► 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. The new platform is known as Premium Platform Combustion (PPC), and 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 model, which we’ve reviewed separately. If you don’t fancy it in wagon form, Audi still has the ‘Saloon’ model as it’s named in the UK – although, confusingly, it’s a hatchback now.
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: Impressive build quality, quiet diesel, balanced (if not exciting) dynamics
Cons: Tight rear space, haptic steering wheel buttons, sometimes-slow-reacting MHEV system
What’s new?
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. So this 2024 Audi A5 Avant is what replaces the old A4 Avant, but is effectively the same kind of car. By that logic, there will be an A4 Avant in the near future, but it’ll be battery-electric only. A temporarily confusing situation, but one that’ll iron itself out soon.
Essentially, though, this is your usual new generation of car kinda situation. Cleaner, more efficient engines, a new wave of technology and software on board and, of course, a cosmetic redesign. The A5 now features a flatter and wider grille, along with sleeker headlights that feature customisable light signatures.
Around the back, a light bar 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 150 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). 1710kg unladen weight, front-wheel drive. Boot space is 476 litres with seats up, and 1424 litres seats down.
TFSI 204 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 204 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 204 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.
The range will grow to include plug-in hybrid options in the first few months of 2025.
What’s it like to drive?
We’ve driven the TDI 204 model both in Europe and now in the UK and, overall, it’s an impressive package. What was impressive from very early on in the drive is how quiet the engine is – yes, there’s a little bit of gravelly grumble as the engine warms up but, on the move and even at middling revs, it’s remarkably composed. Performance is perfectly fine, too, with a little boost from the new MHEV Plus system that adds power and provides a more elaborate level of coasting/engine-off functionality.
That MHEV system can sometimes be a little slow to respond to acceleration requests at a standstill, mind. And we also wonder what the less powerful ‘150’ engine will feel like lugging around this estate model fully loaded; we’ll endeavour to try more engine variants as soon as we can.
There are some solid dynamics to the way the A5 drives. Is it sharp and taut like a BMW? Nope, still not the case, but the steering has a reasonable balance and a good weight as you turn in and – so long as you don’t go mad with the wheel sizes – the ride is composed. That’s thanks to standard adaptive dampers on all A5 models, with Comfort mode rounding off enough of the roughest roads. The standard-fit tyres are noisy mind, which can take the edge off a little of the refinement.
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? Quite possibly.
The cars we’ve driven so far have all been Edition 1 models with the spec options list thrown at them, and it’s a mixed bag. What did impress is the build quality; I personally think the A5 is more solid and tightly put together than the larger Q6 e-Tron that shares a lot of the same switchgear and technology. It’s cosy and cocooning inside without feeling too claustrophobic, and there’s a good driving position to boot.
The not so good? Some of that switchgear and the sea of piano black. Audi remains a victim of this haptic steering wheel button nonsense which meant I was regularly blasting the volume or changing the volume with the thumb muscle of my palm. That and the one-panel-does-all set of switches on the driver side that will just get mucky quickly. Piano black gloss is the culprit here – naturally a must if you’re including these haptic buttons, but we do yearn for the days when your Audi centre console was trimmed in some lovely feeling, bright brushed aluminium.
Rear space is fine for shorter adults and children, but becomes a problem if you’re a tall adult sat behind a tall driver and the very clever blind-less panoramic sunroof option cuts into headroom. Boot space is decent with a wide aperture, and only a smidge smaller than a 3-series Touring.
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, feels solid and dependable to drive and represents good value given how astronomical some car prices have gotten recently. It’s a sensible flavour of small family estate over the glitzier Mercedes C-Class estate or sharper 3-series Touring, but one that’s worth a serious look at.