Audi brings A5 and S5 Sportbacks to the U.S.

[greeNZ]

The Audi A5 and S5 Sportbacks will make it to our shores next year, with Audi slated to offer this dynamic duo in two different flavors.

Just like the A5 coupe and cabriolet, the A5 Sportback will be powered by the familiar-enough 2.0-liter turbo-four-cylinder churning out 252 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque. Connected to a seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch transmission, the engine should be good for sprints from 0-60 mph in 5.7 seconds. The S5 Sportback half of this duo will get a 3.0-liter TFSI V6 engine producing 354 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque, with an eight-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission sending those horses to all four wheels; Audi says the S5 Sportback will be able to sprint to 60 mph in just 4.5 seconds. Both models will offer quattro all-wheel drive standard, which is good thing considering the reasonably rabid powerplants underhood.

                                

The A5 and S5 will offer twice the cargo room of their coupe siblings.

Just about everything else, save for two extra doors, will carry over from the A5 and S5 coupes -- the Sportbacks representing scaled-down versions of the A7/S7 lineup that look like they were shrunk in the dryer. The two models should present a compelling alternative both for traditional A6 and A4 sedan buyers, melding the packaging of both models into something a little more versatile and cargo-friendly.

When it comes to infotainment, expect to see the new cockpit  and MMI touch with handwriting-recognition technology, in addition to optional 4G LTE connectivity.

Look for both next spring, landing as 2018 model-year "fastbacks." Pricing will be published closer to the models' commercial launch.