► New Audi A5 Avant driven
► Sits on a new platform
► Also available as Sportback
Chic, premium estate cars like the new Audi A5 Avant seem to hang around in vogue like white marble kitchen counter tops – they never really go out of style. The offering that you’re looking at here is an all-new car, built on a new platform specifically crafted for the future of Audi’s combustion engine programme.
Known as Premium Platform Combustion (PPC), the platform will provide the underpinnings of Audi’s future mid-size combustion engine cars, but all will feature some sort of part electrification. What about this A5 Avant? Well, it’s available in a couple of petrol configurations, with a diesel or as a hotter S5 Avant, which we’ve reviewed separately. If you don’t fancy it in wagon form, Audi has also launched a lower-slung A5 Sportback, too.
To find out how this A5 Avant stacks up, we’ve driven it at the international launch in the south of France. Read on for the full review from CAR magazine, or head over to our how we test cars page to find out how we reached our verdict.
At a glance
Pros: Plenty of tech, decent boot space, wide engine range
Cons: Cluttered dashboard, cheaper engines weak, not very agile
What’s new?
The 2024 Audi A5 Avant is essentially an update of the old A4 Avant, only now on a new platform. Audi has recently changed its naming policy so that electric cars now end with an even number while combustion-powered cars end in an odd number. Of course, a few cosmetic changes were due. The A5 now features a flatter and wider grille, along with sleeker headlights that feature customisable light signatures inside.
Around the back, a lightbar has been introduced, comprising of multiple OLED pixels that can shimmer when illuminated. Altogether, I think it’s a neat update, but I’ll leave that verdict up to you. The interior has also been updated – I’ll go into more detail on that later – while new mild hybrid electric tech can now be specced, depending on which engine you go for.
What are the specs?
The 2024 Audi A5 Avant is available with a handful of different engines from buyers to choose from. See below for a full rundown of their specs. All send power to the wheels via a seven-speed S tronic gearbox with a dual-clutch transmission.
TFSI 147bhp petrol: Produces 147bhp and 206lb ft of torque. 0-62mph in 9.8 seconds and a 134mph top speed. A 37.7-41.5 mpg combined fuel economy and 170-155 g/km of CO2 (figures provided by WLTP). 1710 kg unladen weight, front-wheel drive. Boot space is 476 litres with seats up, and 1424 litres seats down.
TFSI 201bhp petrol: Produces 201bhp and 250lb ft of torque. 0-62mph in 7.8 seconds and a 152mph top speed. A 37.2-41.5 mpg combined fuel economy and 174-155g/km of CO2 (figures provided by WLTP). 1710 kg unladen weight, front-wheel drive. Boot space is 476 litres with seats up, and 1424 litres seats down.
TDI 201bhp diesel: Produces 201bhp and 295lb ft of torque. 0-62mph in 7.7 seconds and a 149mph top speed. A 50.4 – 57.6 mpg combined fuel economy and 146 – 129g/km of CO2 (figures provided by WLTP). 1835 kg unladen weight, front-wheel drive. Boot space is 448 litres seats up, or 1396 litres with the seats down.
TDI 201bhp diesel Quattro – Produces 201bhp and 295lb ft of torque. 0-62mph in 6.9 seconds and a 147mph top speed. A 49.6 – 54.3 mpg combined fuel economy and 149 – 135 g/km of CO2 (figures provided by WLTP). 1900 kg unladen weight, all-wheel drive. Boot space is 448 litres seats up, or 1396 litres with the seats down.
What’s it like to drive?
The A5 Avant that I drove was a 201bhp Quattro TDI model. With the help of the all-wheel drive system and some auxiliary power from a MHEV unit that comes equipped on the TDI diesels, the car seemed capable of hauling itself out of corners with some urgency. The A5 Avant didn’t feel especially agile, but the additional torque at least puts a useful spring in its step when navigating the tight ascent of our mountain road route.
I didn’t get the chance to test a front-wheel drive Avant, but the comparable Sportback that I did get to jump into felt a little feebler in its poke, and that was the 201bhp version. In all honesty, I’d stay away from the 147bhp TFSI engine in the Avant as the more powerful petrol was already struggling to haul the car’s weight along.
Around town and on the motorway, the A5 Avant kept a cool and calm character about itself. Even when revved out, the engine had a subdued note, while the suspension tune brought a relaxing gait. At high speeds, the car felt comfortable and at home, though it didn’t take well to my eager flicking when the going got twisty.
I found the steering to be nicely weighted and responsive, but the rest of the chassis didn’t lend itself to excitable and dynamic driving. The A5 Sportback seemed to have a tad more dynamism in its nature, but the Avant is a car that enjoys being respected and will reward you for doing so with comfort and composure.
What’s the interior like?
The Audi A5 Avant has had a major interior refresh, with new upholstery options, new instrument panels and a wholly revised dashboard. The latter now comprises of one enormous, curved display that houses your driving instrument cluster as well as the infotainment screen. On the far side, a passenger display can be optioned as part of the Edition 1 trim package. Screen overload?
I drove an Edition 1 car with all three displays and I must admit that I found the entire dashboard a bit cluttered. The screens all have an excessive amount of piano black plastic around them, which serves only to fill the space and removes any sense of harmony. It might be to your tastes, but I struggled to relax with so much going on in front of me.
I didn’t get to jump into a car that wasn’t Edition 1 spec, so every test car had a third display. I’d like to give one without the passenger screen a go, just to see if the clearer space injects a bit more calm to the cabin.
Dashboard aside, I was pleased with the interior’s refresh. The build quality inside is excellent, with plenty of varied yet high quality materials, including a strip of Dinamica microfibre along the dashboard to break up the surfaces.
There was plenty of room for me, a six-foot plus adult, to get comfortable in the back while the boot was impressively big too. It can’t quite match the 500 litres offered by non-hybrid 3 Series Tourings, but the loading lip of the A5 Avant is at least usefully low, allowing for easy entry.
Before you buy
The A5 Avant’s trim range is split into three different grades: Sport, S Line and Edition 1. Starting from £43,850 – £1900 more than the base-spec Sportback version – Sport trim includes 18-inch wheels, heated front sports seats, the two larger OLED displays (instrument cluster and infotainment) plus three-zone climate control as standard. In addition, Audi throws in its Park Assistance Plus system with a rear-view camera for no extra charge, as well as adaptive cruise control, a front emergency brake assist, and lane-departure warning.
Over Sport, S Line features 20mm lower suspension, 19-inch wheels, sportier styling with more black paint around the exterior and an uprated steering wheel with paddle shifters. Edition 1 tops the range out from £51,000 and includes Matrix LED headlights, Dinamica microfibre around the dashboard and that third passenger display. It also includes proactive passenger protection and a top-view camera in the package.
As for rivals, they’re strong and varied. You can check out our list of the best estate cars, but the key competition includes the BMW 3-series Touring, the C Class estate or even the VW Passat Estate, if you’re on a tighter budget. Plenty of options in this class, but the A5 Avant should still be well up there on your list.
Verdict
As a complete package, the A5 Avant is a strong offering. It’s well built, stylish and well-equipped, too. Starting from just above £40k, I think it represents good value. However, I don’t think it drives as well as a BMW 3-series, nor is the cabin quite as special as you might find in a comparable Merc. With its flavours of sensibility, the A5 might be to your tastes, but I’d recommend trying out the competition before buying, just to make sure.