Audi will be bolstering its formidable A5 line with the introduction of the new A5 Sportback model. The automaker has recently released an official teaser image of the Sportback, which will complement the coupe and the cabriolet and is expected to start sales in the United Kingdom sometime in October.

The A5 Sportback starts with a model equipped with a 2.0-liter TDI engine that is good for 168 brake horsepower. This starter trim will be priced at £27,000 or around $44,400. The other engines in the lineup include a 187 bhp 2.7-liter TDI, a 237 bhp 3.0 liter V6 TDI, and two petrol power plants namely the 208 bho 2.0-liter TFSI and the 261 bho 3.2-liter V6 engine.

The Sportback model takes coupe design cues, featuring a coupe-like profile accented by a lower roof compared to the A4. The hatch tapers towards a new spoiler at the rear.

Audi has also said that a cheaper 141bhp 2.0-liter TDI engine model could join the A5 lineup by next year. An RS5 edition might also surface, likely to sport an update to the 4.2-liter V8 engine of the RS4.

I guess Audi is excited with this one. While everyone else is hyping their debuts fro the Paris Motor Show next month, Audi just revealed details (via Inside Line) that the RS5 will debut in next year’s Detroit Motor Show.

No clear details are revealed about the RS5 just yet though many spy reports in the past have indicated that the RS5 will sport a wicked 4.2L twin-turbo V8 dishing out 350 hp, enabling the RS5 to reach a naught-to-sixty-two in around 4.5 seconds. That would make the RS5 a clear competitor to the BMW 335i coupe and Infiniti G37 if not the BMW M3.

While good news for American motoring enthusiasts, Audi might disappoint them a bit as the second-generation RS6 will make it to the US just yet. Why so? If the RS5 looks that it’ll be a wicked machine, the RS6 is slated to get a 5.0L V10 engine.

I guess Audi is just playing it smart since developing these RS badges have been entailing more and more costs as of late. With stricter emission laws all over the world, one can’t just make a car a lot more powerful with a few tweaks, they also have to bring emission down to abide by legislation. Development just costs a lot of money.

Source: Inside Line

As an effort to continue improving their product line, Audi has put a new 1.8 TFSI engine for the two cars – the A4 and the A5. Mated with the A4’s manual, it can dish out a decent 120hp. But with the A5’s multitronic tranny, it generates as much as 170hp.

The A4’s offerings round up to make the car a decent sedan, particularly efficient at that. Combined with a turbo and direct injection, a manual six-speed and front wheel drive, the A4 with the 1.8 TFSI can go from 0 to 62 in 10.5 seconds and can run up to speeds of 129 mph. As for fuel efficiency, it can go up to 33.13 mpg.

The A5 with the 1.8 TFSI gets some high-revs and can sprint from 0 to 62 in 8.6 seconds and can reach 135 mph. With the variable automatic multitronic tranny, it offers driving ease with a relatively low fuel consumption getting around 32-ish mpg.

With these upgrades, Audi creates good choices for consumers in terms of badge and performance. The A4 and the A5 ship out at €25,900 and €34,900 MSRPs respectively. But for those prices? Hmm… Seems like a bit too stiff for the common driver.

We’ve had some first looks at the Audi A5 earlier this year. It’s quite impressive what Audi has done. The coupe styling made the A5 a lot more sleek and athletic.

The A5 won’t be rolled out in the market until this fall but Audi has some big plans with A5, producing a top-down cabrio. The cabrio will also get the same specs as it’s coupe twin. Both will get a Audi’s 3.2-liter FSI V6 capable of 262 horsepower and 243 pound-feet of torque.

The US market is said to get only the gasoline engine. Europe’s got both the diesel and gasoline variants.

Source: Edmunds Inside Line