ऑडी A5

The moment you step inside the A5, you feel the evolution in their design language and how they have adopted newer technology. This feels even more prominent after you have recently sat in the A6 which is due a facelift next year. I think the better way to describe this car is to call it a stretched loaded A4 which a sprinkle of not so practical design structure(Ref: Sloping back kills a bit of headroom) It surely is better to look at than the A4 and does feel more expensive but is it worth it? To pay premium of over 10-15 Lakhs over A4 to essentially getting a car almost the same but a bit of improvements and a sportier design? I'll leave that to you. I took a short 10km test drive around busy streets of Kolkata. The first highlight of the drive has to be the refined diesel engine. Calling it refined is an understatement and trust me when I say that. The car was on when I got inside the car and I could not tell until I saw the tachometer resting just under 1k RPM. The car has no engine vibration and insulation is on point. Honestly, it feels like a Petrol engine, the sheer smoothness was incredible. (Very similar to A4 which I had test drove a week before) The second highlight has to be the virtual cockpit which also found in the A4 and is the best digital instrument cluster ever in a car. I have driven the S-class and the newer 5 Series which also features the digital instrument cluster and non of those come even close to the graphics and layout of the virtual cockpit. The interior is very solidly built and you have lots of leather and soft touch plastics all around. The only annoying part for me was the amount of blank buttons under the aircon controls. It's legit annoying to see blank switches on a car that costs about a 2 BHK flat in Kolkata. The Aircon is very neat minimalistic looking design where the screens have been inserted in the dials itself. It really cleans up the clutter. Following the market trend, A5 features 'floating' screen which is basically a iPad like screen stuck on the dashboard with a superglue or something. But jokes aside, don't you all miss well integrated screens in the dashboard? I surely do. The steering feels very well weighted and the design is so much better than the ones A4 has. I shared the test drive which a showroom sales man and a friend who sat at the rear to experience the desirable zone of most Indian buyers and I quote his words "This feels soo much better than A4 when it comes to space. Honestly feels better than the 5 Series but might just be a little behind the E-Class" Well A5 compares to 6 series GT but we haven't got a chance to test that one out yet but the cushioning and the suspension of the A5 is faar better than the ones found on the 5 series. Driving over bumps shows the strong point of the car. The stability of MQB platform and the well balanced suspension is a bliss Final words: If you're in the market looking for a car of this price range (60-75Lakhs) and don't want something that would make others look at you like you're an arrogant/ruthless businessman and you like driving around during the weekends but don't want a car bigger than your house? Audi A5 would be perfect for you. My Ratings out of 10: Comfort: (7/10) A5 surely feels a very well planted and is a quite comfortable car but the rivals might just be a better option. Performance: (5/10) A5 uses the same engine as A4 which very refined and has adequate power but just lacks a bit due to the extra weight it carries. If you want more performance, look for S5. practicality: (6/10) Sloping roof leads to lesser headroom but more practical boot space. with enough storage space inside the car but awkwardly shaped glove box. feel and finish: (9/10) Feels the best built in the class, no questions asked. The car feels quality, you need to feel it yourself to understand what I mean. value for money:(5/10) priced at 68Lakhs, you have too many options like Volvo s90 or E-class which have a better value for money. Even the 6 series GT which is almost as big as the state of Assam, looks more expensive and offers more space. future aftersales and resale:(3/10) The major reason why Audi doesn't sell in numbers is because of the after sales they provide. It is no match to the after sales of the Mercedes Benz and maybe is a bit better than BMW. Audi also doesn't hold it's value very good compared to it's rivals. eg: 2014 AUDI A4 35 TDI on carwale is offered at 15.5 Lakhs (Originally 43 lakhs) compared to 2014 C-class C220 d is offered at 18 Lakhs (Originally 44 lakhs) Both the cars had similar mileage done and were in mint condition Thank you :D