Audi A5 - Interior, design & technology
Audi’s usual high-quality interior is present here and helps justify the hike in prices over the old car
While the Audi A5 looks quite sensible and grown up in terms of its exterior and interior design, there’s nothing revolutionary about its styling (apart from it now being called A5 rather than Audi A4). However, that does mean you still get all the bits the A4 always excelled in.
So cabin quality is excellent and everything is laid out logically, including the much-appreciated physical volume knob for the audio system. As in most cars, too much is now controlled through the touchscreen, but the more buttons that remain, the better.
What is the Audi A5 like inside?
The dashboard is dominated by a long curving arc that’s actually formed by two separate displays, and there’s plenty of squishy surfaces, gloss plastic trim and nice lighting to show it’s a high-class place to be.
Too many controls work through the touchscreen, but that at least cleans up the front area that would previously have housed the more user-friendly but less aesthetically pleasing rotary controls and other buttons. Standard spec is a round steering wheel that feels noticeably larger than the BMW 3 Series’ more compact device, but above the entry-level Sport trim you get a much nicer wheel that’s flattened-off top and bottom.
What is the interior quality like?
Everything feels high in quality, from the squishy dashboard top and fabric across the full width of the car to the rubber-lined door bins that stop anything from making a noise rolling around. The silver air vents on either side of the cabin and beneath the big screen increase the appearance of premium effort.
Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment
Those two big screens that dominate the cabin are a 14.5-inch curved touchscreen central display angled towards the driver, and an 11.9-inch digital instrument cluster that has plenty of functionality and is controlled by touch-sensitive buttons on the steering wheel. If anything, the buttons are over-sensitive, and several times on our test drive, we managed to activate the audio by accident while cornering.
Used - available now
It’s a shame so many buttons have been removed from the cabin - it’s not a quick press to switch driving modes when you spot a series of bends coming up, for example. The menu system is logically laid out but, like all touchscreens, isn’t easy enough to use when you’re on the move. But at least a little click tells you your prod has been accepted by the system, meaning a touch less time with eyes off the road.
The standard audio system offers crisp enough sound for most, but if you’re an aural connoisseur, there is a pricey Sound & Vision option pack that brings a Bang & Olufsen upgrade complete with speakers embedded into the car’s headrests.
Audi’s app now allows A5 drivers to set the climate control and open or close windows remotely, as well as checking location and fuel levels.
Unlike the A4, the A5 will be able to receive over-the-air updates to the infotainment system, for example, while various apps such as Amazon Music and YouTube can be installed into the infotainment system, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are present.
Not to be overlooked, and only fitted to the top-spec Edition 1 models, is a third screen. Mounted ahead of the front passenger, the 10.9-inch touchscreen is a bit of a novelty for a while, but having an extra nav or trip computer display isn’t massively useful, although Audi says its tech can stream content away from the driver's prying eyes.
