Although the A5 Sportback is being shown for the first time at Frankfurt, the development program for this vehicle ran concurrently with the A5 coupe and cabriolet. Having worked on creating a design that feels like a true four-door coupe rather than a hatchback (which vehicles in this new segment are often unflatteringly compared to) the Sportback is a well-resolved addition to the range.
While the front of the vehicle and most of the interior are exactly the same as that seen on the A5 Coupe, the extra door, and increased length of the Sportback has been managed well. The beltline, which some designers consider lacks tension on the A5 coupe, is less pronounced here – the extra door and length of the Sportback helping to create a slightly less pronounced feel to the line.
The surface resolution around the rear of the vehicle is particularly successful; the point where the base of the C-pillar meets with the broad shoulders and flows into the short deck lid is especially elegant. Note also the faint bone line, which begins in the A-pillar and runs over the top of the DLO, increasing in radius before bleeding into the rear deck surface. It runs parallel to the trunk-lid shut line and fades to nothing at the rear of the car.
Lending further credence to the impression of a premium coupe are the frameless doors and the tapering, coupe-like profile of the roofline. Although this compromises the rear headroom in the pair of rear seats, we suspect most Sportback buyers won’t be unduly concerned. Elsewhere, the interior is the same as in the A5 coupe, and typical Audi attention to detail is apparent – note the cleverly split load cover, part of which stays in place and part of which lifts with the trunk lid, and the slivers of satin inlay highlights around the wood trim in the doors.
