Audi A5 Sportback not coming to America, but you can drool over these teasers anyhow [w/VIDEO]
by Sam Abuelsamid on Jun 16th 2009 at 7:56PM 
Click above to see A5 Sportback teaser in high-res
We've been seeing spy photos of the upcoming Audi A5 Sportback for what seems like ages. However, thanks to the above teaser shot and a new video from Audi featuring designer Wolfgang Egger, we now have our clearest view of the new A5's profile yet. Not to be confused for production model based on the Sportback concept revealed at the Detroit Auto Show in January (which is also coming), this new A5 features also features a fastback body style. Unlike the current A5 coupe, the Sportback gets four doors on its flanks. Speaking of flanks it appears as though the Sportback will get even more muscular quarters than the coupe.
Unfortunately, we won't get the A5 Sportback here in America. In a statement released with the video, Audi of America explains that the new model doesn't fit its current plans for this market. In other words, the company doesn't think it can sell enough of the five-door hatchbacks to justify the expense of federalizing it. We'll hold out hope for the A7 Sportback, thank you. In the meantime, check out the video and the official press release after the jump.
Gallery: Audi A5 Sportback teaser
[Source: Audi]
PRESS RELEASE from Audi AG:
Ingolstadt, 2009-06-17
The new Audi A5 Sportback
As elegant as a coupe, as practical as an Avant
The brand with the four rings leads the pack with a new vehicle concept: The Audi A5 Sportback combines the best of different automotive worlds. It is as emotional and elegant as a coupe, as comfortable as a sedan, and as practical as an Avant. The Sportback joins the Coupé and Cabriolet as the third member of the A5 model family – and at the same time creates a new segment. With an exciting design, great everyday utility and highly efficient and powerful TFSI, FSI and TDI engines, the A5 Sportback will arrive at Audi dealerships in September. The car will be open for ordering with an entry price of EUR 36,050 for the 2.0 TDI version. A version with an even more attractive price will follow in the middle of 2010. This will make the A5 Sportback the entry model for the A5 model range.
The A5 Sportback represents a milestone in car design. The five-door coupe excels in its elegant, elongated, sporty profile. The large hatchback fits perfectly into the tail-end styling. The spoiler lip and the diffuser insert provide contrast and emphasize the athletic tautness of the elongated contour. The coupe-like silhouette is the result of a roof section with a long, tapering roofline that is moderately lower by 36 mm (1.42 inches) than the A4 Sedan and of the short overhangs at the front and rear as well as the long wheelbase of 2,810 mm (9.22 feet) and the four frameless doors with their slim, dynamic window styling. The unusual hatchback design is distinctively emblematic of the vehicle's excellent functionality. With the Sportback, the designers of the Avant are setting trends in tail-end design while combining sportiness, comfort and utility in a completely new way.
The unique functional concept in conjunction with the emotion-packed design creates a cutting-edge mix of coupe and Avant. The baggage volume of 480 liters (17.0 cubic feet) nearly equals that of the A4 Avant, and it has an impressive 980 liters (34.6 cubic feet) with the rear seatbacks folded down.
The A5 Sportback provides a full measure of comfort on all four seats and convenient entry and exit through every door. Despite the fact that its exterior height is less than that of the A4 Sedan and that its roof tapers at the rear, the Sportback has comparable headroom and legroom.
The powerplant of the A5 Sportback is another advance along the path of innovative technologies Audi has been charting: All engines are of the direct injection type – the diesel versions are sophisticated common rail TDI units while the gasoline engines are based on the FSI concept. All engines meet the EU5 exhaust emission standard. The diesel versions are equipped with particulate filters.
Initially the A5 Sportback will be available with a choice of two gasoline and three diesel engines. The two gasoline versions, the 2.0 TFSI quattro with an output of 155 kW (211 hp) and 350 Nm (258 lb-ft) of torque and the 3.2-liter V6 quattro generating 195 kW (265 hp) are both equipped with the Audi valvelift system. This feature can produce more power and higher torque as well as lower fuel consumption.
The following engines are also available right from the start: the 2.0 TDI with 125 kW (170 hp), 350 Nm (258 lb-ft), a 6-speed manual gearbox and start/stop system, the 2.7 TDI with 140 kW (190 hp) and 400 Nm (295 lb-ft), and the three-liter V6 TDI with 176 kW (240 hp) plus an enormous 500 Nm (369 lb-ft) of maximum torque and quattro all-wheel drive.
The newly developed ESP control with electronic differential lock on the front axle ensures noticeably improved steering response as on the Coupé and Cabriolet and compensates effectively for change-of-load reactions - which increases driving safety.
The perfect addition to this technology package is the Audi drive select dynamic driving system – this allows the driver to choose between three different modes which influences the throttle response characteristics, the shift points for the seven-speed S tronic or multitronic transmissions, and supports the servotronic steering. If the vehicle is equipped with the MMI operating system, a fourth, freely programmable level is also available.
Audi drive select can only be ordered in conjunction with one or more of three additional technologies – adaptive shock absorber control, dynamic steering with continuously variable assistance and quattro with sport differential for the 3.0 TDI and 3.2 FSI versions.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Brad 8:02PM (6/16/2009)
well that blatantly sucks. no A5 sportback in America.
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ckm 9:31PM (6/16/2009)
Totally agree. I'm getting a new car in the next 6 months or so, and a hatchback is a highly desirable feature. Unfortunately, there are very few luxury hatchbacks in the US, with the notable exception of the Jag XK....
Noidor 9:38PM (6/16/2009)
Issue isn't with America's tastes, but it is the issue of federalizing the products. I bet you that if we didn't have these draconian protectionist measures in play, then I guarantee you the products would be sold here and they would be successful.
Consider this, if a competitive price on Scirocco is let's say $26,000, and when factoring in the federalization costs, the price goes up to $30,000 then it is ridiculously stupid to sell the Scirocco here; the volume sold would not compensate to bring in the needed profitability-per-unit.
So it isn't really about tastes it's about crap laws in place which price out the vehicles we would buy, not in dwarfs, but still in large enough numbers where manufacturers would make money on them.
It's pretty much a game of selling enough volume to make up for federalization costs.
zamafir 11:25PM (6/16/2009)
"Consider this, if a competitive price on Scirocco is let's say $26,000, and when factoring in the federalization costs, the price goes up to $30,000"
Erm no. first off, i know it's just an example, but it wouldn't hurt to be accurate, the scirocco's cheaper than the GTI. secondly, the GTI sells for $23,230, in the uk it's £22,415. If you look at the MkVI Golf TDI the disparity is even less, in fact the ratio is flipped. So there isn't some magic super expensive federalization cost involved.
The issue IS American tastes. Look at Audi's volume and their notoriety, as much as I'd love to see an A5 Sportback here it's not going to sell in droves, especially not enough to make a valid case for Audi.
aloha619 12:49AM (6/17/2009)
!@#$%^&*
Just when I thought I had found my next car, VW kicks us in the groin and now, while bent over, Audi USA knees us in the gut.
First no new Scirocco for the US and now, no new Audi A5 Sportback!
As a high school senior, I drove my parents beautiful black 78 Scirocco Sidewinder II Special Edition.
After college, I purchased a black 84 Scirocco Kamei Stage II and later, a black 94 Corrado VR6.
These automobiles were much more pleasurable and useful than my wife's BMW or MB.
Surfing, skiing, cycling, spirited driving, weekend road trips.....whatever! The VW's were the "go-to" cars.
Plus, with their hatchback design...excuse me - "sportback" design...we always had room to spare for all of our gear AND no roof racks were ever needed.
VW USA and AUDI USA needs to realize why "sportbacks" are popular in Europe.
I don't want to drive a Volvo, not interested in a "there's one around every corner in SoCal" BMW, same with a staid looking MB, the XWD Saab's are unique but I'd prefer to wait for Saab to wash away the influence GM had on their recent offerings.
I would have preferred to own a modern svelte version of the Audi road rally quattro.
Oh well, I guess I'll have to go with the A5 Cabriolet quattro in the meantime.
At least I can carry my skis inside the cabriolet, as the rear seats fold down.
Noidor 2:45AM (6/17/2009)
droves not dwarfs - thanks Zamafir...my spell checker thought I was trying to say something else. Um, well yea my Scirocco statement was just an example - point I was trying to make is that at its original price it'd sell here in US, yes not in large quantities, but large enough where VW would make profit.
Now when the price is inflated to accommodate sky high expenses of federalization, then it becomes an issue of, "Why buy product A, when I can buy product B from segment above". So people would ignore Scirocco and instead turn to something in mid $30s such BMW 3er coupe, or 2nd hand M3, or whatever...you get my point.
I don't think you'll see many A5 Sportbacks selling in European markets, but there it makes sense because again its price is not inflated over the natural market price.
US is a victim of many draconian protectionist laws...simple as that
Noidor 2:49AM (6/17/2009)
Also @ Zamafir, VW is barely making any money on GTI (mind you a highly stripped out GTI for US market)...it's here as a halo car and nothing else.
Bloke 8:56AM (6/17/2009)
Zamafir: that £22,415 is the base list price for the mk6 Golf GTi with the 210bhp TSI engine. In real terms (PPP) that equates to no more than $26-27K or so. The mk6 isn't yet available in the States.
Federalisation is a lengthy and expensive process; if you've ever personally imported a single vehicle into the US using a DOT-approved registered importer you'll know what I mean. The costs involved for a manufacturer to meet FMVSS are substantial. VW prices the Golf GTi in the States with barely any margin and by the time you've added option packs which more or less get you to the same equipment levels found on most UK-spec models, you're spending $26K or more anyway.
zamafir 11:25AM (6/17/2009)
"The mk6 isn't yet available in the States."
Yet I have pricing, amazing isn't it. The fact is, VW's not selling the golf TDi car at 'halo' car margins, and they're still selling it for thousands less USD than the price in British sterling. the logic is flawed. If audi thought they'd move enough of the A5 sportback they'd bring it over, they've done studies, four enthusiasts on autoblog does not a business case make.
Noidor 11:52AM (6/17/2009)
Zamafir, bringing in a new product is lot easier in Europe rather than US. And my logic isn't flawed, when you're looking at stirling vs dollar prices you are utilizing same argument that as used in "Focus RS would cost $45K in US if it were going to be brought over". Well we know that's nonsense, companies do not price out their products on pure currency exchange rates, yes they play a large part, but there is also currency hedging. Also, underlying foundation for pricing must be the the cost.
How much does it cost for a company to produce a vehicle in a certain currency in respect to other currencies, and what is the price to be charged which a market can bear.
jsjs 2:32PM (6/17/2009)
@noidor
What kind of NONSENSE are you espousing?
The lack of hatches in the US has NOTHING to do w/ "federalization" (whatever that means) and has everything to do w/ the fact that Americans don't particular care for hatches (they see them as being "cheap" looking).
For example, the previous gen Hyundai Elantra came in a hatch version, the GT.
Hyundai did away w/ the hatch version w/ the current Elantra model since the GT was a poor seller.
Hyundai, earlier this Spring, brought over a version of the European i30 to sell as the Elantra Touring - they did not bring over the hatch model, but rather the station wagon version.
The same bias against hatches is seen w/ the Mazda 3.
70% of the Mazda 3's 4 door sales are in the US, while 70% of the 3's hatchback sales are in Europe.
As far as your "federalization" comment, all manufacturers have to make their models, whether they be sedans, hatchbacks, coupes, trucks, SUVs, etc. - meet US safety standards - there is no bias against hatches.
Any bias comes from the US auto market - as in the case of the Scirocco, where it wasn't worth the investment for VW to make it meet US safety standards since they wouldn't see the return in sales (otoh, they have no issue w/ "federalizing" the Jetta and Passat, much less developing models w/ the US market in mind such as the Tiguan).
Noidor 4:46PM (6/17/2009)
Nonsense? Well if you're building an NA specific car then yes it's not expensive, but when building a world car, then costs go up considerably. I never once suggested that there is a DOT EPA bias against hatches? I suggest a visit to Pearle Vision.
It's a well known fact that US and Canadian laws keep out many foreign manufacturers from entering the their markets due to federalization costs. Go do some research before accusing me of spewing nonsense.
jsjs 11:54PM (6/17/2009)
@ noidor
I suggest you try to get some SENSE.
Every country (or bigger entity) has its own specific safety, etc. regulations.
Ford, GM, etc. models imported to Japan have to meet Japanese regulations.
Funny how Hyundai managed to sell the Elantra hatch, Mazda continues to sell the 3 hatch, Mitsu continues to sell the Impreza hatch, VW continues to sell the Rabbit/Golf, etc. here in the US despite (what you refer as) "federalization."
Heck, Hyundai has brought over what is basically the European i30 wagon (gee, "federalization" didn't seem to stop Hyundai) - are you telling me that VW couldn't do the same w/ the Scirocco if they chose to do so?
The reason why VW isn't bringing over the Scirocco is a business decision based on what the US market PREFERS (VW already offers a hatch in the US market and doesn't see how the market can support 2 VW hatches).
It's exactly the same reason why Kia went w/ an all new Spectra/Forte model in the US instead of just bringing over the award-winning Kia cee'd (even w/ "federalization" costs - bringing over the cee'd would have been a lot less costly than developing a whole new model).
Americans still prefer their sedans, Europeans tend to favor hatches - it really is as simple as that.
Jei 8:05PM (6/16/2009)
How can VW dump the Passat CC joke on us, and then refuse to release this potential beauty?
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Val 8:49PM (6/16/2009)
If they had not given you the CC, you would be crying why are they giving you the normal Passat and not the CC, same goes with Scirocco, they have a good reason not to give their best cars to people who hate them and make fun of their reliability.
Protzenegger 9:05PM (6/16/2009)
Dude, the CC kicks ass.
Joe K. 11:12PM (6/16/2009)
Val, Is it making fun of them, or speaking truth. Their reliability sucks....
Val 5:37AM (6/17/2009)
Fortunately, you won't be able to experience it then ;)
Jei 9:18AM (6/17/2009)
I'm not a VW hater.
I actually preferred that they actually just replaced the standard Passat with the CC. It's like they added the CC to gauge interest instead of just making it a replacement. But if they are still selling the standard version in good numbers, that even better.
I trust VW quality, but wish the US could get more the exciting versions of their offerings.
Tomac 8:15PM (6/16/2009)
I love hatchbacks, but I doubt I'll be "drooling" over any Audi. Until they find themselves a new styling identity (i.e. a new grille at the very least), they're only a pug-nosed train wreck from the front and a BMW-wannabe from the rear. Admittedly, they look do nice from the driver's seat, however. They could also focus a bit more on refining the driving dynamics to be more than just a highly-tuned puller.
So... I'll mourn the lack of sporty hatchbacks in some other brand. Audi has nothing on this continent or any other in which I'm even remotely interested.
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