Missing Frameless Windows
Except for any who have been MIA, the Audi A4 we all know and love is being sent off. The Ingolstadt-based automakers are changing the platform’s name to the A5 label, which unfortunately affects the S and RS performance models too. That said, the A4/S4 Sedan is disappearing altogether, leaving just the A5/S5 for the coming generations. We’ve since received pictures of the S5 in a Sportback form wearing the finished exterior shell plus the latest lights.
Multiple times the S5 Avant (yes, familiarize yourself with this moniker) wagon has been spied. But now, it’s our first time watching the S5 Sportback undergoing tests. It’s uncertain as of yet whether Audi will maintain the vehicle’s suffix or choose to simply label it the S5. This prototype looks like it has a tailgate rather than a trunk lid, testifying to the impending extinction of the classical sedan.
The four-pipe setup is still present, though the frame-less windows are disappointingly absent. As such, some of the automobile’s finesse has dissipated. Despite its camouflage, it is clear that the new S5 flaunts smooth-sliding door handles and possibly requires a rear light bar for further visibility. Initially, we feel that the gradual styling augments the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe particularly well. We were also heartened to discover that the front grille is fractionally smaller as Audi has incorporated an additional, lower air intake. Here’s to hoping that the side bumper air curtains are practical rather than fabricated plastic embellishments.
It will be intriguing to behold what the engineers have hidden beneath the hood of the S5, considering in Europe the passing model is motivated by a diesel engine. The motor, V6 TDI, is not likewise utilized around the world, as many areas obtain the V6 TFSI. A recent report alludes to the replacement of diesel with a twin-turbo, 2.9-liter V6 gasoline motor taken from the RS4 Avant. Subsequent to such news, Audi Sport has announced it shall not deploy four-cylinder RS models, indicating that the successor of the RS5 Avant will move forward with hybridisation without downsizing.
It stands to reason that the standard A5 variants will likely be shown off first, envisaged to be debuted during the second half of this year. September seems a fitting time for the unveiling, with the IAA Munich fair promising to provide an ideal platform. The advanced S5 is likely to debut shortly after that, with the fire-breathing RS5 version set to follow suit in 2024.
A single one the pieces of the problem addressing what will transpire to the A5 Coupe/Convertible and its derivatives is confusing, since not even a single spy shot of these two-door cars has been witnessed. As the TT and R8 have ended production, disposing of the A5 coupes and convertibles would render Audi without any form of coupes or convertibles. With regards to models disappearing from their line-up, Audi has proclaimed that the next generation A3 will be their lowest-level vehicle, as they don’t plan on remaking the A1 supermini or Q2 subcompact crossover.
Source: Automedia
