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14/07/2010
By MURRAY HUBBARD
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After a week in Audi's A5 coupe – complete with stop/start technology designed to save fuel and reduce emissions - we are again wondering why car makers are bearing the brunt of this issue. While this technology is a step in the right direction, and after a while you don't even notice the engine turning itself off at lights, then turning itself back on, the savings are not exactly mind-blowing.
In the case of our Audi were were saving .3 of a litre over a 100 km journey on combined cycle and up to 1.5 litres/100 km on city cycle. Every little helps, and that's to be applauded. In early 2009 mister-cars.com queried why Australian governments were not taking the issue as seriously as the car manufacturers. It's a piece you can read in our opinions column, found in the left menu.
In that article we query why in Australia – especially in the capital cities – we don't have a Left Turn On Red policy. The concept, which is widely used overseas, an indeed in some areas of Australia, means cars may turn left against a red light, when it is safe to do so. If half of our 13 million or so vehicles saved a couple of minutes a day in travel time the effect would be dramatic. We believe that efforts by Audi and other stop/start technologies adopted by a few makers and launched in recent months are important and will save fuel and emissions. But the difference between this technology and a Left Turn On Red policy is that LTOR would be available to EVERY car, now.
Hopping off our soapbox, the A5 Coupe is one delightful offering from Audi. Our test car came with a six speed manual transmission adding to the sporty flavour of the car, finished in a fire-engine red which really complements the classic lines of the A5. The 2.0 litre TFSI engine is one of the sweetest 2.0 litre units going around. It uses an exhaust turbocharger and intercooler to produce 155 kW of power and a substantial 350 Nm of torque which is on tap between 1500 – 4200 rpm.
This leads to a car with plenty of grunt where it matters for city driving – second and third gears – reducing the number of forced gear changes. Call us lazy, but we like it. Sixth gear is strictly for highway cruising. The A5 coupe came with Audi's all-wheel-drive quattro system. This stop/start technology is only part of Audi's `driver efficiency' program launched earlier this year. Both the Audi A4 and the A5 2.0 TFSI now come standard with the technology. If you don't want to use the stop/start technology it can be switched off at the touch of a button.
As we have been stating for some time now the greatest fuel savings can be achieved by modifying driving techniques. The Audi system enhances economical driving by way of a green light on the dash which indicates to the driver the optimum time to change gears. The system also does some finger pointing by highlighting comfort features like air conditioning and seat heating that add to fuel consumption. A display identifies the what requires the extra energy – and shows what their share is in the overall fuel consumption.
On top of that there is an energy recovery system – similar to that found on hybrid and electric cars such as Prius and Mitsubishi iMIEV – that uses the car's deceleration to convert kinetic energy into electrical energy. When the car takes off again the battery directs this `free' stored power back into the vehicle to relieve the alternator, and therefore save fuel.
No doubt the best part of most of this is that it happens without any driver input while giving the driver choices in two of the other areas: changing gears and using the air conditioning at full blast as opposed to setting it at 22 degrees, and turning down, or off, the heated seats.
The other part we like is that the essence of the A5 has not altered. The car looks sporty – and still drives that way – should you wish. The 0-100 km/h figure of a rapid 6.5 seconds, excellent handling, high levels of comfort and smooth, six speed changer, quattro AWD are all Audi `givens' and a major reason people buy the brand.
The A5 is one of the most stunning shapes in the Audi stable and during our week in the car it attracted far more than it's fair share of admiring looks. At the end of the seven day road test with almost 500 kms under out belt we achieved 6.8 litres/100 km, well below Audi's claimed 7.3 litres/100 km on combined cycle.
Verdict: The A5 2.0 TFSI quattro has beauty, brawn when requiredand a lot of brains. We like it.
MODEL RANGE AND PRICING
TFSI 2.0 Litre (auto) $67,300
TFSI 2.0 Litre quattro (man.) $76,800
FSI 3.2 quattro (auto) $94,100
TDI 3.0 litre quattro (auto) $90,050
FEATURES (2.0 Litre TFSI)
ABS Brakes: Standard
Air Conditioning: Standard
Automatic Transmission: N/A
CD Player: Standard
Central Locking: Standard
Cruise Control: Standard
Dual Front Airbags: Standard
Front Side Airbags: Standard
Stability Control: Standard
Traction Control: Standard
SPECIFICATIONS
ENGINE:
Capacity: 1.984 litres
Configuration: in line four with turbocharger and intercooler
Head Design: DOHC
Compression Ratio: 9.6:1
Bore/Stroke: 82.5 mm x 92.8 mm
Maximum Power: 155 kW @ 4300 – 6000 rpm
Maximum Torque: 350 Nm @ 1500 – 4200 rpm
DRIVELINE:
Driven Wheels: AWD
Manual Transmission: Six speed
Automatic Transmission: N/A
Final Drive Ratio: 3.693
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length: 4625 mm
Wheelbase: 2751 mm
Width: 1854 mm
Height: 1372 mm
Turning Circle: 11.4 metres
Kerb Mass: 1490 kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 65 litres
Towing Ability: 1700 kg (kg with braked trailer)
SUSPENSION AND BRAKES:
Front Suspension: Five link with upper and lower wishbones
Rear Suspension: Independent-wheel with trapezoidal-links.
Front Brakes: Ventilated discs
Rear Brakes: Discs
PERFORMANCE:
0-100 km/h Acceleration: 6.5 seconds
FUEL CONSUMPTION:
Type: 95RON
Combined Cycle (ADR 81/01): 7.3 L/100km
GREEN VEHICLE GUIDE RATINGS:
Greenhouse Rating: 7/10
Air Pollution Rating: 8.5/10
STANDARD WARRANTY:
3 years/ Unlimited km
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