Ratings: Audi A5 Sportback Quattro in Malaysia - For those who favour something different
This week's WapCar Ratings is quite a mouthful: its the Audi A5 Sportback Advanced 2.0 TFSI Quattro's turn. This full-imported (CBU Germany) swoopy sedan is priced from RM 363,331 in Malaysia.
As like recent series entries, all materials were taken before MCO. Scores are relative to the A5 Sportback's segment and not the new-car market in total.
Audi A5 Sportback: Driving Performance – 36/50, Happiest on highways
| Audi A5 Sportback Advanced TFSI Quattro – Facts and Figures | |
|---|---|
| Engine | 2.0-litre, turbocharged four-cyl w/ 12V mild hybrid |
| Transmission | 7-speed DCT |
| Total Power | 252 PS @ 5,000 – 6,000 rpm |
| Total Torque | 370 Nm @ 1,600 – 4,5000 rpm |
| Weight | 1,570 kg |
| 0-100 km/h | 6.1 seconds |
| 100-0 km/h | 36.8 metres |
'Calm and collected' best describes the A5 Sportback's drive. With a 12 Volt mild-hybrid system helping things along, the EA888 2.0-litre turbocharged mill, combined with 7-speed dual-clutch S-tronic transmission is a refined unit.
Punchy, however, it is not.
It could by due to its all-wheel drive (AWD, quattro) drivetrain or emissions-concerned tuning, but we noted that power delivery feels a bit muted. It doesn't rush to the redline, and it gains speed in a rather toned-down fashion.
Put it this way: it's a car that much rather prefers long-distance, highway-cruising duties compared to playful drives.
Its comfort-oriented ride quality complements that aspect. Suspension is a little bit on the firmer side of things, but everything is dealt with in a controlled, composed manner.
| Audi A5 Sportback – Driving Performances Breakdown | ||
|---|---|---|
| Engine | Acceleration | 3 / 5 |
| In-gear Acceleration | 4 / 5 | |
| Throttle Response | 4 / 5 | |
| Transmission | Shift Logic | 3 / 3 |
| Smoothness | 4 / 5 | |
| Sport/Manual Mode | 3 / 3 | |
| Steering | Accuracy | 2 / 3 |
| Response | 1.5 / 3 | |
| Weight & Feel | 2 / 3 | |
| Braking | Distance | 2.5 / 3 |
| Feel | 2 / 3 | |
| Handling | Chassis Balance | 2 / 3 |
| Grip | 2 / 3 | |
| Load Reaction | 2 / 3 | |
| Total | 36 / 50 | |
Audi A5 Sportback: Ride Comfort – 39/50, Smooth, no adaptive dampers though
It rides decently well for a car that weighs 1,570 kg, running on 19-inch wheels, and riding on passive dampers.
The leather seats offer good body support, and there's adjustable thigh support as well for lankier people. They're rather plush units, and occupants will be comfortable lounging in the Audi all day long.
| Audi A5 Sportback – Cabin noise | |
|---|---|
| 0 km/h (A/C off) | 36 dB |
| 0 km/h (A/C on) | 44 dB |
| 60 km/h (A/C on) | 58 dB |
| 90 km/h (A/C on) | 62 dB |
| 110 km/h (A/C on) | 65 dB |
Stylish frameless windows are also no impediment to its cabin noise levels. Sitting fourth on our Top 10 quietest cars list, the soundproofing levels in the A5 Sportback is impressive.
| Audi A5 Sportback – Ride Comfort Breakdown | |
|---|---|
| Sound Proofing | 9 / 10 |
| Suspension | 7 / 10 |
| Passenger Comfort | 7 / 10 |
| Seat Support | 4 / 5 |
| Ergonomics | 3 / 5 |
| Engine Refinement | 9 / 10 |
| Total points | 39 / 50 pts |
Audi A5 Sportback: Quality and Features – 44/50, High-quality all-around
Build quality is top-notch, and on-par with cars in its category.
| Audi A5 Sportback – Panel Gaps (mm) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Location | Driver Side | Passenger Side | Difference |
| Bonnet | 4 | 3.5 | 0.5 |
| Front Fender | 3.5 | 3.5 | 0 |
| Front to Rear Door | 4 | 3.5 | 0.5 |
| Rear Door to quarter panel | 3.5 | 3.5 | 0 |
| Tailgate | 3 | 3 | 0 |
District Green metallic – the finish our press car is in – is one of the more arresting colours that Audi Malaysia offers. If it's not your cup of tea, there's 8 more shades to choose from.
Audi Malaysia will gladly spruce your car up with lots of exterior options too. Here's a list:
- Red brake calipers – RM 3,587
- 10-spoke wheels – RM 7,067
- 5-double-spoke, polygon-style wheels – RM 13,598
- Black exterior package – RM 7,144
| Audi A5 Sportback – Paint Thickness (µm) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Location | Driver Side | Passenger Side |
| Front Bonnet | 132 | |
| Front Fender | 112 | 118 |
| Front Door | 120 | 125 |
| Rear Door | 127 | 118 |
| Rear Quarter Panel | 116 | 118 |
| Tailgate | 119 | |
| Roof | 142 | |
| Average paint thickness: 122 µm ±8 | ||
| Audi A5 Sportback – Exterior Material Use | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bonnet | Soundproofing Material | Thick |
| Struts | Gas | |
| Front Fenders | Soundproofing Material | Yes |
| Doors | Front Windows | Single-glaze |
| Rear Windows | Single-glaze | |
| Construction | One-piece | |
| Boot | Opening | Powered |
The A5 Sportback's cabin sticks to familiar and safe design principles. Some may say it lacks a certain 'wow' factor, but we can't fault great ergonomics and the more 'function over form' approach taken inside. That said, materials are not spartan, with liberal use of leather and soft-touch plastics.
| Audi A5 Sportback – Cabin Material Use | ||
|---|---|---|
| Seat | Seat Cover | Leather |
| Armrest | Armrest Cover | Leather |
| Dashboard | Upper Section | Soft Plastic |
| Lower Section | Hard Plastic | |
| Front Doors | Upper Section | Soft Plastic |
| Middle Section | Suede | |
| Lower Section | Hard Plastic | |
Nifty features in the interior include 4-way, electronically-adjustable front seats (with memory feature for the driver's seat), ambient lighting, and a 3-zone automatic climate control system. If you want more flair, a panoramic sunroof is available as an optional extra, costing RM 14,702.
Reading out vitals is the 12.3-inch fully-digital instrument cluster, which also bundles in MMI navigation plus. Ticking head-up display (HUD) on the options box will set one back RM 10,627.
A 10.1-inch Multi Media Interface MMI infotainment display comes standard with Android Auto/Apple CarPlay, and does everything you'd want a modern infotainment to do, in high-resolution and with vivid colours.
Standard fitment is a 10-speaker, 180 Watt surround-sound system. If you'd like a Bang & Olufsen setup, that's an RM 8,922 option.
Safety-wise, it's hard for the A5 Sportback to gain any headway. It's advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) suite is barebones at best, with just regular cruise control and lane keeping assist.
Park Assist and Lane Change Assist are optional extras, priced from RM 15,439 and RM 8,831 respectively.
| Audi A5 Sportback – Quality & Feature Breakdown | ||
|---|---|---|
| Exterior | Paint Finish | 4 / 4 |
| Panel Gaps | 3 / 4 | |
| Assembly Quality | 2 / 2 | |
| Interior | Build Quality | 5 / 5 |
| Materials Used | 4 / 5 | |
| Features | Safety | 10 / 10 |
| ADAS | 1 / 5 | |
| Luxury | 4 / 5 | |
| Convenience | 3 / 5 | |
| Infotainment | 4 / 5 | |
| Total | 40 / 50 pts | |
Audi A5 Sportback: Interior space – 29/50, Decent space
Much like the front seats, comfort at the back is great. There's good body support, and it's a comfortable place for passengers thanks to rear air-cond vents, and a smattering of storage solutions.
That said, the tall centre tunnel will eat into footspace a bit, which means only small children can realistically sit on the centre of the rear bench.
What about space for stuff? They're all fairly small, if we're honest. The centre console box realistically only fits your phone and a slim wallet, and anything larger than a regular water bottle will have to sit in the door bins.
Legroom's just fine with about two tennis balls at the back, but there's no squeezing any tennis balls for headroom.
Pop the sloping tailgate open and there's 465 litres of bootspace, expandable by folding the rear seats. Under the boot floor sits a space-saver spare tyre.
| Audi A5 Sportback – Interior Space Breakdown | |
|---|---|
| Front Row | 7 / 10 |
| Middle/Back Row | 6 / 10 |
| Third Row | 0 / 5 |
| Boot Space | 3 / 5 |
| Practicality | 3 / 5 |
| Storage Space | 2 / 5 |
| Visibility | 4 / 5 |
| Storage Flexibility | 3 / 5 |
| Total | 29 / 50 pts |
Audi A5 Sportback: Fuel consumption – 11.5/20, Thirsty cruiser
Between a mix of 60% highway and 40% city driving over 132 km, the A5 Sportback returned a fuel efficiency figure of 11.1 litres/100 km. Not the most efficient, and a part of the blame goes to the fuel-sapping all-wheel drive system too.
| Audi A5 Sportback – Fuel Consumption Test Breakdown | |
|---|---|
| Fuel Consumption | 8 / 15 |
| Eco Mode | 2 / 2 |
| Indicator Accuracy | 1.5 / 3 |
| Total points | 11.5 / 20 pts |
Audi A5 Sportback: Purchase and cost – 15.5/30, Standing out is expensive
Starting from RM 363,331 (on-the-road, SST-exempt price valid until 31-Dec 2021) in Malaysia, it's not a very cheap car. But it's guaranteed to stand out, should you plonk the cash for one.
How? Simple – there's not much fastback sedans in the market that are in the same class as the A5 Sportback. Sure, you have similarly-designed cars like the Volkswagen Arteon and Mercedes-Benz CLA, but they vie for market share in segments lower than the Audi.
| Audi A5 Sportback – Purchase & Cost | ||
|---|---|---|
| Purchase | Car Price | 7 / 15 |
| Warranty | 4 / 5 | |
| Cost | Maintenance | 2 / 5 |
| Fuel Cost | 2.5 / 5 | |
| Total | 15.5 / 30 pts | |
Audi A5 Sportback: Conclusion – 171/250 pts overall
Considering that it plays in a field with almost no direct competitors, the Audi A5 Sportback does most things rather well – especially in the metrics of performance, refinement, and looks.
From a specifications perspective, it certainly seems like a lot of money to pay for a car that doesn't have a full ADAS suite, and lacks adaptive dampers. But for the money, one gets a fairly comfortable highway cruiser that grabs attention – just the right recipe for a certain few.
Full Ratings list: https://wapcar.my/car-ranking
Also read: Review: Audi A5 Sportback – When you find the BMW 4 Series too boring
