With all of the camouflaged Audi A4 and A5 prototype sightings we’ve had over the past year, it’s hard to believe this is just the second time we’ve caught the A5 Sportback in action. It’s true, and this fresh spy photo gallery gives us our best look so far at what will become of the combustion-powered A4.
If you’re a bit confused, let us remind you about the A4’s future. In March, Audi confirmed the A4 and A6 will move forward as EVs, with the internal combustion versions taking the A5 and A7 slots. Over the past year, we’ve seen numerous prototypes in various states of camouflage sporting fuel-burning engines, but they’ve all been long-roof Avant models save for a Sportback we caught from afar in March.
Our second Sportback sighting brings us closer. It’s easy to see the sloped rear hatch and lack of a trunk, and we get a good look at the production-spec headlights. Thin taillights are also visible through the camo wrap, but things are interesting along the sides. We can see standard doors versus the frameless style used on the current A5 Sportback. As such, it’s possible Audi might drop the Sportback classification for this model, simply calling it the A5. It would be strange to call this a sedan without a traditional trunk, but we live in a world where four-door coupes are everywhere, so anything is possible.
From the B-pillar forward, everything looks identical to the numerous A5 Avant prototypes we’ve seen. That should include the interior layout, which will adopt a minimalist design with only a few tactile controls. Previous spy shots revealed an interior with large digital displays for the driver and center stack, leaving only a few buttons on the console and the steering wheel.
We know this is a combustion-powered prototype, too. The white camo wrap around the dual exhaust outlets is discolored slightly, meaning they aren’t simply there for show. Previous prototypes caught on video captured distinct four-cylinder and V6 soundtracks, though we suspect the six-pot will be reserved for amped-up S variants. Four-cylinder power is likely in store for the A5, with hybrid powertrains also offered.
As mentioned previously, we’ve seen camouflaged prototypes for over a year now, so a debut is coming soon. An exact date is still a mystery, but we definitely expect a reveal before the end of the year.
