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 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.

Driving Experience

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. So you might feel the need to wait for the pair of TFSI e PHEV powertrains Audi has planned for this car - with 299PS and 365PS, both with quattro 4WD and over 62 miles of EV range. 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 with a front-driven format. That front-driven format 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 'Sport'. 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, but only by 28-litres - in contrast to a rival Mercedes C300e PHEV Estate, which reduces space by 140-litres.

Market and Model

Let's get to the pricing, pitched from launch at around £45,000 for this A5 Avant estate - around £2,000 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 - '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

The key engineering efficiency development with this new A5 Avant is, as we told you in our 'Driving' section, the new 'MHEV plus' mild hybrid system that features on the diesel and S5 versions. This is based on a 48-volt on-board electrical system that supports the combustion engine and reduces CO2 emissions while increasing performance. Its added powertrain generator (the 'PTG') enables electric driving components that contribute to a reduction in fuel consumption. The 'MHEV plus' system offers advantages in CO2 emissions compared to the previous MHEV set-up. Over the WLTP driving cycle, these total up to 10g/km of CO2 in the 2.0 TDI and up to 17g/km of CO2 in the S5 (which uses a V6 3.0 TFSI petrol unit). The PTG can also add 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. Thanks to the option of using an electric air conditioning compressor, the air conditioning system can also be operated when the vehicle is stopped at traffic lights and the combustion engine is switched off. With the integrated and blending-capable brake control system, the brake pedal and the brake hydraulics can be completely decoupled. In models with the 'MHEV plus' system, it achieves the necessary deceleration without using the friction brakes thanks to regenerative braking. This means that deceleration is initially achieved solely by recuperation. The friction brakes only kick in when the brake pedal is pressed harder. The brake feel remains unaffected by this.

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.