The new generation of Audi A5 family is released, which is more like a mid-term

tech | 2024-05-26

Audi has officially unveiled the all-new Audi A5 family. However, it should be noted that the new A5 is essentially a replacement for the Audi A4, with Audi planning to name its fuel-powered vehicles with odd numbers and electric vehicles with even numbers in the future. Therefore, the upcoming Audi A6 and A4 will also carry the e-tron designation, including the future Q6 e-tron, while the current Audi A4 and A6 are expected to be renamed as A5 and A7, respectively.

The all-new Audi A5 family will still include sedans, station wagons, and S series models. However, please note that the sedan version of the new Audi A5 is no longer a traditional three-box sedan but a hatchback, which explains why Audi chose to adopt the "A5" naming sequence for the A4 replacement. Of course, unlike the current Audi A5, the new Audi A5, although a hatchback coupe, does not feature frameless doors, which is quite traditional.

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In terms of dimensions, the standard wheelbase version of the new A5 has further increased compared to its predecessor. Data provided by overseas media shows that the new car's width has increased by 13 millimeters, height by 24 millimeters, length by 67 millimeters, and the wheelbase, which Chinese consumers pay the most attention to, has increased by 79 millimeters—this should be around 2905mm if compared to the overseas standard wheelbase A4/A5—this directly translates into a significant improvement in rear passenger space. Additionally, the car's drag coefficient is only 0.25Cd, which is also quite impressive.

In terms of design details, the all-new Audi Q6 e-tron is almost a preview of the new Audi A5 design. The Audi A5 retains the same front headlight design and the classic hexagonal grille, with large front side air intakes on both sides, and the outer trim is available in silver and black. Moreover, whether it's the chamfer of the hexagonal grille, the chamfer of the front headlight assembly, or the design of the front side air intakes, they are all more rounded, reducing the sharpness.

Although the new headlight assembly is similar in style to the current Audi models, the LED daytime running lights occupy at least half of the space, and the matrix headlights have become smaller, allowing the entire front light assembly to be reduced as well. As a well-known "light factory," the daytime running lights of the all-new Audi A5 are also more varied, with a large number of small light beads offering more dynamic changes, capable of presenting at least eight different daytime running light effects, bringing different "expressions."

The all-new generation model has made new challenges in line design, with the stamped ridges on the hood being more rounded. In addition to the traditional shallow waistline on the side, Audi designers have specifically added an extended line along the lower edge of the window to connect with the headlights. Furthermore, as a hatchback coupe model, the new Audi A5 also retains the design of the rear shoulder line, highlighting a more muscular look.

Another noteworthy feature is that the door handles of the new Audi A5 have been redesigned with a hollowed-out style, rather than the semi-enclosed style previously used by BMW, nor the hidden style found on electric vehicles.

The new hollow handles also feature rounded chamfers, with a body-colored component on the side and a chrome strip on the upper inside. It appears that this part should be a handle that can be opened outward, likely a design that can be popped open. Due to the hollow design of the door handles, the continuous waistline has an interruption here, but the stamping cost and the difficulty of aligning the craftsmanship are reduced, which can also be considered a part of the process optimization.

The rear of the car features a continuous taillight design, referred to as the "digital OLED panel." The new taillight assembly has three panels on each side, with each panel containing approximately 60 OLED light groups, totaling 364 OLED light groups, which can create a rich array of animated effects. It is said that the Audi A5 can also have a more diverse range of animated effects during driving, with about eight sets of effects—interestingly, these lighting effects will not be displayed in certain markets, as regulations in the United States, for example, do not allow for corresponding animated effects while the vehicle is in motion.However, it must be said that the all-new Audi A5 does not present a striking new design scheme in terms of exterior styling; it is more like minor tweaks to the current model, which could be considered a mid-cycle refresh design.

The interior is similarly "dull"; the floating dual-screen design merely reworks the screen's aesthetic, adding ambient lighting beneath it. The new dual-screen style somewhat resembles the Ford Mustang's approach, rather than adopting Cadillac's integrated screen style, opting instead for two separate screens housed within a single frame.

Interestingly, Audi has added a screen for the passenger, but its size is not substantial, failing to meet Chinese consumers' expectations for a passenger screen—fortunately, this screen is optional, and it is believed that few Chinese consumers will choose it.

Audi has explicitly stated that both the instrument cluster and the central control screen are made of OLED material, and the passenger screen has a special layer that prevents the driver from seeing its content, ensuring safety while driving.

In other design aspects, the all-new Audi A5 has done away with physical air conditioning buttons, integrating them into the central control screen. The air vents continue to be located below the screen, without adopting the popular through-style design. The central console features a physical start button, a multimedia knob, button shifting, and two Type-C charging ports.

The standard version features a four-spoke steering wheel design, with wood grain trim, reducing the use of aluminum trim. The S5 version swaps to carbon fiber and suede materials, with a more traditional sporty steering wheel style, enhancing the sporty feel.

The core information released by Audi this time includes that the new car will adopt a brand-new PPC platform, which stands for Premium Platform Combustion. This platform is designed for Audi's new generation of internal combustion engine models, with some saying it is developed as a successor to the MLB Evo platform. Although the chassis and suspension structure do not have much in common with the PPE platform, the electronic and electrical architecture is closely related to PPE.

The E3 1.2 electronic and electrical architecture of the previous PPE, although delayed due to development issues, now coincides with the launch of Audi's new generation of internal combustion engine models and electric vehicles. The new electronic and electrical architecture will feature four domain controllers, which can better drive the three screens inside the car, the intelligent lighting technology outside the car, the augmented reality HUD, and so on, making the entire experience closer to that of a smart electric vehicle.

In terms of powertrain, it is currently known that the all-new Audi A5 is equipped with the EA888 new generation engine, featuring a variable geometry turbocharger, with an output power of up to 200kW. The transmission remains a seven-speed dual-clutch, with both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive options available. The S5 will be equipped with a 3.0T V6 engine, also with a variable geometry turbocharger, with an output power of 270kW, and it will also use a dual-clutch transmission capable of supporting higher torque.Additionally, the new generation of Audi A5 will also feature a new 48V mild hybrid electric motor with an output of 18kW and 230N·m, utilizing a water-cooled lithium-ion battery that can support driving the vehicle during idling and low speeds without the need to start the engine.

However, for the powertrain in the domestic market, in addition to the high-power 2.0T engine, it is estimated that a medium-power 2.0T engine will also be offered, while the European market will have a low-power 2.0T engine with 110kW. As for whether the 48V mild hybrid electric motor will be standard in the Chinese market is currently unknown, as the North American market has canceled this configuration.

At present, for the Chinese market, Audi, having two partners, FAW-Audi will inevitably take over the all-new replacement of the A4L, so it is highly likely to be renamed as A5L. There has also been news that SAIC Audi will produce the A5L model, and Audi will launch dual vehicles in China.

However, an additional piece of information obtained by Jia Shi Pai is that the new Audi fuel powertrain vehicle from SAIC Audi may not directly use the PPC platform. The new car is codenamed CS41, which is different from FAW-Audi's AU401. Additionally, the spy photos of the "A5L" from SAIC Audi show that the new car has a more sporty fastback rear and features a spoiler design. So, is it possible that the product obtained by SAIC Audi will be a domestically developed "A4L"? If we add another possibility, could it be a plug-in hybrid version?