Audi is continuing work on the upcoming 2024 A5 Sportback, and ahead of an expected debut later this year, our spy photographers have captured another prototype of the car testing out on public roads.
Audi will be merging the A4 and A5 into a single model for this next generation. The A4 name will be dropped altogether, with the A5 Sportback taking the role of both cars. This comes as part of a larger plan to have ICE vehicles designated as odd-numbered models, while their EVs will occupy even numbers to avoid confusion.
Read More: 2024 Audi A5 Sportback Consigns The ICE A4 Sedan To History
Rather than having to produce two separate four-door compact executive cars, the German automaker will now only have to worry about one, and the one they’re keeping is not only more stylish with its coupe-like design but also more practical with its liftback trunk. It honestly seems like a no-brainer on Audi’s part.
Additionally, the A4 Avant will now become the A5 Avant, though the car itself will remain the same. What’s not clear yet is whether Audi will keep the two-door A5 alive to fight the BMW 4-Series and upcoming Mercedes CLE, or let it fall by the wayside in the current coupe-culling industry.
See Also: 2024 Audi S5 Avant Spied Virtually Undisguised
As is the trend with most modern Audis, the A5’s graphical elements, such as the headlights and singleframe grille, get sharper and more horizontal to give the car a lower, wider, more aggressive look. With that in mind, the body surfacing is a bit smoother than Audi‘s current products, giving it that extra touch of elegance to balance out the sportiness. The car also features a full-width rear light bar, and this particular one sports different wheels than the other prototypes we’ve seen.
Inside, the A5 is expected to gain a fully overhauled cabin with a free-standing digital gauge cluster and a large central infotainment screen. Other details on the interior design are limited due to the heavy camo, but we do know that it will offer a simplified center console, as well as the double-hexagon steering wheel seen in some of Audi’s newer models.
Related: Audi’s New A5 Avant Breaks Down On The Nurburgring
European models will likely offer a wide range of powertrains spanning various gasoline, diesel, and hybrid options. North America, on the other hand, is expected to only get a smaller variety of engine options, likely gasoline and hybrid models only that start with more power than what Europe gets.
The A5 Sportback is expected to make its debut at the end of this year as a 2024 model, with the first deliveries expected to begin in the spring of 2024.
