Being the owner of a coupe from BMW (a direct competitor of the previous A5), you involuntarily compare these cars in everything. Especially in comfort, since this is a coupe, and the question here is subtle. And, of course, I could not deny myself the pleasure of testing such a novelty. The A5 was first introduced in 2007. Since then, all competitors have been updated, and some already twice, and now, after nine years of tedious waiting, Audi has finally introduced the second generation of its coupe.

It was not easy to do this, because the predecessor became a real legend; its author, Walter De Silva, called the A5 his most beautiful creation, and given that he had previously designed Fiat, it's hard to argue with him. After the grand success of the car, the manufacturer was in no hurry to update it. But time passed, sooner or later specialists from Ingolstadt had to produce a new body. The Germans decided to improve without revolutions, to the delight of loyal fans.

When I saw a long row of Audi in the parking lot at the airport, I immediately remembered the phrase of my friend about the new A5: “If the light is dim in the garage, you can’t distinguish it from the previous one.” And it's true. But still there are changes in the exterior.

Up close, you can see the new embossed body lines, thanks to which the car now looks more taut and athletic.

The A5 received the squinted headlights characteristic of all models in the line and a narrower grille. But all these changes are present in the A4 and in other models, but the most interesting difference seemed to be the lines on the hood, going from the grille to the windshield. It turned out to be a kind of "beak", which gave an aggressive appearance and, in comparison with other universal innovations, looks more authentic. The body of the new A5 is 60 kg lighter thanks to a combination of materials and lightweight construction. The base has become slightly longer and the track wider, which made the car squat and improved aerodynamic performance (the drag coefficient is now an impressive 0.25). Here, perhaps, is all that can be seen at first glance.

If the exterior is rather a successful restyling, but not an example of the second generation, then the interior is really new. The front panel is taken from the Audi A4 sedan, and this is where envy begins. Minimalistic, thoughtful, expensive.

Captivates immediately. It is very pleasant to be in the car. Design is first and foremost about practicality, Audi knows about this and approaches this issue with all responsibility.

The first feeling behind the wheel — everything is in its place. There is that same feeling after which people usually buy a car. You immediately become a part of it and, without even studying the location of certain controls, you intuitively reach for the desired key or section in the on-board computer. Customizing the salon for themselves, the only thing that caused wariness was the multimedia control joystick. In the new A5, it is in front of the gear selector, and this did not seem very convenient. However, it didn’t take long to get used to, the hand did not touch the selector, and in the end this arrangement seemed even more logical.

True, having driven away from the airport, I tried to turn on my music and, with the first movement, knocked down the settings of the navigator. If the interface in the new Audi were not user friendly, then this test drive would come to an end, since I was without a connection. But I didn't even have to stop to find the route history and set the media dot again. Separately, I would like to mention all the "twists" in the cabin. They turn with such a nice click and feedback in the hand that you turn a few times in both directions before setting the desired position, simply because it's fun.

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The A5 has the ability to install a 12.3-inch TFT-display Virtual Cockpit with a resolution of 1440x540, like the TT. You can order it in combination with advanced navigation MMI Navigation plus with touch control. Such a set of options will cost more than 200 thousand rubles,

which, of course, is expensive, but the car is still premium. You can display a three-dimensional map of the area, phone book, radio, etc. on the screen.

The navigation itself seems no worse than Google's. Route analysis taking into account traffic jams, destination prediction, voice assistance and more. Once she helped a lot when, due to an unusual interchange, the car loudly hinted that I had entered the oncoming lane.

Built-in LTE module, also known as a wi-fi router, the ability to connect the phone to the car's antenna and wireless charging, a projection on the windshield so as not to look away all the time. All these pleasant little things are not innovations - almost all competitors have them, but here they become indispensable after the first trip, and it is no longer possible to imagine a car without them.

But you have to, since these are all additional, expensive options.

Comfortable fit in front and compact appearance could not but be reflected in the convenience of the rear seats.

In the back of the Sportback, this issue was given more attention, but it did not work out very well. Compared to the previous Sportback, legroom has increased, but only by 24 mm, the seats have been lowered, and you can finally straighten your head, but only if you are not tall. Audi announced three full rear seats, although it seemed to me that the three of us could only fit in there for a bet.

But there is a three-zone climate control fan, however, as an additional option. Fashion for five-door coupes is rather strange in its very essence. Why try to make a family car out of an egoist's car? Either you get a bad coupe or a bad family car. Although my colleague drove all the way from Hamburg to Copenhagen in the back seat and was very pleased, it means that the automaker still knows better.

In the case of both the coupe and the five-door version, it is worth mentioning the increased luggage compartment. The Sportback now has 480 litres, the same as the A4. It is equipped with an electric drive, plus you can additionally install a sensor for opening with a gesture. In the A5, the volume has increased to 465 liters, but you cannot install an additional electric drive for any money, there is simply no such option. What this is connected with is not clear, but it seems strange.

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We spend much more time inside the car than around it, so a lot can be forgiven, but not the feel of the ride. And the A5 behaves on the road, I must say, very confidently.

Suspension seemed in a good way tough, sporty. The car provides options for electronic control of shock absorbers, the option is convenient, but not included in the basic package. Accelerating on the autobahn, you feel how the car bites into the road, and the steering becomes tighter, and vice versa, at low speeds, the steering feels more responsive when maneuvering on narrow lanes.

The electromechanical power steering is responsible for this, which, however, is also not included in the base price. Having all sorts of assistants is always nice. In the new Audi, they were pushed another nine years into the future.

In general, most of them repeat all the best and modern, I would like to separately note only the adaptive cruise control with the stop & go function. He got to experience it to the fullest. Finding ourselves on a winding road in the countryside, somewhere between the island of Zeeland and Copenhagen, with one lane forward and one in the opposite direction, we lined up behind the slowly moving local cars. Here I decided to check the cruise control, about which many warm words have been said.

I set the distance, speed, released the pedals, and the car drove by itself. At traffic lights she slowed down herself, it was only necessary to push the gas pedal to start moving again. If the car in front swerved, the A5 itself found a new target. At first, I did not know what to do with myself: there is no need to steer, then what to do? But after half an hour, my colleague and I, lounging in our seats, stared around and discussed Scandinavian architecture.

At some point, I caught myself thinking that I was not looking through the windshield. And that's how you can fall asleep. It is unlikely that this option will be popular in use on our roads between cities, well, at least it turned out to be tested.

Both the coupe and the Sportback have 190-horsepower diesel engines or 249 tax-friendly petrol engines. Everything, as expected, Quatro. I got a diesel. And here there is no limit to surprise. If you do not look at the tachometer needle, then it is not easy to understand that under you is a diesel engine. Pulls sharply, there is no characteristic sound. Perhaps this is due to the excellent sound insulation and lightweight body - it's hard to say. Most importantly, the impressions are extremely positive. At the same time, the diesel fuel consumption in the combined cycle is only 4.2 liters per 100 km, with the proviso that the automatic start-stop mode is on, which annoys many, but still.

Separately, I would like to note the S5, which already comes with a 3-liter gasoline engine. The manufacturer promised 4.7 seconds to hundreds. I really wanted to check such information in the right conditions, however, there was no opportunity. But I managed to ride on the autobahn. Road S5 holds easily and confidently. Despite the fact that the speed exceeded 230 (and in Germany this is possible), the car did not jerk, the steering wheel obeyed and, moreover, it was not particularly noisy in the cabin. True, gasoline immediately fell to the minimum mark, although it is indicated that it consumes a new turbocharged V6 engine with a capacity of 354 hp. only 7.3 liters. Apparently, the manufacturer does not assume that someone will accelerate in a car with an S badge.

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A coupe is an egoist's car, as it is commonly believed. Both the appearance and the character of the new A5 confirm these words, even the five-door version does not save.

No matter how hard you try, calling it a family coupe will not work. This is a car for the driver, not for passengers. And he, without a doubt, will impress the driver. Audi managed to please both the fans of the model and those who keep up with the times. Not happy except that practical and economical. The cost of the diesel coupe version starts at 2,590,000 rubles, but the lion's share of "gadgets" is not included in this price. And therefore, if you want to feel how Audi worked on the devil in detail, you will have to pay a very significant extra.