UK Drive: The A5 is Audi’s new compact executive car – is it the new class leader?

For 30 years Audi’s compact executive car wore the A4 name, however that familiarity all changed last year as the car became known as A5. But, surely, you’re shouting, there’s already an A5? Well, that’s true, but that model range – available previously as a coupe, a convertible and as a five-door Sportback – also bowed out, with this new car effectively replacing the old A4 saloon and A5 Sportback.

The reason for this sudden rename? In future, we were told, all even-number Audis (A4, A6 and so on) would become pure-electric models, while the odd-numbered ones (A5, A7 etc) would be powered by petrol and diesel engines. So, meet the new A5 saloon (although it’s a hatchback) and Avant estate, tested here in the former guise with good old fashioned diesel power.

If I told you that the grand plan of odd- and even-numbered models denoting what the power source was ripped up earlier this year, you’d laugh. But giggle away as that’s what happened. So, you can now buy an Audi A6 e-tron that’s powered by electricity, and also another Audi A6 that’s a completely different car and powered by traditional engines. But the move was too late for the A5 as it had already arrived in showrooms. Calling this is a mess is a bit of an understatement.

So, with all of that out of the way, the A4, sorry A5, gets a range of petrol and diesel engines. For now, there’s a 2.0-litre petrol that comes in 148bhp and 201bhp flavours, and a 2.0-litre diesel with 201bhp with front- or ‘Quattro’ four-wheel-drive. All of them are mild-hybrids to reduce fuel consumption and boost performance, and are fitted with seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearboxes. A petrol plug-in hybrid will arrive this summer.

The latest A5 is built on a brand new platform – Premium Platform Combustion, if you really want to know – and it has been designed to work hand in hand with those mild-hybrid engines, and add a little more dynamism to the way the car drives. In terms of adding more fun, there’s a noticeable improvement over the old A4 as the A5 feels sharper and keener to go around corners. Despite its advancing years, the BMW 3 Series still has the edge, though, but the Audi isn’t too far behind.

Meanwhile, the ride is supple and well controlled, and the 2.0-litre diesel slips into electric mode at low speeds far more often than you might have imagined. Once the engine has taken over it’s very refined, and, rather amazingly, smoother than the 148bhp 2.0-litre petrol. It’s efficient, too, with us averaging close to 50mpg over 300 miles.

Audi has moved away from the previous A4’s chiselled, quietly handsome looks, and opted for a more curvaceous style. The front grille is seemingly larger than ever before, while the sloping roofline is a nod to the old five-door A5 Sportback. The rear has an Audi e-tron GT-like chunkiness to the design, while an LED light strip – which, along with the front headlights, can be tweaked to a handful of different designs if you wish – stretches from side to side. In typical Audi style, the higher S line and Edition 1 trim levels work best with their fancier wheels and more aggressively-designed bodywork.

Once again, straight lines have made way for curves. The overall design is a near carbon copy of the new Q6 e-tron’s, with a large panel containing both driver and main screens stretching across most of the top of the dashboard. The infotainment system is at first glance nicely designed, but quickly you realise that the icons are small and the menus numerous – it takes some getting used to. Our car had a third screen for the passenger which replicates a lot of key information as found in the infotainment and driver display screens, but it seems a bit too gimmicky to us. It’s a nice interior for sure, but we lament the dip in quality; the old A4 had a wonderfully plush feel whereas the A5 seems like it has been built to a price – the faux leather feels particularly cheap.

Space, meanwhile, is great up front, but a bit tight in the back thanks to that sloping roofline, while the 417-litre boot is just average by class standards.

Our test car was a fancy Launch Edition with much of the S line’s and Edition 1’s equipment levels all packaged together for a special version, but this is no longer offered. What you can order, though, is Sport, S line and Edition 1.

Sport kicks off the range at £42,705 and gets 18-inch alloys, LED front and rear lights, ‘dynamic’ rear indicators, three-zone climate control, the two screens for the driver and infotainment, wireless phone charging, 360-degree parking camera, and adaptive cruise control.

S line, from £44,855, adds sportier bodystyling, 20mm lower sports suspension and ‘S’ embossed sports seats, while top-drawer Edition 1, from £49,855, gets features such as larger 20-inch wheels, matrix LED headlights with customisable designs, a black styling pack, and a 10.9-inch touchscreen for the passenger.

The move from A4 to A5 has brought a car that is more exciting to drive, while also being more comfortable and refined – and that’s a tough trick to pull off. The engine range is efficient, equipment levels are excellent, and the car feels modern. Overall, it’s a well rounded package, just let down by a touchscreen-heavy interior that also doesn’t feel as well put together as before.