ABT Powers Up and Stylizes New Audi A5 Sportback

ABT Sporstline has built its reputation on modifying just about anything on four wheels that comes out of the VW Group's plants. Their newest proposal concerns the Audi A5 Sportback which has been modified with a variety of aesthetic and performance goodies.

The tuner jazzes up the five door coupe's appearance with numerous aero add-ons, including a new front bumper, ABT's trademark grille, front fender air-vents and a rear apron with a diffuser shrouding chrome exhaust tips.

Customers can choose between 18-inch and 20-inch alloy rims which are available in two different designs.

For the time being, ABT offers power kits only for the A5 Sportback with the 2.0 TSI petrol and the 3.0 TDI diesel engines.

After the tuner gets its way with the powerplants, the entry-level 2.0 TSI's output is boosted from 180HP to a hardy 275HP while the 3.0-liter V6 diesel can be lifted from 240HP to either 282HP or 310HP. The most powerful version of the V6 diesel hits the 100km/h (62mph) mark in 5.8 seconds.

The tuner finishes off the package with a sport suspension and a high-performance braking system with either 345 mm or 380 mm disks and eight piston calipers.

Hofele Design's R8-Inspired Aero Kits for Audi A5 Coupe, Cabrio and Sportback

Ever since the R8 broke cover, Audi tuners have been churning out numerous aero kits that try to imitate the styling of the mid-engined sports car for the German firm's more mainstream models. The latest package of the sort to capture our attention comes from Germany's Hofele Design and it's available for the A5 Coupe, Convertible and even for the new Sportback.

The common denominator for all three A5 models is the R8-look front bumper with the characteristic air vents underneath the headlamps.

Fortunately or unfortunately - we'll let you decide, that's about all the R8-love that Hofele Design has to offer the A5 Sportback.

However, for the full R8 effect, A5 Coupe and Convertible owners can match the new front bumper with a pair of R8-style side blades and a new rear bumper with faux air-outlets and an integrated diffuser that inspired from the V10-powered version of Audi's supercar.

Hofele Design rounds off the package with a boot lid spoiler (A5 Coupe only), air-intakes for the front fenders, side skirts and a wide choice of alloy wheel designs.

Audi S5 Sportback with 3.0 Supercharged V6: Photo Album and Initial Specs

Ingolstadt has whisked the covers off the sportiest version yet of the A5 Sportback, the S5 that will be displayed for the first time at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show in September. The S5 Sportback uses the same 3.0-liter supercharged V6 engine as the latest-generation S4 sedan that cranks out 333 horsepower and 440Nm (324.53 lb.-ft.) of torque between 2,900 and 5,300 rpm.

The 3.0 TSI engine is mated to a seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch transmission that puts power to all four wheels through Audi's a Quattro drivetrain while a sport differential, which variably distributes power on the rear axle between the rear wheels, will be offered as an option.

The German firm cites a 0 to 100 km/h (62mph) sprint time of 5.4 seconds (S4 Sedan: 5.1 seconds) and an electronically governed top speed of 250 km/h or 155mph.

Audi says that the S5 Sportback returns a combined fuel economy figure of 9.7 liters per 100 km which is the U.S. equivalent of 24.25 mpg.

In typical Audi fashion, a subtle body kit that includes a deeper front bumper, aluminum-look exterior mirror housings, side skirts, specific grille and a small boot lid spoiler plus 18-inch alloys shod in 245/40 tires distinguish the S5 from its lesser A5 siblings.

Inside, a three-spoke leather steering wheel with contrasting stitching, the aluminum trim, gray dials and of course the sport seats covered with Silk Nappa leather let you know you're behind the wheel of a special A5.

Sales of the Audi S5 Sportback are pegged to start in Spring 2010 with prices set to start in Germany from €57,900.

VIDEO: New Audi A5 Sportback in Motion

Here's the first video of the all-new Audi A5 Sportback that joins the ever-expanding cast of the so-called four-door coupes or if you prefer, sport sedans with coupe-like styling details such as slick rooflines and frameless doors. Scheduled to arrive in European showrooms in September, the latest addition in Audi's A4 - A5 family will offer buyers an initial choice of six engines - three diesel and three gasoline, ranging from 170HP to 265HP. At least for now, Audi says that the A5 Sportback won't be coming to the U.S. market. Watch the video after the jump.

Audi A5 Sportback Officially Revealed: Mega Gallery with 60 High-Res Photos

The wait is finally over for the all-new A5 Sportback as Audi unleashed a full photo gallery of its high-anticipated five-door coupe which will be formally introduced this fall at the Frankfurt Auto Show. The German firm claims that new member of the A5 family "combines the best of various vehicle genres such as the emotion and elegance of a coupe, the comfort of a sedan and the practicality of a station wagon." Of course most will see a five-door, liftback version of the A5 Coupe with a sleek roofline, but still, we must admit that our first reaction on the Sportback's styling is positive.

Aside from the low-slung roofline and the rear hatch, the Sportback also boasts a unique C-Pillar design with a dramatic kink as well as frameless doors.

Without doubt, the A5 Sportback looks even better with the optional S-Line sport package that combines a tauter suspension setup and lowered body with larger alloy wheels, specific bumpers, distinctive features on the side air intakes, on the diffuser and on the tailpipes along with color keyed side sill trims.

Moving on to the interior, Audi's styling experiments pretty much come to an end with the new door trims and the four-seat layout as the dashboard is no different than the one found in the rest of the A4 and A5 family.

Even though the Sportback is 36mm (1.42 in) lower than the A4 Sedan, the German automaker supports that the four-seater model offers comparable headroom and legroom space with the more conventionally styled A4.

Furthermore, Audi says that the Sportback's compartment volume of 480 liters (16.95 cu ft) is nearly as much as the A4 Avant, and it can increase to 980 liters (34.61 cu ft) with the rear seats folded down.

There are no surprises under the hood as the Sportback will roll into European showrooms in September with a similar engine lineup to the A4 and A5 models. The initial range will consist of three gasoline units, a 2.0 TSI with 180HP and 211HP and a 265HP 3.0 FSI V6, and three diesels, a 2.0 TDI with 170HP, a 2.7-liter TDI delivering 190HP and a 3.0- V6 TDI that makes 240HP.

All models are equipped with a recuperation system that recovers energy during braking and deceleration and stores it temporarily in the battery while the three gasoline and the top diesel variants are offered with Audi's quattro permanent all-wheel drive system.

Audi said that the A5 Sportback's range will be enhanced with three more engines by mid-2010, one of which will surely be the new 3.0-liter supercharged V6 TFSI that develops 290HP in the A6 and 333HP in the S4 Sedan and Avant models.

In Germany, prices for the A5 Sportback range from €33,650 for the 180HP 2.0 TSI to €47,950 for the 3.0 TDI.

For the time being, Audi claims that the A5 Sportback won't be heading to the United States, but something tells us that the automaker may change its plans in the very near future.

Audi A5 Sportback Prices at Launch (Germany)

2.0 TDI with 6-speed manual transmission - €36,050

2.7 TDI with 6-speed manual transmission -€39,300

3.0 TDI quattro with 7-speed S tronic - €47,950

2.0 TFSI (132 kW / 180 hp) with 6-speed manual transmission - €33,650

2.0 TFSI (155 kW / 211 hp) quattro with 7-speed S tronic - €42,150

3.2 FSI quattro with S tronic - €47,000