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The A5 used to be for people who actually cared about the design. The B10 is all about cost savings for Audi at the cost of artistry. The B8 exterior was art, as was the B9 interior. That’s why the B9 was still winning head-to-head comparisons up to the very end, even against newer designs from BMW and Mercedes. Customers are gaining nothing from the new model. Audi will charge the same or more and pocket the savings. I guess Audi felt like they made the B9 too attractive and want to make it clear that they see the B10 as only for people who can’t afford an A7 but who insist on the four rings.
The Ars Technica article says it’s 1 inch taller than the current gen. That’s really a shame because the lower-than-typical roofline combined with the lower-than-typical ride height of the A5 is one of its defining characteristics. The e-tron GT and Taycan have me hope that they’d double down on the lowness. This is something fundamental they can’t fix in a refresh.
Removing the Hofmeister kink was a mistake. This is what made the Sportback look better than the coup and the A7.
It doesn’t seem so obvious from the press photos that are taken from a low vantage point, but the hood is also really disappointing. The clamshell on the B9 really made it look special as from typical angles you didn’t see a seam. Makes a big difference in how I see the car in daily life.
Every time I get in my B9 A5 I feel like I got a hell of a good deal on a car that was just barely below an A7. Looks like B10 owners will have a car just barely above an A3.
The roofline and slab sides kill this "sportback" look for me. The B9.9.5 was simply beautiful in it's long slung design. Looks like they went after the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe style this time around (higher roofline, slab sides, same door handles).
The main reason for the change in the roof of the A5 is that it now has to do double duty as an A4 replacement and people complained about the lack of rear headroom.
I think they had lots of reasons. Had a lot of older folks who didn’t like getting in and out of my B9 Sportback because of the lowness. OTOH, I PAID Audi money because of the roofline! Similarly, my wife isn't patient enough to drive slowly over speed bumps from the low ride height. OTOH, again, I PAID Audi money for the low ride height. Whereas I am not paying Audi any money for the B10.
The A5 used to be for people who actually cared about the design. The B10 is all about cost savings for Audi at the cost of artistry. The B8 exterior was art, as was the B9 interior. That’s why the B9 was still winning head-to-head comparisons up to the very end, even against newer designs from BMW and Mercedes. Customers are gaining nothing from the new model. Audi will charge the same or more and pocket the savings. I guess Audi felt like they made the B9 too attractive and want to make it clear that they see the B10 as only for people who can’t afford an A7 but who insist on the four rings.
The Ars Technica article says it’s 1 inch taller than the current gen. That’s really a shame because the lower-than-typical roofline combined with the lower-than-typical ride height of the A5 is one of its defining characteristics. The e-tron GT and Taycan have me hope that they’d double down on the lowness. This is something fundamental they can’t fix in a refresh.
Removing the Hofmeister kink was a mistake. This is what made the Sportback look better than the coup and the A7.
It doesn’t seem so obvious from the press photos that are taken from a low vantage point, but the hood is also really disappointing. The clamshell on the B9 really made it look special as from typical angles you didn’t see a seam. Makes a big difference in how I see the car in daily life.
Every time I get in my B9 A5 I feel like I got a hell of a good deal on a car that was just barely below an A7. Looks like B10 owners will have a car just barely above an A3.
If we're going by the naming of the Q6 E-Tron, which is essentially the EV equivalent of the current Q5 in size, I suspect the new A6 E-Tron will be Audi's actual A5 Sportback successor since that is its default body style. In photos at least, it appears to be a smaller car than the upcoming C9 A7 sedan which is analogous to the current C8 A6 in size.
Last edited by 2019A6Owner; 07-15-2024 at 02:03 PM.
The roofline and slab sides kill this "sportback" look for me. The B9.9.5 was simply beautiful in it's long slung design. Looks like they went after the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe style this time around (higher roofline, slab sides, same door handles).
You nailed it… it absolutely looks like a BMW 4 Series Grand Coupe clone. I just bought my first Audi, a B9.5 S5 and it might be my last. I just left BMW due to their new muted styling and now Audi is going in the same direction. Ugh….
They're both blue hatchbacks but the tail lights, bumpers, license plate location, and trunk body lines are all different.
I completely disagree. It looks like Audi is now taking styling cues from Korean brands, but Kia actually executed it better than Audi. Of course, each individual element is different, but holistically, it doesn't distinguish itself from the Kia.
Only 362 hp for the S5? I would have expected more if this is expected to compete with the five-year-old 340. I doubt that it will be significantly lighter than the B9.
Neither the front nor the back are offensive but the slab sides, that non-clamshell hood and the huge dash display make it very hard to get excited about. I would like to see it in person to really study the interior and see what functions are still controlled by physical buttons vs. touchscreen. And which of the features are only available via a subscription plan.
07-15-2024, 12:58 PM
