Body Styles

From 2017 through 2024, the second-generation Audi A5 has been offered in three distinct body types, each crafted to appeal to different lifestyle and performance preferences while maintaining a consistent design language centered around elegance, athleticism, and precision engineering.

The A5 Coupe is the most traditional of the trio, featuring a two-door layout with a sleek, fastback silhouette. It offers a refined grand touring experience with sporty proportions, frameless doors, and a low center of gravity, making it the choice for drivers seeking a stylish and engaging daily coupe with the comfort of a luxury vehicle.

The A5 Sportback, introduced to the North American market with this generation, blends coupe styling with four-door practicality. It features a sweeping roofline, frameless side windows, and a hatchback-style liftgate, giving it both aesthetic appeal and everyday usability. The Sportback has quickly become the most popular A5 body style, thanks to its versatile cargo space and rear-seat accessibility while retaining the model’s signature design cues.

The A5 Cabriolet is the open-top variant, offering a power-folding fabric roof that operates in about 15 seconds. Designed for top-down driving enthusiasts, it maintains the coupe’s graceful design and performance characteristics while adding a layer of open-air luxury. Despite its soft-top layout, it offers impressive insulation and refinement, making it suitable for year-round use.

Together, these three body styles — Coupe, Sportback, and Cabriolet — define the A5 range as one of Audi’s most stylistically diverse offerings, delivering a balance of performance, design, and versatility tailored to the needs of modern luxury buyers.

Model Name Meaning (Manufacturer)

The name Audi A5 follows Audi’s alphanumeric naming convention, which emphasizes a clear hierarchy across its vehicle lineup. The "A" prefix designates a core model line within Audi’s passenger vehicle range, with higher numbers signifying a more premium or performance-oriented position. In this case, the A5 is positioned above the A3 and A4 in terms of design sophistication and sporty appeal, but below the flagship A6 and A8 sedans in size and luxury.

The "5" indicates that the A5 is closely related to the Audi A4 in terms of platform and engineering — both are built on the same MLB (Modular Longitudinal Matrix) architecture — but the A5 distinguishes itself through its more expressive, design-driven identity. When the A5 was first introduced in 2007, Audi created the name to establish a new series that would embody the emotional, coupe-like styling not fully captured by the more traditional A4 sedan.

Unlike legacy model names rooted in metaphor or history, the A5’s naming reflects clarity, hierarchy, and brand structure, supporting Audi’s broader philosophy of precision and modernism. It represents a blend of performance, elegance, and practicality, tailored for customers seeking a vehicle that offers more visual drama and individuality than the A4, without stepping into full S or RS performance territory.

Body & Interior Colors and Rims

The Audi A5, offered in Coupe, Sportback, and Cabriolet variants from 2017 to 2024, presents a design-focused identity underscored by a refined selection of exterior colors, meticulously crafted interiors, and wheel designs that complement its sporty sophistication. Across all body styles, Audi maintained a visual balance between elegance and performance, with subtle updates introduced through mid-cycle refreshes, particularly around the 2020 model year.

The body color palette throughout this generation of the A5 emphasizes Audi’s premium design ethos, with a mix of classic metallics and bold finishes. Timeless shades like Ibis White, Mythos Black Metallic, Glacier White Metallic, and Manhattan Gray Metallic offered understated luxury, while more dynamic hues such as Navarra Blue Metallic, District Green Metallic, and Tango Red Metallic provided a deeper sense of individuality. Special finishes like Quantum Gray, Daytona Gray Pearl, and Chronos Gray Metallic on S line or Black Optic packages added contrast and visual tension to the car’s sharp character lines and Singleframe grille. Cabriolet models often highlighted body color contrasts with black or gray convertible roofs, further enhancing their tailored appearance.

Inside, the Audi A5 focused on clean, horizontal lines, driver-oriented layouts, and finely detailed materials. Entry-level models featured leather or leather/Alcantara combinations in tones such as Black, Rock Gray, and Nougat Brown, while higher trims like the Premium Plus and Prestige offered fine Nappa leather, diamond stitching, and contrasting piping. The S line and S5 variants introduced Rotor Gray and Magma Red interiors, paired with brushed aluminum, matte oak, or carbon atlas inlays that emphasized performance refinement. From 2020 onward, updates to Audi’s MMI touch response interface and the fully digital Virtual Cockpit brought a sleek, modern tech layer into the cabin, harmonizing with ambient LED lighting and high-gloss piano black trim. The Sportback variant also benefited from practical versatility, offering split-folding rear seats and a more expansive cargo area without compromising the premium atmosphere.

Wheels across the A5 range were crafted to highlight both aerodynamics and presence. Standard models started with 17- or 18-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels with silver finishes that matched the elegant profile of the car. Higher trims and S line variants upgraded to 19- and 20-inch wheels, with Y-spoke, V-spoke, or twin-arm designs finished in Titanium Matte, Graphite Gray, or bi-color machined surfaces. The Black Optic package included gloss black or darkened wheels, visually lowering the stance and intensifying the sporty appeal. Cabriolet and S5 models offered more performance-focused designs, some with floating spoke patterns or split five-spoke geometry, reflecting their heightened dynamic character.

Together, the Audi A5’s body colors, interior configurations, and wheel designs create a cohesive expression of athletic elegance — a car that speaks to both the design-conscious and the enthusiast, whether in Coupe, Sportback, or open-top form.

Top Expensive Options

• Audi Virtual Cockpit Plus with 3D Navigation: $900
• Adaptive Suspension with Drive Select Modes: $1,200
• Bang & Olufsen 19-Speaker 3D Premium Audio: $950
• Head-Up Display with Speed & Nav Projection: $1,000
• Matrix-design LED Headlights with Dynamic Indicators: $1,400
• Panoramic Sunroof with Power Sunshade: $1,100
• Sport Seats with Massage Function and Ventilation: $1,500
• Driver Assistance Package (ACC, Lane Assist, Traffic Jam Assist): $1,800
• S line Appearance with 19” Wheels and Gloss Black Accents: $1,600
• Top View Camera System with Park Assist: $850

vs Competitors

The A5 competes with the BMW 4 Series (non-M), Mercedes C-Class Coupé, Genesis G70 Shooting Brake (Europe), and Lexus RC. Compared to the 4 Series, the A5 feels more refined and less polarizing in design, though the BMW offers sharper rear-drive dynamics. Against the C-Class, the A5 provides cleaner ergonomics and more intuitive tech, with a sportier feel in Sportback and Coupé trims. The Genesis offers strong value but lacks brand prestige, while the Lexus RC trails in infotainment and space. The A5 remains a benchmark for design-led luxury with confident, balanced performance in multiple body styles.

Fun Fact

The A5 Sportback was originally developed as a niche variant, but its blend of coupe design and hatchback practicality made it a surprise hit — outselling the Coupé and Cabriolet combined in many global markets. The A5 also served as the testbed for early versions of Audi’s MMI touch response and hybrid navigation, making it one of the most technologically influential vehicles in Audi’s midsize segment.