control air-conditioning and eight airbags (driver and front passenger with seat position sensors). The in-dash single-disc CD sound system and MMI navigation system feature a 6.5-inch colour screen and Bluetooth mobile phone connections are standard. Petrol models have a rear parking system while the diesel has a system for front and rear.
Audi Australia is planning for the A5 Sportback to be the top-selling A5 model in 2010.
