Audi A5 Sedan Edition 1 Review: First Priority

What we like:

Additional options elevate the whole luxury experience

What we dislike:

Is the A5 a Sedan or Sportback?

Our quick first drive review of the A5 Sedan was very positive, and it was in the ‘advanced’ version. Following that, we got an extended test drive in the Edition 1, which retails for $15k more.

The list of upgrades is formidable enough to make the extra outlay seem like a good deal. From the driver’s seat, you can definitely feel the difference with the lowered S Sport suspension, 19-inch rims (versus 18-inch), seats with the embossed S line logo and a sport steering wheel.

Although the suspension remains non-adjustable, it copes admirably well with the larger rims to give a very confidence-inspiring ride. Aside from the omission of quattro, there is very little to fault with how the A5 goes down a good road. There’s a darty front end, lots of lateral grip and even adjustability from the rear if you really go at it. It sets the stage for the upcoming S5 and RS5.

The feel-good factor of the Edition 1 is enough to make you want to part with the extra cash too. The lowered body together with the S line bodykit completes the look of the A5. On the inside, you get a lovely B&O sound system whose logo is integrated ever so subtly with the ambient lighting (also uprated in the Edition 1) as well as a head-up display. It all works together to elevate the appeal of the A5 even further.

Like the advanced version, there is a 2-litre TFSI engine that produces no more power in the Edition 1. That’s no hardship as the A5 does feel reasonably quick already as it is, with a 0-100 km/h time of just 7.8 seconds. The 7-speed S tronic gearbox is as smooth as dual-clutch gearboxes come.

The only fly in the ointment is the classification of the A5 as a sedan, when it clearly has a liftback - which should be called a Sportback, as all other Audi liftbacks are. This potentially confusing naming convention might confuse buyers, especially when the upcoming A6 arrives on the market.

But until then, the only way to get the PPC chassis is with the A5. You can tell the engineers at Audi really poured their love for ICE to develop the PPC chassis. Why not celebrate it properly in Edition 1 guise?

Photos by James Wong

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