Vereintes Design, geteilte Meinungen: Der neue Audi A5 Limousine als Erbe von A4 und A5 Sportback

Audi A5 Sedan (2024): A Worthy Successor to the A5 Sportback and A4?

Uniting two into one: Can the team from Ingolstadt pull off the trick of merging models?

Have you heard of the term "jack-of-all-trades"? It's used to describe something or someone that can do it all, meeting every need and fulfilling all requirements. The concept first appeared in a variation in the humorous poem "The Battle for the Egg-Laying Wool-Milk-Pig" by Ludwig Renn around 1959.

Audi has now positioned itself to craft a new strategy after deciding to allocate even numbers to its all-electric vehicles, redirecting combustion engines to odd numbers. Consequently, the former A5, available as a convertible and coupe, has quietly been discontinued, and there will no longer be an A5 Sportback.

The new Audi A5 in its sedan form is tasked with replacing both the A4 sedan and the A5 Sportback. Is it up to this colossal challenge?

Photo Gallery: Audi A5 (2024)

Is it still a coupe or already a fastback?

Let's first take a look at the side profile and roofline of the new A5 compared to the old A5 Sportback from the B-pillar onwards. The character line on the Sportback is more pronounced than on the new A5, leading into a more extended rear overhang that allows for a longer, more drawn-out coupe-like silhouette. The roof descends steadily from the vehicle's midpoint down to the modest spoiler.

The latest A5 model maintains a straighter profile along the sides to benefit rear passengers, continuing this approach up until just before the C-pillar. Following this, it dares to adopt a coupe-like silhouette, closely resembling that of the Sportback, before transitioning to a compact, truncated rear end.

Audi describes it in the following way: "The sedan's sporty and compact-looking greenhouse smoothly extends with a dynamically drawn arch towards the back, seamlessly merging into the flat rear window like a coupe, and concludes at the visually short rear decklid with a pronounced spoiler edge."

The small side window on the C-pillar of the new A5 hints at a coupe-like shape. In the older Sportback, this window even takes a moment to curve upwards, creating a stage for the more powerful rear end. Even when viewed directly from the back, it's apparent that the Sportback leans more towards a coupe design than what the new A5 presents.

Let's shift our focus to the A4, which arrived as the B9 in its most recent sedan version. Its profile is straighter and more traditional, almost fading away before reaching the taillight. Here, the A5 actually takes a bolder stance by adding an extra curve above the rear wheel arch to create a more dynamic silhouette. The taillight is incorporated more prominently.

The roofline of the A4 is more distinctly defined, almost straight in its form before descending sharply towards the rear. The result is a narrow side window and a much more prominently designed rear end, embodying the classic sedan silhouette.

Another clue to the updated design language is evident in the tailgate. Where the A4 featured a traditional trunk lid providing access to the cargo area, the new A5 opens up its rear end wide, including the back window – similar to what was seen with the Sportback.

Another crossover on the horizon?

Automakers have been blending distinct categories for a while now, leading to a surge in SUV-coupé hybrids. Audi now faces the task of appealing to traditional A4 sedan buyers while also attracting those who might have been intrigued by the A5 Sportback. This is the reasoning behind the merging of models.

The aesthetic of the latest A5 model stands out on its own, distinct from its predecessors. However, those approaching from one side may likely notice the absence of the pronounced coupe-like rear and the more robust stance, while those who prefer the traditional four-door sedan might find the current presentation a bit too ostentatious.

The question remains whether the sedan ever held such a significant position in the European market. After all, the preferred choice for distributors was the Avant, and the total share of commercial registrations was substantially larger than that of the sedan. So, have Audi's designers succeeded in creating a multi-purpose vehicle that covers all bases?

Would you like even more Audi crossover options?

We're taking another look at the design language and indeed, we agree! The new A5 truly embodies the best of both worlds. However, the new A5 is neither a Sportback, a Coupe, nor a Sedan. These categories already had a fitting term. The new A5 is a classic fastback. Even Audi confirms it, stating, "…it seamlessly transitions like a Coupe into the flat rear window and concludes at the visually compact rear hatch."

Audi defines it as a hatchback. There's nothing wrong with that. There's no need to invent a new term when the traditional one fits perfectly in the existing category of vehicles. Hatchbacks have previously appealed to a variety of buyer groups, so why not now as well?

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