After 30 years and five generations, Audi is retiring the A4 nameplate but not the midsize sedan itself.
Arriving later this year, the sixth-generation will be named the 2025 Audi A5 in keeping with the brand’s new alphanumeric system that will have gas-powered vehicles sporting odd numbers and the electric ones using even ones. As there already was an A5 in the line, it’s all a bit confusing, but forget all that.
At a sneak peek in Munich, we got to crawl all over (but not drive) the first two offerings coming to Canada – the 2025 Audi A5 and S5 sedans. There was also a lovely pair of wagons there, too, but those won’t make it across the pond – presumably because Americans don’t care for wagons, and it’s too expensive for Audi to certify them for our relatively small market alone.
More Sportback Than Sedan
The 2025 A5 rides on a heavily modified version of the existing modular platform that will underpin most of Audi’s combustion vehicles moving forward. Huh? Doesn’t the internal combustion engine have one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel? Not so fast. It seems a stay of execution is in the cards, as the whims of the market has automakers tap dancing up a storm.
"In addition to expanding our all-electric portfolio, we are launching a new generation of models with efficient combustion engines,” Audi CEO Gernot Döllner said. “The Audi A5 family, with its sporty design, completely new interior and future-proof electronic architecture, will be the first.”
While dubbed a sedan, the new A5 heading our way is a four-door fastback in the brand’s sportback tradition. The new platform gives it a considerably larger footprint than before, too. The wheelbase is 68 mm (2.7 in) longer, while the overall length has been extended by about the same, and it’s 13 mm (0.5 in) wider and 24 mm (0.9 in) taller. Cargo space is generous at 445 L, while it expands to 1,299 L with the back seats stowed.
The new A5 is a handsome rig, showing a lower profile up front, a wider and flatter grille with larger honeycomb elements, and hints of classic quattro fender blisters on the sedan’s flanks. Overall, the look is smoother, leaner, and longer than the outgoing car.
Wheel sizes range from 17- to 21 inches, although it’s unlikely we’ll see the smaller sizes here in North America. The cars pictured are sitting on 21-inch alloys. The sportier S5 gets quad tailpipes, a lip spoiler, and a more aggressive fascia with signature lower side air intakes with brushed aluminum surrounds. There’s also a black package that does away with all the exterior brightwork.
Cutting Edge Exterior Illumination
Audi has a long history of being on the cutting edge of exterior lighting, and it’s upped its game here with this new A5. The low-profile daytime running lights give the A5 its “eyes,” with the main headlights below hiding behind a black panel. The rear light bar that sweeps across the A5’s derriere contains 364 controlled elements, offering up selectable “signatures” while also being capable of displaying a hazard triangle. Other markets get a cool flame-like animated signature, but such fanciful features aren’t legal on our roads.
Interior Returns Audi to Form
The A5 also showcases Audi’s all new interior architecture that will be seen across the automaker’s entire lineup go forward. The centrepiece is a curved, freestanding OLED screen that contains a 11.9-inch driver display and a 14.5-inch touchscreen. There’s also an optional 10.9-inch passenger screen (it cannot be seen by driver when driving), and a head-up display (HUD) with 85 per cent greater field of view, according to Audi. The HUD also gives drivers the option of controlling vehicle and infotainment functions.
The 2025 A5 runs Audi’s next-gen E3 1.2 electronic architecture, promising “seamless integration into our customer’s digital ecosystem, offering a personal connectivity experience.” First impressions are favourable, as the straightforward controls and menu structure bode well for the human-centric mantra Audi is putting on its fresh Digital Stage interface. And good news: a number of physical controls remain.
While we can’t be sure of how well this new infotainment works until we experience it on the road, the cabin’s design is a home run. Remember when Audi’s interiors were the best in the biz? Well, the automaker is at the top of its game here. Audi’s recent efforts, while of high quality, have been a tad sterile and scattershot in terms of controls, screens, and materials.
Hop inside the new A5 and there’s a sense of organic harmony, elegance, and warmth. It’s a gently flowing design that integrates the digital with a sweeping lower dash panel and other elements in “softwrap” fabrics. The entire effort is a tactile and visual success, all underscored by an obsessive attention to detail.
Sweeping along the base of the windshield is a thin illuminated strip. Called the Interaction Light Bar, it can change colours and indicate certain functions, such as turn signals and hazard warning lights.
No Mild-Hybrid for NA
Canadian Audi A5s will be powered by an updated version of the Volkswagen Group’s venerable turbocharged 2.0L four-cylinder engine, although no official output figures were available at the time of writing. A seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission is standard, as is all-wheel drive.
The S5 gets a twin-turbo 3.0L V6, which should generate around 362 horsepower. While other markets offer an available mild-hybrid system that adds 18 hp to both these engines, it won’t be available in North America. There is, however, an A5 plug-in hybrid (PHEV) coming our way in the future that should have an emissions-free range of about 100 km.
Final Thoughts
Deliveries of the 2025 Audi A5 and S5 sedans will begin in the fourth quarter of 2024, and we can expect a price bump over the existing A4 and S4 sedans. Those start at $54,715 and $70,815, respectively.
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