The redesigned 2018 Audi A5 and S5 coupes are making their North American debut this week at the Los Angeles Auto Show after premiering back in June.
For the second generation, the cars have been reimagined with much sharper lines (including a wave-style shoulder line) and pronounced wheel arches. Slim, yet sculptural three-dimensional LED taillights emphasize their wide, athletic stance. Xenon headlights and 18” wheels also come standard.
Under the power-dome hood is a selection of two powerful new engines. The 2018 Audi A5 gets a 252-horsepower 2.0L 4-cylinder TFSI engine rated at 273 lb-ft of torque and, for the first time, an available 7-speed S tronic dual-clutch transmission that combines high efficiency with dynamic shifting (a 6-speed manual gearbox is standard, much to the delight of driving purists).
Meanwhile, the performance-driven 2018 Audi S5 boasts a 3.0L TFSI V6 producing 354 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque. This one relies on an 8-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission instead, although all models use quattro all-wheel drive with electronic torque vectoring
As far as new technologies go, there’s the available Audi virtual cockpit and MMI touch, plus driver assistance systems including standard Audi pre sense city (detects cornering and stationary vehicles as well as pedestrians) and available adaptive cruise control with stop & go and traffic jam assist.
Canadian specifications, fuel consumption ratings, and pricing will be announced closer to their on-sale date in mid-2017.