Three Men In A Boat first published in 1889, was a humorous account by Jerome K Jerome of a boating holiday on the Thames between Kingston and Oxford. Initially the book was intended to be a travel guide but humour intervened.
No, I am not going to try and rival such a witty piece of work, but to bring you Three Men In An Audi. Full marks to Audi‘s UK PR team for coming up with a launch that is just that little bit different.
In order that we motoring scribes could get our driving hands on the latest offering from this prestige German carmaker, the directive was to drive from a hotel near Gatwick Airport and to take the Tunnel to France.
In company with two other Ulster motoring journalists we completed the exercise and it turned out to be an ideal way to sample the new A5 Sportback.By doing this Audi added a touch of realism to the launch; we will admit we went with an additional purpose to do some shopping on the other side of the English Channel and it did highlight the practical element of this very handsome and sporty Audi.
The product just simply gets better and Audi has found another niche in the market; in this way little wonder that their sales are buoyant while others struggle. No surprise to learn that the forecast was for 400 advance orders for the A5 Sportback, the truth is that figure is 800, which is pretty impressive considering the times we all find ourselves in.
What is so appealing about his newcomer is that it blends coupe style with the practical aspects of a saloon and it can carry four in comfort; okay the rear seat passengers need not be too tall.
Aiding carrying quality is a large opening tailgate, a unique design in this sector. Initially Audi is offering a choice of four engines and the CO2 figure is as low as 137g/km and a start/stop function, which seems to be the current in thing, is standard on 2.0 TFSI and 2.0 TDI versions.
Other useful fuel and energy saving devices include recuperation to make optimal use of brake energy and a gear shift indicator located in the instrument panel.
Power outputs range from 170PS to 240PS in the top of the line 3.0 TDI versions. The test car for our journey to France was a 3.0TDI complete with the amazing S tronic transmission and Audi’s surefooted quattro system.
The new A5 Sportback is a well equipped, but as is the case with German cars there is a raft of options to choose from, so few A5 Sportbacks will be the same.
Good news for buyers, the Sportback which is based on the A5 Coupe, the forecast is that it will have the best residual values in class. To give a taste of performance and in relation to the car used on this exercise, rest to 62mph comes up in 6.1 seconds and top speed is 155mph.
On the subject of economy, on the combined fuel cycle, the official figure is 42.8mpg and the CO2 rating is 174g/km.
Trim levels offered are, Standard, SE and S line with prices ranging from £23,710 - £36,220.
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