Our Fleet Test Drive: Audi A5 Sportback - 11th Report
Date:
04 July 2011
|
Author: Guy Bird
[2] Bike in boot
|
Category: | Sports | P11D price: | £29,310 | Key rival: | BMW 3 Series | |
|
'Premium large hatchbacks' were a previously quirky idea, and Saab was the king of them until it lost its bottle and went for a saloon in its current but now ageing 9-3.
More recently, two German manufacturers have revisited the idea - Audi with its A5 and A7 Sportback and BMW less successfully with its oddly proportioned GT. But get the proportions right as Audi has and you get great looks plus space, a dream ticket you couldn't dream of from a similar-priced coupe.
I've banged on about the load lugging capability of the Sportback before (480 litres with the rear seats down and 980 with them folded) but it is the access to that space that really makes it so practical. Its hatch hole is 1m x 1.08m, and that's plenty big enough to swallow a full-sized adult bike whole without detaching the bike's front wheel and with only the car's rear seats folded. It's a useful trick and one I've used on more than one occasion.
Audi A5 Sportback 2.0 TDI SE Multitronic 143hp | Mileage | 2134 | Claimed combined consumption | 48.7mpg | Our average consumption | 43.5mpg | P11D price | £29,310 | Model price range | £25,455-£38,725 | CO2 (tax) | 152g/km/22% | BIK 20/40% per month | £107/£215 | Service interval | up to 19,000mls/2yrs | Insurance | group 22E | Warranty | 3yrs/60,000mls | Boot space (min/max) | 480/980 litres | Engine size/power | 1968cc/143hp | Top speed/0-62mph | 127mph/9.7secs | Why we’re running it | To see if the A5 really can combine practicality with style in everyday living | Positive | Exterior looks, interior quality, practicality | Negative | Thirsty auto, satnav functionality |
|
Subscribe