Audi A5 saloon (2024): Worthy successor to the A5 Sportback and A4?

Do you know what a "jack of all trades" is? This term is used to describe a thing, person or object that has only advantages, satisfies all needs and fulfils all requirements. A variation of the term probably first appeared in "Der Kampf um das eierlegende Wollschwein", a humorous poem by Ludwig Renn around 1959.

Now Audi has found itself in the position of having to create one when it decided to use the even numbers for all-electric vehicles while diverting combustion engines to the odd ones. The old A5 as a convertible and coupé thus came to an end without a replacement and there will no longer be an A5 Sportback either.

The new Audi A5 saloon will therefore have to replace both the A4 saloon and the A5 Sportback. Can it cope with this mammoth task?

Gallery: 2025 Audi A5

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Source: Audi

Is it still a coupé or already a hatchback?

Let's first take a look at the side and roof lines of the new A5 and the old A5 Sportback from the B-pillar upwards. The hip bend of the Sportback is a little more drastic than that of the new A5 and, with a sprawling overhang, has more time to complete the coupé line. The roof slopes continuously from the middle of the vehicle to the small rump.

Here the new A5 maintains its straighter line until just before the C-pillar, also for the benefit of the passengers in the rear. However, it then dares to adopt a coupé-like profile that is very similar to that of the Sportback, before leaving space at the rear for a small stubby tail.

Audi formulates the whole thing as follows: "In the saloon, the sporty, compact-looking greenhouse runs towards the rear with a sweeping curve, flows seamlessly into the flat rear window like a coupé and ends at the visually short tailgate with a striking tear-off edge."

The small side window in the C-pillar merely hints at the coupé shape of the new A5. That of the old Sportback even takes the time to bend upwards to allow the more powerful rear end to take centre stage. Direct rear views also suggest that the Sportback is more of a coupé than the new A5 can offer.

Lid versus hatch

So let's move on to the A4, which came in its last saloon generation as the B9. The side line is straighter and more conservatively designed, almost losing itself before the rear light. Here, the A5 actually shows a little more courage and adds another curve above the rear wheel arch to demonstrate a powerful silhouette. The rear light is integrated more dominantly.

The roof of the A4 is more clearly emphasised, is almost straight in its shape and only drops down to the rear late on, but then much more steeply. The result: a narrow side window and a much more clearly emphasised rear end. A classic saloon.  

The tailgate is another indication of the changed design language. Whereas the A4 had a classic boot lid to allow access to the luggage compartment, the new A5 opens its mouth wide, including the rear window - as was also the case with the Sportback.

Audi

Another crossover?

For some time now, car manufacturers have been breaking down clear categories and combining them with others, which is currently also giving us an armada of coupé SUVs. Audi now has to pick up both classic A4 saloon enthusiasts and those who might have liked the A5 Sportback with one model. Hence the reasons for the merger.

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The design of the new A5 is quite successful, regardless of the two predecessors. But if you come from one side, you will probably miss the distinct coupé rear and the more powerful stance; for the conservative four-door hatchback buyer, the current presentation could come across as almost too ostentatious.

The question remains as to whether the saloon played such a major role in Europe in the first place. After all, the Avant was the sales favourite and the overall share of commercial registrations was considerably higher than that of the saloon. So have the Audi designers succeeded in creating a jack-of-all-trades?

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We take another look at the design language and say ... Yes! Because the new A5 really does combine the best of both worlds. However, the new A5 is neither a Sportback or Coupé nor a saloon, because there was already a suitable synonym for this category. The new A5 is a classic hatchback. Audi even describes it itself: "..., flows seamlessly into the flat rear window like a coupé and ends at the visually short tailgate".

It flows - Audi describes a hatchback. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. It is not always necessary to come up with a new linguistic creation for something when the classic shape has long been on the vehicle category shelf. Hatchbacks have already been able to unite the preferences of several groups of buyers, so why not now?